to have kept an item I inadvertently 'stole' today?

[ilikeyoursleeves]

I was doing supermarket sweep at Tesco's today, huge amount of food in trolley so I hung a maxi pack of Huggies nappies off the hook under the kids seat at the front of the trolley. I paid for all my shopping, then realised when I got to my car that I had walked out with the Huggies still hanging on the hook.

...and then drove off.

AIBU to have kept them?

Weeell, I've done it. Packet of plasters that it turned out DS was sitting on in the trolley when we went through the till. I found them in the car park and I didn't go back because I was in a hurry to get somewhere else. My decision was also informed by the fact that it was a big supermarket - I would go back if it was a small shop (and have - when DS lifted a wooden toy carrot from an artisan-esque right-on toy shop and I only found it when we got home) and of course I would return anything that belonged to an individual.

It was a mistake, you don't make a habit of it, calling it "theft" is a bit OTT I think. Would Tesco be happy to rip you off for a few quid? Ummm...

" calling it "theft" is a bit OTT I think"

taking something that you know isn't yours or that you know you have to pay for = theft.

that's not ott that's fact

Bexie, I've bought stuff from Tesco / other places that had gone off, and not taken it back for the exact same reason - I don't have time. So no, I don't have a different attitude if it's me who's owed something. As Urbandryad says - meh.

its not classed as stealing, if you dont post about it on here

I have walked out with something in the trolly I hadn't paid for (in fatc it was undeneath and had been put there by someone before me).

When I got to the car and realised, I didn;t think "oh goody a free...." and load it in the car. I just left it in the trolly for someone else to deal with [passing the buck emoticon]

Choosing to take something you haven't paid for and put it in your car is theft. It isn't a mistake. If you had put something in the bag and didnt realise until you got home - thats a mistake.

I can't see that the same act against someone else would be theft, but because it's Tescos, it isn't theft. How does that work then? Either it is or it isn't.

People obviously have views that theft against Tescos isn't as bad, but if it's theft against a corner shop, or a person, then the same act is theft against Tescos.

And as far as I am aware, employing specialists to ensure you don't pay tax that you needn't pay isn't illegal. I have an accountant for my business. He advises me on best ways to ensure I pay as little tax on income as possible.

I think a lot of people have a downer against Tescos just because they are so successful. I'm sure they are not angels and do lots of morally questionable things, but I do feel there's a lot of resenting the amount of money they make, rather than questioning a specific thing they do that is wrong.

Factually, yes. But that makes it sound as if there's no difference between deliberate, planned, repeated shoplifting and a harrassed parent forgetting about the nappies dangling off their trolley, once. It is OTT not because it's technically incorrect, but because it makes the OP sound like a scheming criminal. I think there's a huge difference between those things. And those who are getting morally hot under the collar about this - have you really never ever broken the law, not even slightly? Copied a CD perhaps? That's "theft" as well.

I always take stuff back in I just wouldnt think to keep it.
I once went back into tesco with three carrots I'd hung on handle of buggy they came to twenty odd pence, heard the girl on the till call me a freak as I walked off![bit harsh smiley]

yes snow leopard - we mostly do all operate in teh grey zone... taking a £6 pack of nappies and loading it my car when I knew I hadn;t paid for it is too far into the dark grey zone for my personal comfort levels.

its a bit warped to justify theft by saying you dont like the way tesco operates

if you dont like the way tesco is managed dont shop there

I did this with one of their cooked -sparrows chickens, I kept it.

YABU to shop at Tesco.

I don't think anyone's saying they've never broken the law even slightly. I'm sure I have, usually by driving a smidge over the limit.

As Kewcumber said, we all have a limit we are comfortable with morally. People getting 'hot under the collar' were saying that discovering in the car park that they hadn't paid for something and making the decision to get in the car and drive home rather than pop back in to pay for it was over that line for them.

there is also the unspoken idea that it is ok because the op is respectable not like a toe rag shop lifter who might take a joint of beef of equivalent value

one rule for you and another for them

I don't think I've ever broken the law.

YANBU I would of kept them.

I don't think it's "OK" to steal from tesco, obviously it's not something you'd want to do. But if it's happened by honest accident and was a small amount, I'd be more inclined to let it go than if it was an individual or a small business - because it will make little difference to them, no individual person who works there will suffer at all (in fact it's more hassle for them if you go back) and if it's a one-off its impact overall will be infinitesimal.

Not because I don't like the way they operate or am an anti-capitalist anarchist or have it in for Tesco in particular.

If any of you have ever made a copy of a CD you have nicked more money than this. I just think coming down hard on the OP morally is not fair. It is a tiny, tiny, unintentional "crime" in the scheme of things.

OP run and hide now!

Don't put crime in "". It is a crime. And it wasn't an honest accident. It was dishonest appropriation of goods (legal definition of theft). She deliberately put them in her car knowing they weren't hers to take.

Like I said, if the OP wants to keep them then that's her decision (I don't agree with it though) but don't justify it on MN's AIBU section or expect others to justify it for you.

The facts here are that it was an act of theft. Some people think that's okay for their own reasons. Others don't. But it's theft.

Personally, I would have gone back and paid for them just for the good karma, but its hardly the crime of the century, i wouldnt loose sleep over it if i were you

I don't feel I am coming down morally hard on OP - she asked if she was BU and I think she was.

A maxi pack of huggies must cost at least £6 thats a lot of money in my book. Maybe if you think it isn't then your view might be differnt.

I don't copy CD's unless I already own them and copy them for personal use (which I beleive is legal). BEcasue I want the artist to get the benefit of the royalites because I like less famous people and ant them to benefit from their talent (not really relevant but just thought I'd layout my credentials )

However anm rather shocked at Flwoerey speeding confession she just didn't seem to be the sort. And I have a feeling she lives near me [avoid mad speeding woman emoticon]

Oooooooh OK it's a crime and it's theft, technically of course it is, as I have said.

But is it wrong, which is a different question - is it unreasonable. No more so than many grey-area crimes I bet 99.9% of us have done, which have cost more to the victims, which have worse consequences or potential consequences. Copying CDs and DVDS. Speeding. Doing drugs. Go on, if any of ye have never done any of them, cast the first stone.

Yes it's wrong.

And I repeat. I have never broken the law. I cast the first stone.