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?

Ah jesus christ that is scraping the bottom of the barrel!!

I understand irony. Probably much more than you. This wasn't it.

Oh chill out. You'll give yourself a nosebleed.

Nah you dont, you just....dont!

I think you've hit the nail on the head…. Very stupid, just about covers it!

I mean yeah it’s stealing.

Only you know how desperate your need is.

I don’t think anyone who can’t afford to feed their children is buying scented laundry pods and so on.

and yet here you are, replying again with your vainglorious attitude.

i said on a wider scale.

also, i never said that.
my point was maybe stolen goods having such a huge market, not just op, may reflect some wider issues in our society.

read my reply again, i don’t quite think you grasped where i said ‘on a wider scale’.

honestly the absolute pile on this thread has become, is actually breaking up the barrel and selling it for scrap.

But for a society to work individuals also need to take responsibility for their own actions and not just blame the government and expect them to fix everything all the time.
If everyone started stealing because “there are bigger issues” we’d end up in a right mess.
I see it in a local town - high levels of shop lifting over the last couple of years, the result is a town full of empty shop units because many businesses decided to close down or move elsewhere. It’s not rocket science really.
There might be a huge market for stolen goods, but like OP’s case shows it’s not necessarily always because people can’t afford basic essentials.
Go ahead and steal branded stuff you feel you’re entitled to - don’t be surprised if business increase prices to recoup lost profits or simply close down.

I do think there is a deterioration in society and a loss of trust in institutions, businesses etc over the last 20 years maybe? No one has any personal affection for businesses who are seen as entirely profit hungry, customer manipulating, impersonal mega corps. They aren’t friendly family owned shops, or rosey cheeked producers selling you food.
The legal system has no respect it’s clogged up and slowed down. The government is ‘one rule for them, another rule for us’ There’s no community or support for people struggling with unemployment or depression or ill health, it’s very dog eat dog.
I think all these factor into OP thinking it’s ok to buy stolen goods. It’s not ok, but I can understand a decline in trust and personal honour when it seems like everything you interact with is out to rip you off.

I can see your point about people feeling disillusioned and mistrustful, but I think it can also be easily used as an excuse.
People like to criticise big corporations, but then go and order stuff from Amazon because it’s so convenient.
If you don’t like huge faceless enterprises, why not try to support small local businesses whenever possible? The friendly family-owned businesses still exist, and by the way, people quite happily steal from them too.
And as for the big chains - several posters on this thread who either work in retail themselves or know someone who does have explained how much stress shoplifters create for them.
It’s not the Tesco CEO who’s suffering most here, it’s the minimum wage workers.

Here's a thought OP. How about you ring your local police station and ask their advice on the matter 😂

Breastfeed / don't have another baby if money is so tight you can't feed it?

Its abhorrent to justify stealing from a shop.

Apologies for daily mail link https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13571051/Cop-tackles-knife-thief-stole-Poundland.html
Does this look victimless @AmiABadPersonn ?

That’s really interesting. I’ve heard before that the actual profit margins in supermarkets were quite low, but I’m surprised they’re that low.

Oh and if anyone was ever in the position where they were scraping the barrel for baby formula then there are plenty of charities, food banks and local agencies that can help supply this.
But I don’t think this is the case here if you are happily paying £10 a week on scented laundry balls 🙄

uhh…maybe on a wider scale the two wars currently going on

lol

also

Jesus fucking Christ

They work on volumes and volumes alone. Making 1.8% on what amounts to the majority of retail spend in the whole country is mega mega money.

True, but if the margins are that low one can’t really say they are overcharging for individual items.
An interesting article I’ve found:

amp.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2023/may/08/uk-supermarkets-profiteering-sainsburys-tesco

We're a very small shop with a pretty consistent markup across ranges and sometimes find ourselves cheaper than supermarkets in certain items. I also know the items they gouge on but those gouges are funding cuts in other areas. Wholesale price of mangoes is a good example, they sell the equivalent for cheaper than I can buy them but also they charge an unreasonable amount for pink ladies, which do have a higher cost price but not to the extent the difference in retail price would have you think. Toiletries as a dept are another one that they gauge on generally.

I don't really like the supermarket business model but it's pretty good for the customer IMO

Wider issues? Like people expecting something for nothing? People greedy and jealous that they don't have the same things that the Jones' down the street have? People having children they can ill afford, thinking, the government will pay for them? That perhaps, somewhere down the line, some people forgot to have morals because as long as they get what they want, no matter how they get it, it's "okay"?

Yes, because this man's thinking is "here is a woman who is my source of income. Kill the baby" 🙄

Clearly receiving stolen goods