Apparently one shot learning isn't enough

[fish3k1]

In work the other day when one of the cashiers catches my eye. She does this because she has to twist round 180 degrees to even face me, so I tend to notice this kind of thing, plus she's mouthing frantically at me (although it takes me a little while to work out what she's mouthing) which is "Page G" (one of our supervisors).

So I page him over, and while I'm on the tannoy I look around to see if I can work out what's going on. Spot me a couple kids (bout 14 summers, ah reckon) sniffing round the Yu-Gi-Oh cards, and taking a frightful long time to actually choose any. Hmm. Suspicion abounds, but from where I'm standing I can't see too much, so I motion G in the direction of the checkouts and deal with the customer who's turned up since.

When I come back down from my foray into the warehouse (bout 5 mins later) the kids are still at the cards... so I walk around through the staff only area and come out a different set of doors, to where, lo and behold, 2 other staff members are watching these kids stuffing packs of cards into their pockets and trying (and failing so very well) at being discreet about it. But the supervisor and manager know about it, so I leave them to it.

They pay for like, 2 packs of cards (yeah, that'll throw us right off) and walk out of the store.

Or they try.

It should be mentioned that about 1 in 5 packs of cards are security tagged

So they get busted (they would have anyway) police get called, and they get taken away. And the stupidest thing?

They'd been caught doing the same damn thing less than a week before.

I despair...

[Cyphr]

OMG you don't rob the same place twice... I don't shop lift but I know the tricks atechniques to be good at it the first is don't take too long staring at stuff... the second dont toss it in your pocket in front of the goods third pocket it on another isle and buy somethign off it so it looks legit

[Geek King]

OMG you don't rob the same place twice... I don't shop lift but I know the tricks atechniques to be good at it the first is don't take too long staring at stuff... the second dont toss it in your pocket in front of the goods third pocket it on another isle and buy somethign off it so it looks legit

Actually, the best I ever saw was the guy who didn't even leave with the items. He would stash them in the trash, then hit the dumpster later. Yeah, it was probably nasty work finding the right trashbag, but who knows how long he got away with it before someone happened to catch him tossing good merch.

[Gerrinson]

Actually, the best plan (which was, technically, not illegal to my knowledge) was to buy electronics from the local Staples and then return it. Their policy (about 7 years ago) was that any electronic items returned, for any reason, get thrown out into the unlocked dumpster at close. Pull in after they're done and help yourself to the dumpster full of paper & electronic products. A guy I know bought a new hard drive, video card, etc. then returned it all the same day and collected it from the trash that night.

A friend of mine sold used computer parts, he used to pull his station wagon around every night and check for parts. He got a lot of perfectly good equipment, including a laser printer, that was tossed out because it was a return. Eventually, word got out to management and they started locking the dumpster. Quite a few bolt cutters were purchased shortly afterwards... coincidence?

[Andara Bledin]

Just a note for those who plan to go dumpster diving:

While it is, indeed, true that anything placed into a trash collection receptacle that is them placed in position for removal by whoever picks that stuff up, it is usually tresspassing to go dumpster diving. It varies greatly dependant upon where you are and where and how the dumpster is set up.

There are also a lot of places that are trying to make dumpster diving illegal on its own, but I'm hoping it keeps failing. I figure if people want to recycle what would otherwise be hauled off to the local landfill, more power to 'em.

^-.-^

[Apathy]

I never did this, as it's not my thing, but I could have stolen a bunch of expensive stuff from my store.

Here's how it works. Customer wants to buy a big item. We cut off the UPC, they go up front and pay for it, show us the receipt, and we haul it to their car.

Here's how I could have made away with tons 'o stuff.
I come in, tell my friend B, "I want this big TV/recliner/entertainment center. He cuts off the UPC for me, I go buy a pack of gum, show him my gum receipt, and he takes the item to my car. Pretty much foolproof.

Of course, whatever else I am, I'm not a thief, so too bad for me.

[Seshat]

I come in, tell my friend B, "I want this big TV/recliner/entertainment center. He cuts off the UPC for me, I go buy a pack of gum, show him my gum receipt, and he takes the item to my car. Pretty much foolproof.

Unless B reads the receipt.

[powerboy]

At one of my old jobs. It would be easy to steal. Infact, I taught them that lesson. I took a couple of DVD's out and put them in my car. I just left them there. Then about a couple of days later, I told then that I thought that we were robbed. The owners went though all the inventory. And then I mentioned that I had them in the car. After that, we had security cameras and an alarm. And yes, I did try to give them back, but they said to just keep them.

[Apathy]

Unless B reads the receipt.

Oh, perhaps I didn't make it clear; B is in on it.

[Tee]

Friends kids did that, apparently he'd try to sell them at school.

When she found out, he was slapped by her, grounded, all electronics taken away, then everything else for good measure.

Dad found out, HE slapped him, was about to do everything else above, found it already done, so he canceled and deleted every account he had (Myspace, WoW, AIM, etc.), then told him that till told otherwise, school, transportation between school and home were the only locations he was allowed at. If found elsewhere...

They wouldn't even tell me what the last part was.

I love her though, and her husband, that's just one of many reasons. :3

But even her idiot kid didn't do it a second time...

[fish3k1]

Actually, the best I ever saw was the guy who didn't even leave with the items. He would stash them in the trash, then hit the dumpster later. Yeah, it was probably nasty work finding the right trashbag, but who knows how long he got away with it before someone happened to catch him tossing good merch.

Nice idea, wouldn't work in my store tho - ALL trash is taken out back and launched down into the compacter, which leads into a big sealed skip out back

Here's how I could have made away with tons 'o stuff.
I come in, tell my friend B, "I want this big TV/recliner/entertainment center. He cuts off the UPC for me, I go buy a pack of gum, show him my gum receipt, and he takes the item to my car. Pretty much foolproof.

They're smart to this one in my place too, they if I want to buy anything I have to have a manager hand it to me. Course, I could still get a friend to come in and pull the fake purchase, but we do have other systems in place to keep tabs on what's going on (including random checks by management that the item we give out matches the item on the receipt.

That said, we did have over £1000 worth of iPods and related merch go missing about a year ago. Not my department, and those things are locked in a secure cage, so obviously they were blaming people from that department for it. Of course it has to be one of the limited number of staff who have access, because the possibility that it may be one of the managers, ALL of whom have access is unthinkable. Not saying it was (they never found out to the best of my knowledge) but still, cast your net a little wider, maybe you'll catch a fish.

[Dreamstalker]

My former employer's old location had a security gate/tags. New location has...nothing, with expensive items downstairs out of view of anyone (and you wonder why that stuff tends to go walkies) among other security errors--possibly the biggest being an unlocked back door from the parking lot into the storage hallway/downstairs/office (which itself was never actually locked) There's an always-closed door between the salesfloor and the hallway, so if there was someone lurking back there you would never know (fun times upon discovering this my second night working closing).

During yearly inventory there were a lot of miniatures missing. That prompted laments/rants by the owner, but bupkiss in actually trying to stop it (well, they're now behind the counter, but anyone could sneak back there).

[CaroPhoenix]

Fortunately, at our Gaming Store, all the CCGs are behind the counters on shelves. The kids/adults players have to point or tell me which CCG they want. It's so easy.

[Gerrinson]

Fortunately, at our Gaming Store, all the CCGs are behind the counters on shelves. The kids/adults players have to point or tell me which CCG they want. It's so easy.

My friend's store has a similar setup, but there are two separate counter areas and only one of him. He put up a chain across the entrances to make it clear that you're not supposed to go back there.

We were sitting there playing Magic on a slow day, when these two kids (maybe 11 or 12) came in. They split up, each one going to one of the chains, unhook them, and walk behind the counters.

We just watched them, gave each other a quick and then my friend promptly ordered them back to the other side of the counters and told them they couldn't be back there.

They then tried the "the guy the other day let us do it" routine. Too bad my friend is both the owner and the only employee. Oopsies.

They were escorted to the door and told not to come back until they stopped telling lies.

I can't say for sure that they planned on stealing anything, but given the way they acted, I wouldn't have put it past them.

[draftermatt]

The dumpster diving thing is tricky for me.

Legally once it hits the can in the street it's fair game, police can look through it without a warrant, etc.

You should see my neighborhood when it's bulk trash pickup night, people just wander the streets, or drive up and down looking through what's been put out. This year we had the trucks with people looking for metal pieces since the price of scrap has skyrocketed.