To think that shoplifting is not my f#%*ing problem

[ShoveItUpYourArseMargaret]

I can't he the only one. I've never stolen a thing in my life.

I have had it up to here with the extra security measures in shops lately.

Today in Sainsburys, I went back to the aisles with my PAID FOR shopping, to check the price on the shelf l as I'd been overcharged SO actually Sainsbury's were stealing from me. As I went back through self-checkout area where I'd paid, my trolley wheels then locked 🙄

....Also, not long ago, I did some shopping in TK Maxx and boots and the alarm went off when leaving TK Maxx because the person on the till hadn't deactivated the security thing. We went back to the till and the security person WHO HAD BEEN STANDING THERE WATCHING US, came over and rifled through my bag. I told him some of the stuff was from boots and he said, no, he had to check that too. In the process, one of the items from boots costing £10 went missing. So TK Maxx actually stole from us.

I used to love TK Maxx but wont go there anymore now.

Shoplifting is NOT my problem, I don't do it and never have. I'm not a criminal and expect not to he treated like one. Shops who are happy to take your money but treat genuine customers like shit are in danger of scaring off people who are there to spend money, they'll just end up full of shoplifters. 🤷‍♀️

I feel for the shop workers, getting paid only just over minimum wage, having to deal with shoplifters and now the grumpy rude customers who give staff grief because they should be mind readers and know that the customer isn't stealing!
Anyone can and does steal, some types more than others and every item stolen puts up the price, the shops are trying to reduce theft and therefore prices, don't make it hard on the staff please, it's really not their fault.

I don’t get how an item went missing?

I have worked in retail for decades. The amount of losses due to shrink (theft) is millions and millions of £ over a year. It does contribute to how items, not as much as Brexit but hey-ho.

I do feel genuinely sorry for people stealing nappies, baby milk etc.
Zero empathy for people who appear to be paying but don't. One of highest stolen items is an almond croissant. People scan through the cheapest croissants but take the most expensive. Happens thousands of times a day - gits - they think it doesn't matter but it does

Omg the bags! This gives me an irrational level of anger! Especially in Aldi where they won't just hand them to you, they insist on scanning them for you.

In other supermakets, I scan the bags as I go then press no bags at the end otherwise it adds them on twice. I have been told off for doing this in Morrisons at least twice. I have been stopped, had the receipt overly scrutinised, then they see the bags scanned on the receipt, no apology just a blank look. If all supermarkets were the same, I would only press the button at the end but sometimes they don't have that option then you have to muck about trying to scan the right amount of bags.

You'd think I wasn't busy the amount of headspace I let this take up 🤦

I must live in a parallel universe as nothing like this has ever happened to
me.

I went on holiday this year to a ‘high trust’ country. There are no security guards in shops. We bought train tickets on our phones and not one person asked to check them. There are no barriers at mainline stations, only underground. It was amazing. There is clearly an expectation that people will do the right thing. I wish we could live like that.

I agree Op.
I think it’s worse because as someone with values, you feel tarred by the same brush as the low lives.
Stealing is not the same as speeding. Nor is being searched at an airport for bombs as everyone is ( no one thinks everyone is a terrorist).

Making me check out my own shopping, then scan the receipt to leave does feel like adding insult to injury - especially as I'm trying to scan a slightly screwed up receipt whilst wrestling 2 full bags.

Or the time in Ikea (which honestly, otherwise, the scan as you shop thing is *BRILLIANT) when I got trapped in the checkout zone because it wanted to rescan me (I'd only bought 1 thing, and I suppose it looked suspicious) but there was no-one anywhere around to do it - and the till staff didn't seem to be able to call anyone (and I'm 5' tall and couldn't see over the walls to attract any further attention!) I was there for 5 minutes before I managed to flag someone down (no other customers as it was a quiet time in the middle of the week, so I couldn't abandon my item and tail anyone out either)

TBH, when the alarms go off I'm generally just waived through, and it's me searching to make sure a tag hasn't been left on anything because the last thing I want to do is have to come back to get it taken off. Perhaps I look either pitiable or innocent.

@Pipsquiggle I’m really interested in your comments “not as much as Brexit”

Its impossible to discuss the impact of Brexit these days in terms of cost. Even though as a nation we were warned there would be a severe downward jolt to the economy.

why do you say that - genuinely interested x

I see what you mean and I agree that they need to find a balance between customer service and preventing shoplifting that is not treating everyone with suspicion.

I was buying a sandwich from Waitrose (supposedly superior customer service?!) and used the self service. I left with the sandwich and the receipt in my hand. As I was going past the manned tills, one of the shop assistants came running after me and shouting to stop. When I turned she saw the receipt and just said ‘oh you have a receipt’ and left. No apology or explanation. I was left standing there with everyone at the tills staring at me. Mortifying.

I know in the grand scheme of things it’s not a big deal and nothing happened. But being treated like a criminal and not even getting an apology has left a sour taste.

This.

I don't take bombs on planes but I still have to go through airport security. The list could be endless.

I won't shop at any store that can't balance safety and basic respect.

You're giving them your money, so they should value you as a customer, not make you feel uncomfortable.

I went to a large Homesense/TK Maxx last week, l mistakenly pushed my trolley over the ridged mat at one of the entrances, trolley locked and bleepers sounded, a member of staff sorted it out, l have arthritis and my walking isn’t always straight, l rarely go in shops these days and haven’t seen this method of security before but l wasn’t embarrassed and I laughed about it with the staff member.

I get that it's frustrating but thefts are at an all time high. Sorry about your experience in TkMaxx but security measures are in place because there is so many thefts these days. A doddle back to have your bags checked (without your own paid for belongings going missing) isn't a huge deal. It happens to everyone. Keep your receipts until your finished shopping to cover yourself.

You don't take a full trolley of groceries back to check a price on an item; you go to customer services and query it there 🤨

You think the trolley knows you’ve paid for your shopping? It’s programmed to lock at a certain point, they’re not intuitive trollies

Love the sound of this - where is this?

Asda isn’t run by the council, it’s not got no obligations to stock certain foods.

How did you lose the boots item? Did you not lay everything out with receipts so he could check it? I don’t see how one of your items went missing?

How on earth do you think shops can tell you're a 'genuine customer '? Shoplifting is everybody's problem. We're all paying for it. Instead of being angry about how it affects you, be angry about the thieves or about the circumstances that have driven them to it.

@stillhiding1990 South Korea. Japan is similar. Not to say those countries don’t have their own issues, but they work together in lots of ways so that everyone’s life is better. They also had stalls outside shops with no one overseeing them - here stuff on an unguarded stall wouldn’t last 5 mins. They also have clean public toilets everywhere, because they all clean up after themselves rather than expecting someone else to do it.

Why on earth do you think you were entitled to a voucher because you were asked if your bag could be checked?
Added to that, the fact that you refused just caused an inconvenience to the staff members, who were only doing their job, but you think you should be rewarded for that?
Entitled much.

Thanks, sounds amazing. I would love this

So can shoplifters just walk out because they've not been proven guilty? Getting searched isn't accusing you of being guilty - it's a way of establishing that you're not. I guess it's a bit embarrassing but what do you suggest shops do instead?

Did you know that supermarkets are businesses and not charities? They’re not interested in making your shopping experience stress-free. They have to do everything they can to make profit so save your frustration for the shoplifting shitbags who are one reason why items in supermarkets are so high and shop elsewhere.