I got caught shoplifting

[RoseBiscuitll]

I really didn't know what topic to choose for this

I'm mortified, I got caught shoplifting in boots today, I was stealing baby milk and a facial moisturiser. I'm so ashamed of myself. It was in the city center aswell. They didn't call police but they took my details, took a picture and told me I can't return to the store again

Will this picture and my details go around to the other shops near by or will it just go to the other boots shops.

I can't believe I was stupid enough to do this! I'm so embarrassed and also feel really guiltily!

Have you not been on the internet very long?

The whole reason MNHQ had to compose a standard response to these threads a few years ago, was because there were so many threads like this.

Anonymous posters would come along with a sob story about not being able to feed their kids, or having to steal food/formula etc, in the hope that MNetters would open their purses.

From around Mid October to Christmas Eve, those threads are like buses but they miraculously stop in January.

Disclaimer: I am not saying this is the case with the OP, as no-one here knows.

Which is exactly the point.

They will likely report online to the police & provide CCTV. It's all done electronically now.
The police in my area run a still from the CCTV through facial recognition software & if you are on the database & they get a match they can pursue it: a warning letter for first offence is most likely.
If you gave your details when you were stopped then you may well still be contacted by police (again if you complied & it's your first offence a warning letter is most likely)

Just be aware that if you have committed other offences in the same town or in other branches of boots they may well pursue these offences if they can match you from CCTV. Even if you thought you had 'got away' there is a lot of work behind the scenes reviewing CCTV after the offences happened which is then stored.

Baby milk & skin care are both in our top 10 theft items as easily sold on so it's something retailers stock count & monitor daily. If there's some missing then security & profit protection will review CCTV often days later to find who took it.

Yes your image will be accessible to all security guards & management in any boots branch. Images & reports are almost certainly shared with nearby branches & within other businesses if in a town centre or shopping centre.

OP may well desperate, and I hope she gets the help/support she needs, however there are criminal groups who steal things like baby milk to sell on.

Just to add... someone on UC will be getting £700 per month, not per week!!
Her electricity/gas will be expensive because she will be on a prepayment meter!!
Everything is more expensive when you have little money
Even bus fares can be £8 return when the same journey would cost pennies in a car.
Financially secure people have no idea

I am sorry you felt desperate enough to have to steal baby milk OP - though I'm a bit confused about the moisturiser - why did you feel the need to take that - it doesn't add up. Maybe you wanted something nice for yourself just for once

Shop lifting baby milk is a controversial thing. On the one extreme there are desperate parents. On the other there are organised gangs stealing it so that they can cut it with drugs. The poor retail staff have no real way of knowing who's who. I think you got off lightly with being banned from Boots OP a different staff member might have called the police.

I hope you can find a legitimate source of milk and I'm so sorry you've been left to struggle like this.

@RoseBiscuitll no sympathy!! if your cant do the time, dont do the crime!! you decided you were going to be a tealeaf today! but how many other times have you not been caught!!

No sympathy here. You’re not even sorry that you did it, just that you got caught. £45 on a mobile bill seems excessive if you are struggling financially.

All of the honest people foot the bill for shoplifting. There’s no excuse. Especially for theft of moisturiser.

So I used to volunteer at the CAB, and a mum came in in your financial position and they did a benefits check.

Turns out if you have worked enough in the 2 years before having a baby, you get Maternity Allowance (same as Maternity Pay, if you haven't worked for 1 employer for the 2 years before) which in turn lifts you out of the unemployed category in terms of benefits and puts you into the employed - which has, or certainly had, a benefits uplift. She was markedly better off, as she was treated as on maternity leave and working. I would honestly, honestly speak to the CAB and ask for a full benefits check.

I was stunned that she'd had no idea. No benefits advisor had told her, presumably because they didn't know either. She didn't know to claim Maternity Allowance as she'd lost her job shortly before getting pregnant and didn't know it even existed - it's usually for self employed people. It was about asking the right questions.

The law may have changed, as this was a while ago. But please get it checked out? You deserve to make sure you and the baby get all you are entitled to have.

I don't know why you are so fixated on whether you are banned from all Boots stores, I would think if you're on such a tight budget Pound Stretchers, Superdrug or Savers would probably be a better choice, I rarely shop in Boots as I think they're pricey compared to the others I mentioned.

Honestly, don’t spent a second feeling guilty. I’m just sorry you were caught.
Anyone who thinks impoverished single mothers don’t deserve £6 facial moisturiser can kiss my arse. Capitalism sucks.

“Boots saw profits shoot up last year. Pre-tax profits rose more than 42% at £237.6m for the year to 31 August 2023”

Can confirm.

It's always best to assume people are legit in offering advice terms - because they may be, and then you can cause harm in accusing a vulnerable person - but not to do so in any other terms.

So because it’s not important or a necessity for you it should be the same for others?

do you have milk for your baby now ?

If not what area are you and what formula do you use ?

Unsure if you’re wanting a date i’ve been on the internet since, but since 2003 maybe?

Youve added a disclaimer to say you don’t know OP’s situation, so everything you wrote before that was completely irrelevant?

This is why you take each post as face value, or what would be the point in mumsnet at all?

You are lucky they didn't call the police. Please don't do this again. Its just not worth the risk of a criminal record.

Of course it's not irrelevant.

There's been at least 3 or 4 offers of help on this thread alone, and goodness knows how many inboxes the OP may have had.

Advice is free, but all these silly people offering money need to check themselves and think what they'd say to their kids if they automatically believed everyone on the internet is telling the truth.

@RoseBiscuitll you shouldn't have stolen and you certainly shouldn't have stolen the face cream. But you did and are in a shit situation and it can't be changed. I am pleased Boots just gave you a warning. I would imagine security won't be looking at you that closely, wear a hat, change your coat, put on high heels.

By all means tell your GP/HV you are struggling but ffs don't tell them you have been stealing. You really don't need that on your NHS record. By all means say you thought about it to get them to support an application for the food bank.

Vis a vis formula. They put 6 month oldest onto cows milk in France. I switched my dd at 9 months when she stopped breast feeding. It contains far less crap than in some of the tinned/jars of baby food.

Im not going to judge you op...Id do the same if I was desprate. you will not be on any list... if its your first time...you would have to be stealing daily for them to realise you are not a kleeptomaniact

But as an adult , with the means to buy someone baby milk who really needs it why does it matter if they turn out to not be genuine? If I helped and I’ve wasted £12 so what it’s something I can afford and if the OP is genuine then it’s helped them. I’d rather risk it and assume they are genuine .

I'm leaving this thread now....has to steal baby milk & a facial moisturiser because she's 'desperate' but has a mobile phone costing £45 a month!

Talk about priorities being misplaced :-(

Have you thought about asking around on sites like facebook for formula milk?
Many mums buy it in , just in case they can't breast feed, or find they have too much formula. If it's within its use-by date there may be mums near you who can donate what they don't need.

So if you earn more then me can I come steal things from your house

Because when you make that comment on the thread, everyone can see it, including scammers who think “what a great idea to make money” and then mumsnet gets 10 threads a day of people claiming poverty and needing money for baby milk. It’s why mumsnet ask you not to do it. If you really just then send a private message, don’t offer it on the thread.

I've been in dire financial situations before and it's not fun. I would suggest going through your bank statements and getting rid of all expenses that are unnecessary, such as internet, car (if you have one), etc. Focus on the essentials.

Do you have any debts or credit cards?

A phone contract she took out two years ago when she was employed and didn’t have a child. You can’t get out of those contracts without paying a fee and she will be really close to the end of it. Then she can switch to sim only:

She is on a contract from years ago. What do you suggest she does? Use your brain; I’m sure you have one.