Shopping in Melbourne Fl, the good, the bad and the strange (Palm Bay: purchasing, moving)

[BeachBum1975]

Earlier this year, I had an odd situation happen to me while shopping at the Melbourne Square Mall. I was in JC Penny and I had some merchandise in my hand I was planning on purchasing, but I changed my mind. I left the merchandise on a display rack in a department that was different than where I got it. When I left the store, the loss prevention team from JCPenney approached me and demanded I give them back the merchandise. I told them I didn't have anything and emptied my pockets to prove it.
After retelling this story to a bunch of friends of mine, I heard a lot of them tell me similar stories from the same loss prevention team. I thought it might make an interesting thread if others could tell if they have also had run-ins with overzealous loss prevention teams in Brevard and where those run-ins may have been. is this a Melbourne Square Mall thing, or does it happen with as much frequency in Vierra, Merrit Island, and Palm Bay?

[City Guy997S]

You joined C/D to tell that story?

You did something weird: taking merchandise and then leaving it somewhere else. If they were watching the cameras that would be suspicious behavior. Maybe you were going to shoplift and lost your nerve, maybe you are just an absent minded shopper.

I don't see anything wrong with asking you what happened to the merchandise you previously had.

[BeachBum1975]

I don't know, I left it in the store, and after the way that guy treated me, I haven't been back. I always take stuff out of my cart before I check out and leave it wherever I am in the store. I grab the things I think I want, and before I check out, I decide what I am really going to get and leave the rest. And yes, I joined to post that. after telling this story to people I know, I have heard other stories about this guy. A woman I know was pregnant and shopping. She saw a jacket she liked and tried it on, she liked it so she left it on. when she was walking to the register to pay for it (cash in hand), the same loss prevention guy (with MPD in tow) stopped her and accused her of stealing. She explained what was going on to the police, and they agreed with her. She did nothing wrong, but he insisted they trespass her from the store. They did. This got me thinking about whether this is a Brevard thing or just a JCPenny thing, and I thought the best way to find out would be to put a post on a good Brevard BB and see what other people had to say.

[2goldens]

There must be abundance of theft going on at the mall. This is the first I'm hearing about this JCPenny's security related problems. The last time I was at this mall, I couldn't find anyone for assistance.

I think your behavior, carrying product(s) and suddenly the moving products disappear looks exactly like theft on the video cameras, or however they are monitoring you. Mark it up as lesson learned. Call it a day!

I know as a female Shopper, especially when there is an item in several colors! I select a color, and I carry it for a bit in circles, and then go back for a total different color or more. This is the way females shop. Men are opposite - straight to the product, straight to the register, and out the door. Done.

[CC42024]

Perhaps the employees called the Loss Protection Team. Employees have to clean up after someone removes merchandise from its designated area. Could be an angry employee possibly.
Or, an earlier poster mentioned security cameras. They do watch those, but maybe by the time they got to you, they hadn't seen that you put the stuff down before exiting.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by CC42024

Perhaps the employees called the Loss Protection Team. Employees have to clean up after someone removes merchandise from its designated area. Could be an angry employee possibly.
Or, an earlier poster mentioned security cameras. They do watch those, but maybe by the time they got to you, they hadn't seen that you put the stuff down before exiting.

I don't blame them, that's kind of sketchy behavior. Then to admit it's his common practice. I always wonder who does that when I see stuff abandoned right before the checkout. Hand it to the cashier when you check out and say you changed your mind. They won't mind that because they know it gets back to the right spot versus finding it much later.