AIBU to “steal” this?

[AmiABadPersonn]

Hello everyone I just want your opinions on this as today I’ve been in a heated argument with my friend as to wether I am unreasonable or not.

I am off work on maternity leave so the funds are tight at minute. There is a man who lives near me I believe he is drug user, he sells half price stuff and also takes orders on what you want for half price. He knocks on my house about 1 or 2 times a week with a bag of half price goods. I always buy washing detergent and softeners from him because you can get a whole weeks laundry of the nice brands for around £10. Money is tight as I have just had a baby and I have 2 other children with my husband also. i also sometimes get baby milk formula from him if I’m running low because it’s cheap.

I feel like this is not wrong because if I didn’t buy it other people would. Even if no one bought it he would steal it anyway in hopes someone would buy it eventually.

Today my friend was at my house when he came so I offered her to have a look what he had. She immediately asked him where he got this stuff from and he replied “shop”. She didn’t say much after but when I finished buying my items she started shouting about how I’m funding his drugs addiction and I shouldn’t support it because I am now stealing too. I told her to relax it’s fine it’s only a couple of items. She didn’t say much and finished her coffee and left quick.

So am I morally wrong for this? Or would you do the same?

1- it is illegal
2- it is immoral
3- you are helping find his drug habit
4- GO TO THE FOOD BANK!!

You can frame this how you want, but it's really awful.

Buy your laundry bits and baby milk at Aldi (for probably the same cost as from this man).

You are buying known stolen goods, attracting a drug addict to your children's home, and funding this man's continued drug addition. It's absolute madness

Is this an attempt to defend yourself? You know this is wrong. Ok ow you know because you put every excuse under the sun in your OP.

Well no, I wouldn’t do this. It’s handling stolen goods and, if you get convicted, the penalty is somewhere between a fine and up to 14 years in Jail, depending on severity.

if I was doing such an unwise thing, I wouldn’t be inviting my friends to join in my crime either.

stop buying from this man. Stop committing offenses on a weekly basis.

She doesnt need to go to the food bank for smelly laundry balls

Nobody spending £10 a week on laundry needs the food bank. Leave it for the people who can’t afford food, not for people buying bloody scent pods for their undercrackers.

Nah this can't be real, no one would buy baby milk from a drug dealer surely.

This. Mention baby formula and watch people falling over themselves trying to excuse theft.
Never mind that OP seems to be quite happy to pay for pricey branded laundry products.
As long as it’s not the supermarkets making a profit 🙄

Go to Aldi and buy the cheapest detergent. Use the money you saved to buy proper essentials. I feel sorry for the staff who have to deal with this shitty behaviour- especially if it is a small corner shop just trying to make a living. Personally having watched a documentary on the effects of county lines I think anyone who is remotely connected to the trade in illegal drugs is utterly morally repellent. You are giving him money to buy drugs. How many children’s lives are ruined by this trade?

Doubt he wants a pie and a job stacking shelves would be out the question as they probably already have him marked as a theif

@StormingNorman @TooLateForRoses my thinking was she could pay full price for the items she's getting from said drug dealer if she used a food bank.

I should add...
5- this post smells like BS

But I do know that it is common in lower income areas for people to buy stolen items from drug users.

I would not buy from him to fund his drugs and I wouldn't buy stolen goods. How much detergent are you using each week? You can buy it mega cheap from home bargains.

What kind of place do you live that drug dealers knock on your door selling stolen goods?!

Some people live a very different life!

I'd be terrified & focus on moving.

WTF, you don't need all that shit if you're struggling! Just get basic washing powder from Aldi and Lidl like most people on a budget do.

Not just people on a budget. I've never used softener or scent balls, they're completely unnecessary. Why would you want artificial scents on your clothes clashing with your normal perfume, deodorant etc? And why would you want your children smelling of scent?

OP, everything works well for you until he will steal from you to sell it to others.
I think what you are doing is wrong.

You are massively unreasonable.

Dont come crying poverty when you can spend £10 a week on knock off laundry crap that you dont need. Be honest, you want it and like the fact you can get it cheap so try and justify yourself.

If you were genuinely struggling, you wouldnt waste money on all of this stuff that you like. You would buy basic brands legitimately for quater of the price. Then you could put that money towards milk for your baby.

But instead, you choose to fund crime, and be a part of it yourself. You are contributing to the problem. But you know that already. You just dont care.

Your friend is right.

All well and good saying 'if you didn't buy it someone else would' that saying and attitude is why most crimes of this sort take place.

Stealing cars = higher insurance premiums for everyone
Stealing goods = higher prices for everyone
Stealing household goods = higher household insurance

The list goes on, it will only stop when people like you stop buying. Supply and demand

It wouldn't bother me especially if I was tight for money, there's worse things happening in the world

There are other things you can do, don’t handle stolen goods and fund this guys addiction. And don’t encourage him round your house.

you can buy washing stuff for a week way less than a tenner. Can you shop at Aldi/lidl? This stuff is great and £2.79? Way more than a weeks worth of washing.

you don’t need all the scent balls nonsense. Particularly if you can’t afford baby food - that’s where you need to put that money.

https://groceries.aldi.co.uk/en-GB/p-almat-super-concentrated-non-bio-liquid-wash-147l42-washes/4088600220420

every time shops raise their prices because of shoplifting impacting their revenues - big corporations or corner shops -it’s because of people like YOU, buying from scumbags who go on the rob.

It doesn't make stealing right though .

To the posters justifying the OP's actions - she isn't on the bones of her arse. She is spending unnecessary £££ on unnecessary laundry items when she could buy cheap washing powder (which is better for washing machines and washes clothes more efficiently).

The OP is not the only poster on this thread with a dodgy moral compass. Thankfully, the vast majority are not like this .

@AmiABadPersonn you can justify your actions all you like but what you are doing is morally reprehensible. You are a terrible role model for your children and have a very apt user name.

Absolutely not would I buy stolen goods from him and fund his habit. You know they are stolen and yes money is tight but pop to home bargains rather than stolen goods

The food bank isn't there to subsidise someone's scent ball habit.

You can attempt to justify it all you like, but you’re essentially just as bad as he is.

Unless you’ve got 10 children, you’re going through an inordinate amount of washing products a week. Not all of them necessary. Ditch the scent balls and fabric conditioner for starters. I’m amazed you’re using such chemicals if you have a baby.

I can’t believe you’re asking if you’re wrong to buy stolen goods, you’re no better than he is. Money is tight is no excuse, maybe you should have thought of that before having another baby.

You don't know that though. Who's today he hasn't pushed over or punched a security guard or member of staff trying to escape?

Also you do realise your cheap goods means shops are raising prices for everyone else? So other mums and babies struggling that don't buy off the local addict are having togo without or go to food banks?