Shoplifting at Walmart

[BenGoodLuck]

I was in Walmart a few weeks ago waiting to check out and the clean-cut couple in front of me were paying for their items. The guy finished paying and the woman quietly said to him that they had forgotten to pay for a large container of laundry detergent that was still in their cart. The guy just motioned for her to be quiet and they walked out of the store with both their paid groceries and the unpaid item.

My wife was with me and when I started to say something, she asked me not to make a scene. I then asked the clerk if he knew that they had not paid for the item and he either ignored me or didn't understand me (remember, this was Walmart!)

I wanted to at least tell the clerk at the exit doors but my wife asked me again not to say anything. I was carrying at the time, but it never entered my mind that this was a potential issue. I now realize that any confrontation has the potential to escalate. I still feel I should have said something, but I also understand that with the license to carry comes a responsibility to behave responsibly. Since I am armed, I have to look for ways to de-escalate confrontations, not escalate them.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[MattInFla]

There is nothing, IMHO, about being armed that means you cannot report a crime. Yes, this might bring about a confrontation, but it is entirely a different matter than bringing about a confrontation by flipping someone off, etc.

Matt

[P95Carry]

There is a compromize point IMO - if reporting a theft could lead to an envisaged ''scene'' and hostilities - guaged by appraisal of whole situation and perpetrator - then best kept quiet and report later.

If OTOH like the case described - then sometimes immediate action could be safe.

We do for sure want to avoid any unwanted confrontations as CCW's - quite agree, but - we also need to be upright and responsible citizens too.

To place guidelines on this is IMO all but impossible and any one of us has to play as we see it, at the time - using best judgement.

[NFEDERIC]

I work in a bank that is located inside a Walmart and I see this daily. I just caually locate the closest customer service manager and inform them of the situation, they take over at that point and I am never brought into it.

[Rock and Glock]

I think you've analyzed the "escalation"/"de-escalation" issue pretty well - I went through something similar, and learned a lot from some members here. It's a good thought provoking issue!

[rocky]

Nice, sounds like their employees really don't care. Guess ya get what ya pay for. I would inform a manager or other employee , but thats it.

[WJP9]

I'm surprised the Loss Prevention sensors didn't pick it up....they've got that thing on everything in the store---probably to the point where employees could care less about trying to "spot" theft.

[Fragman]

I probably would have told a manager, but thats it.

Fact is, most of the people that work at Wal-mart are not paid enought to risk confrontation or chase down shoplifters. Nor is that hteir job function. Their security guys are invariably past retirement age and unarmed.

A sad state of affairs, but I am guessing that the staff are told to do nothing because of potential lawsuits and the lost merchandise or 'shrinkage' is factored into the prices.

[HighVelocity]

I was waiting in line at Walmart. The lady in front of me wrote a check for her purchase. When the clerk handed her the receipt, she also handed her the check back.
I said; "Excuse me, if I write a check for my purchase, will I get it back with my receipt too? If that's the case, save me the trouble and let me walk out now because I only have 3 checks left."
Both the clerk, the customer and a nearby supervisor (whom came running) heard me.
The customer frantically retrieved the check from her purse, the supervisor snatched it from her hand, looked at it and saw that it had not passed through the reader/printer thing, radioed security and they took both the clerk and customer away.
The supervisor told me that this ws a common practice. It looks like the customer pays but the clerk who is likely a family member, never actually completes the transaction and the receipt that gets handed to the customer with the unscanned check is a fake.

[stevetim]

Said this before...I'm not Walmart security so let it ride. Laundry detergent? LOL.

[rocky]

Walmart has a new policy to let the smaller, less costly items be shoplifted so I am told. Seems as if they are encouraging theft.

[Old Chief]

Reporting to a manager should not esculate a situation. It seems that Wal-Mart has acceptet the reality that some percentage of their goods will be stolen and raised all of our prices to cover it.

[Todd]

Walmart has a new policy to let the smaller, less costly items be shoplifted so I am told. Seems as if they are encouraging theft.

I heard that as well. They're letting anything under $10 or $15 out the door without incident. Too bad they keep ammo locked up!

[rachilders]

Wal-Mart seems to have decided that petty theft is not worth the trouble to deal with. When you're the largest retailer in the world, I suppose you can afford it. They also have a new policy of non-prosecution of a shoplifter if one is caught stealing and the value of the property is less than $100. I guess a box of detergent would apply here.

I believe you said the people in front of you had already paid before the wife noticed the box under the cart. I doubt if I'd made a scene over an accident, especially one for $5 or maybe less, though it looks like the man took advantage of the error. Then again, I remember the countless times I've been overcharged at Wal-Mart for an item or something was left out of the bags and I didn't notice until I was already home. I can understand someone saying to himself, "a little payback at last". Not that it's right, but I can understand the feeling.

[rwmorrisonjr]

I heard that as well. They're letting anything under $10 or $15 out the door without incident. Too bad they keep ammo locked up!

Actually, the amount is $25 and under based on official internal documents.