[elliemaeg]

DIL and DS were doing their weekly shopping at the local Walmart. They have three children so their bill is usually high. Usually they do keep their eyes on the amount of each item.
As my son picked up a bag to put in their cart, he noticed the cashier taking something out of her pocket. He turned around just in time to see her swipe a gift card. Well, he knew he didn't purchase one. So, when he got the receipt he stood there and reviewed it and sure enough there was a gift card purchase of 25.00. He asked her about it and she hurriedly got the money out of the cash drawer and gave it to him.
Just so happens my DIL has a sister that works there so they reported it.
So Beware and keep your eyes open and be sure to check your receipt.

 

[S.A.J.]

Wow, That was a pretty sneaky cashier, What!! You live in Alabama I live in Northeast AL, I'm going to look at my reciepts. :flame:

 

[TheBlueOne]

Shall we look at why the employees are tempted to steal from the customers? From a North Carolina newspaper:

Behind this manufactured cheerfulness, however, is the fact that the average employee makes only $15,000 a year for full-time work. Most are denied even this poverty income, for they're held to part-time work. While the company brags that 70 percent of its workers are full-time, at Wal-Mart "full time" is 28 hours a week, meaning they gross less than $11,000 a year.

The complete article is here:

http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid:17618

I knew enough about WalMart to already not shop there, but the article was shocking, to say the least.

 

[MicheleMomof4]

Stealing is stealing, no matter how much or little your paid. No excuse for it!
I am pretty good about adding it up as I go and watching the prices, but now I will keep an eagle eye out on it as well.
God Bless,
Michele

 

[DixyDoodle]

I wouldn't blame WalMart, theft by employees is rampant in all stores. It's all dependent on the staff, who obviously you can't run through a lie detector before hiring and ask, "Do you steal?"

Our local Zellers here actually busted the theft prevention officer for stealing! Guess what he was when he wasn't working? A MINISTER! He was swiping stuff and having someone resell it at the flea markets. Naturally, he eventually got busted (several years later) and by that time, he had been suspected of taking over $40,000 worth of merchandise. I have to admit I felt a certain kind of glee over that: I was told by a friend who worked there that when he had caught a few poor, elderly people a couple of times, he gleefully raked them over the coals so badly, they would be crying and couldn't walk out the the store unaided. Not that I'm for stealing but these were poor seniors, not kids out for kicks, and these people were stealing food, there should have been a bit more understanding there, and IMO it was poetic justice for him to get some back.

Count your change. That is probably the easiest way to steal.....after all, there will be no record of discrepancy on the receipt. If they owe you $15, they might try to pawn off 2 fives, hoping you don't notice the other missing, that sort of thing. In Canada, with the $1 and $2 coins, make sure you get them; it's easy to not notice you didn't get one (those darned $2 coins are easily mistaken for quarters when on their side). If the cashier does this with everyone ($2 a patron), that can sure add up to a nice "bonus" for her.

 

[FiddleKat]

I always look over my receipt. Since often the price at the register magically increases after you remove the item from the shelf.

Glad they reported it. Imagine how many times in a shift that cashier did that, and how much money she could have already stolen?
And I agree with Michele, stealing is stealing! She very well is stealing from other folks who also live in the poor house. Afterall, how many rich folks do you see shopping Walmart??

 

[Cindy in NY]

I worked in retail loss prevention for almost 10 years. Our rule of thumb was that 25% of the employees will never steal, 25% want to get hired so that they could steal, and the other 50%, if given the opportunity, will steal. It happens in every retailer out there.

 

[Ninn]

When I managed the electronics department at our local Ames store a few years back, I busted my assistant manager for stealing. Caught him at the loading dock "picking up his layaway" that hadn't been paid for yet. The dock worker hadn't asked for a receipt, either. The value of his layaway? Over 1500 dollars. The company had a policy that anyone who busted theft like that was rewarded with the financial value of the theft. Nope-they said it was a conflict because I might have set him up!!! I just happened to be loading up a U-boat of tv's to stock my shelves with and there he was, stealing video equipment for his new apartment. Both my assistant and the dock worker were terminated immediately. Funny how they never fire anyone anymore? The manager just writes them up!

 

[Tricky Grama]

Shall we look at why the employees are tempted to steal from the customers? From a North Carolina newspaper:



The complete article is here:

http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid:17618

I knew enough about WalMart to already not shop there, but the article was shocking, to say the least.

I don't buy this excuse-no where does it say stealing is ok. Maybe if you & your family were starving to death. No one is forcing people to work at Wallyworld. The benefits are good? Or is it the stock options?

Read about a lady who retired on a million b/c she had stock options along w/her minimum wage.

Patty

 

[SteveD(TX)]

Shall we look at why the employees are tempted to steal from the customers? From a North Carolina newspaper:



The complete article is here:

http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid:17618

I knew enough about WalMart to already not shop there, but the article was shocking, to say the least.

You gotta be kidding. So, stealing from customers is OK since your employer doesn't pay you enough?

POOR WM employees!!!! :Bawling:

Let 'em quit and find another job. Better yet, learn a skill, trade, or get a formal education, so you can be paid a decent wage.

 

[Selena]

I don't buy this excuse-no where does it say stealing is ok. Maybe if you & your family were starving to death. No one is forcing people to work at Wallyworld. The benefits are good? Or is it the stock options?

Read about a lady who retired on a million b/c she had stock options along w/her minimum wage.

Patty

Stock options lady worked when Sam ran the show, not his greedy (alcoholic in Alice's case) children. And yes they ARE forced to work at wally - only jobs in all too many places and you get no assistance if you refuse to work. Basically legalized slave labor IMHO. Am I surprised at the theft, no -- companies get what they pay for and get what they deserve. Airlines are experiencing this too in another way, employees don't care. Some beancounter at wally decided that not prosecuting shoplifting theft under X dollars 'saved' money so they've seen shoplifting increase. When you pay low-end wages don't expect stellar employees.

 

[FiddleKat]

Stock options lady worked when Sam ran the show, not his greedy (alcoholic in Alice's case) children. And yes they ARE forced to work at wally - only jobs in all too many places and you get no assistance if you refuse to work. Basically legalized slave labor IMHO. Am I surprised at the theft, no -- companies get what they pay for and get what they deserve. Airlines are experiencing this too in another way, employees don't care. Some beancounter at wally decided that not prosecuting shoplifting theft under X dollars 'saved' money so they've seen shoplifting increase. When you pay low-end wages don't expect stellar employees.

I agree with you Selena to a certain point. Yes, most often you get no assistance if you refuse to work. But shouldn't that be the way?

And granted, companies get what they deserve if they pay low-end wages. But realistically, the company isn't CHEATED out of anything. What stuff is shoplifted that they don't report, they recover through us consumers by increasing the prices. So in the end WE the CONSUMER is paying for it, not the company, not the thief.

 

[Pony]

If people agree to work for a certain wage, then that is the compensation to which they agreed -- period.

If it's not enough money to live on, then they need to boycott, form a coalition, get a different job, get training in a more lucrative field, move to where the jobs are, whatever. We still live in the land of opportunity. I know of people who are native to this country, and people who have immigrated here, and have accomplished a lot by starting out at the low-paying jobs and moving forward. It's called determination. Spunk. Motivation.

To take a job and then steal because "they don't pay me enough" is lazy as that hot place, and a sure path to get there.

What happened to people who will take a stand and DO something? You can only be a slave if you submit to chains.

Pony!

 

[southrngardngal]

My Mom wrote a check at the local Wal-Mart once and the girl told her that she messed up and didn't run it through to print it but would finish it up for Mom. Mom left and when she got her bank statement the check she had written was made out for twenty dollars more than Mom's purchases. Needless to say, Mom didn't get the twenty dollars.

She called to talk with the manager. The manager told her to come by and get her money back and that the cashier that checked Mom out was no longer there but was in jail.

Mom knew she should stay and watch the girl fill the check out but she didn't that one time. She does now. LOL

ETA: There are thieves in most any business including banks, school districts, and yes even churches. This is not an excuse for anyone to steal. But I will admit that if my children were hungry and that was the only way I could feed them then I most likely would steal. Doesn't make it right though.

southrngardngal-Jan

 

[Kstornado11]

I am glad the crooked cashier got caught! The WM where we used to live had a lot of problems w/ crooked employees...this one pair would have her friends go thru her line and she would just PRETEND to ring the stuff up,giving it to them for free. Pretty stupid,as there are security cameras all over.

 

[texastami]

We are currently employed by WalMart and I thank God for that job every day - especially after 6 months of unemployment and rotten job leads.....

It might not be the greatest employment, but there are lots of places like that... and while some don't qualify for health benefits and other stuff, we do survive....

NEVER have we ever thought that we were entitled to steal from ANYONE just because we work for Wal-Mart or because we were unemployed!!

We make due with what we have...... theres no justification in stealing no matter how much you make or WHO you work for!!

 

[Guest]

I saw an interesting ad that pointed out how much of what is sold at WM is made in China and that since China supports terrorists by selling them cheap weapons, we're actually supporting terrorists by buying China made junk from Wal Mart.

It made me think!

 

[COSunflower]

AND supporting those that are "accidently" poisoning our pet food, toothpaste and who knows what else??? I won't buy anything anymore from China!!! I read in the newspaper today where they even control a portion of retiree benefits through stocks etc. and if they were to quit, we'd lose 40% of our retirement benefits. It all seems kind of calculating to ME!!!

 

[Selena]

I agree with you Selena to a certain point. Yes, most often you get no assistance if you refuse to work. But shouldn't that be the way?

And granted, companies get what they deserve if they pay low-end wages. But realistically, the company isn't CHEATED out of anything. What stuff is shoplifted that they don't report, they recover through us consumers by increasing the prices. So in the end WE the CONSUMER is paying for it, not the company, not the thief.

I have problems that these laws were written and funded by corporations looking for cheap labor for jobs they can't outsource. The intent was to teach skills so they could find and maintain a living wage job. Now there is no funding to teach skills so off to slave labor you go. This is the problem I have. Working 28 hours a week for bit over minimum wage is not the answer. Plus it seems that daycare is fine for children of the cheap labor pool but not for the white collar pool. All too often children of the cheap labor pool are left home alone as the norm, not the exception. This is not good either, not for the kids or society. Then the very same people who bitched about welfare are now bitching about out of control kids and the crime rate. Time to quit making knee jerk laws and well past the time to get big money out of politics. And contrary to the popular propoganda, it was but a small percentage of women having more babies to avoid work. We need to insist our children get a good education. This means that parents' contribution to education ends when they kids get on the bus each day. You may need to be at the school non-stop, working to make it better. But now we are back in the nasty circle - parents who care but are too busy working 1, 2, 3 jobs to survive. Maybe shouldn't have had the kid(s) but that is water under the bridge at this point. Falls under the 'no easy answers for complex problems' category.

 

[Country Doc]

Somebody that steals always has a reason its ok for them to do it. Stealing is stealing.