wtf? I'm not even out the door!

[Binky]

OK

So I was at a shoe store today looking at the shoes and I decided I would have a look at a few of the bag’s they had because they were on sale, and mine was about to break apart....

SO anyways I decided on a bag..went up and bought it...I had two of my friends with me...and they were off looking at bags while I was buying mine...so I'm all finished I decided not to get a plastic bag (getting a bag for a bag is kinda silly in my books) and I go over to them...while I'm talking to them a shop assistant comes over to us and asks if we're ok...I say I'm fine and think nothing of it...till I relies she isn't leaving us alone...she's sort of standing around really close to us "fixing" up the shoes...ooook....once again I ignore this and keep talking to my friends...they decided to get a bag each and go to buy it...I follow them and stand with the at the register...they buy the bags and we go to leave...I look over my shoulder and the shop assistant is STILL there at the shoes "fixing them" and sort of looking at us...MEH I think so I let my friends go out the door and I have NOT even made a move to go out the door...and I see the shop assistant rush over to the register and the lady behind it...and as I move to leave I catch her moving in closer to the lady (note I have NOT even left, I've only made a move toward the door) I stop and stand there and look over to the assistant and the lady at the register...you know what she's saying to her? "That girl is about to walk out with that bag!" WTF! I've just BOUGHT the damn thing, I have NOT even left the store I'm STANDING NEXT to the door STARING at her and she isn't making any attempt to hide what she was saying...rather peeved I look at her as I actually start going out the door and in the smuggest voice I could muster I say "ACTUALLY I've bought the bag THANK YOU for asking!" and leave...the register lady didn't give two S**Ts and just said yeah that ok I know...shop assistant yah F**K you I'm NOT an idiot and I'm NOT a thief!

What made this annoying was that I hadn't even done anything wrong and she was tailing us...I was wearing decent clothes, I wasn't looking trashy, I was chatting with my friends....even MORE annoying...WHAT SORT OF IDIOT PARAIDS AROUND A STORE WITH A BAG AROUND THIER SHOULDER THAT THEY "PLAN" TO STEAL! I'm sorry but I'm NOT and Idiot! The bag was in plain view!
I wasn't making any attempt to hide it nor was I looking shifty...

[Sandman]

I presume you never worked out on the floor in retail (different LP prodecures for the floor than up front). Even though you purchased the bag, you were doing something that threw up some red flags to the shop assistant. The main thing you did, is you stayed in the store and moved away from the front registers.

You also could have done a few things that you may not have noticed.

In all kindness though, you did become a SC when you made the comment

"ACTUALLY I've bought the bag THANK YOU for asking!"

People who shoplift come from all walks of life, all genders, and all races.

[Barefootgirl]

And that's why its always a good idea to get a bag for any small merchandise, especially if you're planning to continue wandering around the store after you've made your purchase.

I was wearing decent clothes, I wasn't looking trashy, I was chatting with my friends....even MORE annoying...WHAT SORT OF IDIOT PARAIDS AROUND A STORE WITH A BAG AROUND THIER SHOULDER THAT THEY "PLAN" TO STEAL! I'm sorry but I'm NOT and Idiot! The bag was in plain view!

Shoplifters don't fit a profile. They wear anything from rags to Dior. They come in alone, they come in mob-handed. As for the question, "WHAT SORT OF IDIOT PARAIDS AROUND A STORE WITH A BAG AROUND THIER SHOULDER THAT THEY "PLAN" TO STEAL", the answer is, one who hopes the staff aren't very alert - pretending its your bag already is one of the most common shoplifter methods.

I'm sorry you felt insulted but to an alert shop assistant, there are all sorts of markers that made her suspicious of you - you had no bag for your purchase, you stayed in the shoop after you'd bought it (we once apprehended a SL who'd done exactly this, and thus had a receipt for the bag - but not for the £50+ of makeup she'd stashed in there), you were with a group of people all buying similar items, and you were defensive and kicked off when you were challenged. I'd have picked up on you, too, I'm afraid, and probably come here and posted about the snarky comment !

[RavenStarr]

I'm on both side of the coin here.

On one side. Now I don't claim to be a LP expert, but if that lady thought you were stealing the handbag, why didn't she just go over to her and stop her If she thought the handbag was being stolen, why didn't she just ask to see a receipt. Also I think the lady could have handled it a bit more quietly. Since when do you go up to someone and loudly say "That girl is trying to steal something." Also if the cashier knew she bought the bag already why didn't she just tell that lady.


On the other side, If you thought that lady was following you, why not show her your receipt?

[dizzy_starshine]

We had a lady come in and attempt to steal make up and was carrying one of those louie vitton (sp?) bags. We've had little old ladies filling up their push along trollies, people in wheelchairs stashing goods under the cushions, parents putting items in their childs pockets.

I know it hurts to be viewed as a theif but the assistant is doing her job.

[workerbee222]

In our state a shoplifter doesn't actually have to go out the door: concealing it is a crime, too. But you weren't doing that either. "Wearing" the merchandise is, in fact, a pretty common way of walking outta the store without paying.

That's why the fitting room checkers count the garments before you enter the fitting room; so the thief isn't putting them on and layering her own street clothes over them. And as for looking rundown, well, no, it isn't always like that, either. In fact, in the LP film I saw on shoplifting, the shoplifter wasn't the, urmmm, end user. She, the thief would "take orders" for certain items, lift them, and take them to someone equally dishonest, but without the skills to actually steal, and sell them to her.

One shoplifter even claimed to take the goods to executives and business women, to try on in their own offices, prior to paying for them.

I saw a vidoetape of older folks stealing during a news report about, well, older folks stealing. I don't know as I'd have the appetite for meat, or (oh, my!) BUTTER that I'd hidden in my pants. It seemed not to bother the folks on the tape.

BTW, looking shifty is the quickest way to get caught.

[JustAGirl]

Why didn't you just show her the receipt? I think that would have been more sticking it to her than the snarky comment you gave.

[Binky]

In all kindness though, you did become a SC when you made the comment

People who shoplift come from all walks of life, all genders, and all races.

No I agree I did become an SC in the end... my reaction..yeah I a little on the off side and very rude I'm sure she would come on here and talk about the comment I made...but in my defence I did have two bags...my old and the new...kinda looks stupid to be walking out with two bags once would think that I'd have bought one, and appart from watching my friends be rung up we stuck around the bags (they were right near the door)....why I didn't just show her my reciet? Didn't think of that at the time Stupid me,

We were both wrong...we both made a mistake..no denying it...I need to adjust my attitude, it was the first itme it happened to me and I felt like if I walked out without saying something she might call the cops or whatever and I was in no mood for that. I didn't care that she was following me really, "I look over my shoulder and the shop assistant is STILL there at the shoes "fixing them" and sort of looking at us...MEH I think so I let my friends go out"...I knew kind of what she was doing, but then I wasn't going to assume...it was when she made the rushed dash to the register lady that put me off...because I was still there, I hadn't left, I was watching HER and she didn't hide what she was saying??? I agree that she probably should have approached me instead of making a bit of a scene I actully have worked on the floor, I could go into what I was told to do, and generally did but there is no point...as Isaid we both were in the wrong...I was the SC for the comment...she was a hmmm , misguided??? employee who reacted badly, she was trying to do her job, I was doing the right thing (I wasn't stealing I had been a good customer up till then) so yeah

[Binky]

OH just a note this comment

I actully have worked on the floor, I could go into what I was told to do, and generally did but there is no point..

Don't take offence I'm just saying that I know I did wrong so what I know means nothing because it won't excuse my reaction. Thanx for the honesty, I just wanted to share my annoyance didn't expect simpathy