Have you ever wrongfully been accused of shoplifting?

[Puupi]

Never shoplifted and never been accused for it...

[Gumboy]

I had a guy at Target follow me around from the moment I left the womens clothing section with my girlfriend, to electronics, to food, to the door, and as we left he asked to check our bags lol. Nothing stolen, alarm never went off.

Anti-Beard+Sweater nazi's at Target.

[Bluesftw]

Either way I'm stuttering and realizing everyone passing thinks I'm a shoplifter and with my trembling hands I show him my receipt [...] I just just put on my headphones again and walk out of the store. [...]All those people who passed by, before I showed my receipt still think of me as a shoplifter. I'll probably never go to that store again.

Seriously? are you that socially awkward? Even tho it never happened to me ,i'd just smile and check receipt. Multiple times i've had situation when cashier forgot to remove those magnetic thingies that trigger security gates/scaners simply cause there was more than one hidden and not once was i stressed about it, even got date with cute cashier once after that xD

And about "all those people thinking you're shoplifter"...no they dont, they dont give a flying fuck, and neither should you ;]

PS. well maybe its different in countries like usa where you can get tazed or shot for looking wrong at the security, idk ^^

[belfpala]

Anti-Beard+Sweater nazi's at Target.

So you're saying you were a target? :P

I've been checked a few times. One of my jackets used to set off alarms at doors. Pretty much came down to, "it went off when I came in, it went off as I was going out" here's my receipt. Was never detained or anything.

[Trubo]

Don't think I've been yelled at for alleged shoplifting. I know I've been yelled at for opening a drink/candy bar while waiting for the next register.

[Ratyrel]

A store detective did stop me once, but I had the receipt, so no harm done. Cashier had evidently scanned the item wrong and it still triggered the silent alarm. Was no problem at all though.

[Gumboy]

I've never been wrongfully accused of shoplifting.


However, whenever I leave a store without buying anything I am torn between discretely sneak out without drawing attention, or doing it very obviously just to really prove I'm not stealing anything. Most of the time I'll end up trying to go through a closed register so I don't appear to be cutting in line, then suddenly realize how suspicious I look trying to sneak out in the back. I'll then try to very noticeably exit and like, make eye-contact with the cashier on the other side to convey the "I know what it looks like but I swear I'm not stealing anything" sentiment. And I've occasionally gone back to expressively say "Just so you know, I didnt steal anything".


I am very scared of being suspected of doing bad things.

Lol I hate going places and not buying anything. I went to the butcher recently and the meat I usually buy was like 1.50 more per pound then usual, guy at counter said it would be back to normal in like two weeks (And it was, cost him a sale but at least hes honest) so I had to walk out through the rest of the store, ended up buying a mexican coke just so I didn't have to walk out without buying anything (tasted the same as american coke to me)

[Gumboy]

Targets

Target is like the most anal store I've ever seen, if you look anything slightly different then whatever is currently popular (Hipster right now I guess, considering the people I saw at the store) you are instantly a suspect, no matter what you do.

[Deleted]

Left restaurants without paying accidentally a couple of times ("Did you pay? No... did you?" 0.o) but never shoplifted.

[belfpala]

Lol I hate going places and not buying anything. I went to the butcher recently and the meat I usually buy was like 1.50 more per pound then usual, guy at counter said it would be back to normal in like two weeks (And it was, cost him a sale but at least hes honest) so I had to walk out through the rest of the store, ended up buying a mexican coke just so I didn't have to walk out without buying anything (tasted the same as american coke to me)

Trying to guess which butcher... most of the ones in my town are honest like that. And yes, Mexican coca-cola, the best.

I have the same feeling frequently. Perhaps I go into walgreens hoping they have buy 1 ibuprofen get another half off. They don't. So... do I buy a 7-up on the way out? Or just leave? Hmm.

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Target is like the most anal store I've ever seen, if you look anything slightly different then whatever is currently popular (Hipster right now I guess, considering the people I saw at the store) you are instantly a suspect, no matter what you do.

What? I guess I don't even want to know.

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Left restaurants without paying accidentally a couple of times ("Did you pay? No... did you?" 0.o) but never shoplifted.

Hey, after a few drinks...

[stellvia]

As to the OP's case: They can say anything they like, but if you haven't left the checkout spot, let alone the store, they can say anything they want. Especially as you said, since you just bought expensive steak and they never checked your receipt. I wouldn't say I would get cocky in that case, because escalating things never helps, but I would show the receipt then go from there. Or even if lets say they were small items so you missed scanning one of them -- unless they're giant assholes, just calmly saying I'm sorry I missed that one, let me start a new transaction, etc. should be acceptable.

Having said that -- when I was around 13 I was "forced to buy something" by Wal-mart security. In hindsight, the guy was just being an asshole and pressuring a poor kid for no reason: There were some CCG cards I wanted to buy, but couldn't afford all of them right now, so I hid some packs away from the rest of the stock in the isle in order to come back next week and buy them. (Didn't want them to sell out.) And the security guy comes walking up to me before I leave the store with the packs in his hand and basically accuses me of intending to shoplift them -- even though I had purchased what I had on me, and the ones I hid were in like the middle of the store.

Being a young kid with security pressuring me, I listened and got forced into buying them, which basically tapped out all the money I had at the time and was mad about.

Since OP sounds under 18 or maybe even 16, I can't say I don't understand being nervous when confronted like that, but for future advice: Just stay calm and talk to them normally and everything SHOULD go fine in situations like that. Either way, getting nervous or copping an attitude with them will not help. And in the case they do try to escalate, the fact that you were calm and reasonable and they keep trying to trump up the situation, will make them look like the unreasonable one to others.

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I have the same feeling frequently. Perhaps I go into walgreens hoping they have buy 1 ibuprofen get another half off. They don't. So... do I buy a 7-up on the way out? Or just leave? Hmm.

I feel bad if it's a local small business lets say, but I give zero fucks about walking out of some big chain store. They offer products for sale -- you aren't obligated to buy just because you walk in. Now if I stop by a gas station to use their bathroom or ask for directions or something, I do feel it's common courtesy to purchase something.

[belfpala]

I feel bad if it's a local small business lets say, but I give zero fucks about walking out of some big chain store. They offer products for sale -- you aren't obligated to buy just because you walk in. Now if I stop by a gas station to use their bathroom or ask for directions or something, I do feel it's common courtesy to purchase something.

That makes sense. I don't feel obligated to buy anything if I park at the mall and happen to walk through Macy's or something to get where I'm going.

I will walk out without my 7-up from now on. Unless I'm thirsty.

[stellvia]

That makes sense. I don't feel obligated to buy anything if I park at the mall and happen to walk through Macy's or something to get where I'm going.
I will walk out without my 7-up from now on. Unless I'm thirsty.

I dunno if you have Aldi's food stores by you, but I've found they have really cheap ibuprofen there. Like $2 for 100-count bottle lol. Dollar stores might have some too. (Work in a restaurant and the communal ibuprofen bottle drains like kids eating Pez, I swear.)

[belfpala]

I dunno if you have Aldi's food stores by you, but I've found they have really cheap ibuprofen there. Like $2 for 100-count bottle lol. Dollar stores might have some too. (Work in a restaurant and the communal ibuprofen bottle drains like kids eating Pez, I swear.)

I do, in fact. And yes, I own a restaurant and we munch on those like candy.

[esach88]

No I've never been accused of stealing. Though I wouldn't mind if I am because i know exactly what to do in that kind of situation. I used to work as an LPO at Walmart. Never made a bad stop but I also knew how to do my job. Some LP's can be a little intense and jump the gun even though they didn't see shit.

Was a fun job for sure but I'd never do it again.

Edit* After reading some of these comments, the US must be very different with the laws regarding stops/arrests by security guards and loss prevention. In Canada if you make a bad stop IE. Stop someone who didn't steal, you will most likely be fired and the company can be sued. Most of the time it gets settled out of court. I know a couple people who've made some bad stops. Also, if you approach someone even to ask for a reciept (which most companies will tell you not to do unless you know they have stolen and you are arresting them) it's considered an arrest and you must notify the police. Anyone who is arrested by a civilian must pass the person off to an Officer for release.

[belfpala]

LPO at Walmart.

LPO is Loss Prevention Officer, I'm assuming?

[Deleted]

I was six or so and there was a store, we went in there, bought some candy, got out, hung out in front of the store, and then someone wanted to go back in again, so I went in with them and I had some candy lipstick thing in my hand from when we went in there earlier. The cashier saw it and asked me if I didn't want to pay for it. I totally forgot about that and told him I bought that earlier from him, didn't he remember? I was almost ready to start crying (shut up, I was six), and the guy looked at me suspiciously, but he let me go.

One day I actually did go into a store, took some water ice, and then left without paying, because I forgot. Later when I remembered, I told my mother and asked her if she could got there and pay the guy, because I was too embarrassed to go there myself.

Another time when I was twelve, I took a Kinder Überraschungsei from the counter and then looked for some magazines. A woman, who didn't work there, took me by the arm and rushed me to the counter, telling the clerk I just took the thing and probably had no intention of paying for it. The clerk told the woman to let me go, and that it was none of her business.

Oh and one time, I was looking at some videogames, and a guy came by and asked me in a hostile voice: "Do you actually intend to buy anything or are you just here to look?" He was probably pissed at all the kids coming in all the time, touching all the games and never buying anything. Not related to stealing, but still, struck me as odd.

[Solidito]

I remember being younger and i went in a shop to buy some sweets after school, the shop owner claimed I had stole some items and wanted to search my pockets. I refused to let him do it and emptied them for him, had nothing on me.

[Duravian]

No, I've been rightfully accused however. What kid doesn't steal a few candies throughout his childhood?

[belfpala]

I've never had neither of those cokes, but if I recall, Mexican tastes differently because they use actual sugar? Fairly sure we do here too, so I'd have to give American coke a go some day!

Actual sugar and glass bottles. People think I'm insane, but I think it's the glass bottle.