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I once returned a product to Home Depot and the clerk was checking to make sure everything was in the box that was supposed to be. We chatted a bit and she mentioned that one scam was to buy liquid laundry detergent, pour out some, fill the container with water, and return it.
I bought a pint of grout sealer that even had a loss control tag on it.
There are plenty of small, pricey items that can be lifted, too.
Many years ago I worked for HD.
This was when they had a very liberal return policy. No receipt needed and you got cash back. Lots of thieves would steal small electrical items, I think switches were popular, and return them for cash. Then they switched the policy to if you didn't have a receipt you got a gift card. Thieves would still steal, bring the returns for gift cards then sell the gift cards. Not sure what the policy is now.
Power tools were bought and then returned. If you've bought a power tool from HD, you notice that a lot of them have the clear plastic straps on them. Thieves would buy those power tool sets, remove the tools and fill the boxes back with sand/rocks to the same weight, reband the plastic strap on there and then return it. They would get their money back and then sell the stolen tools. Policy was always reactionary so the store policy would be to open all returns and check the contents.
Another method of stealing was to buy something that was large that you could stuff smaller items in. If the employee didn't check, thieves left with more items.
It's amazing what thieves will think of and how creative they can become in order to steal. If they had only put this much effort into law abiding activities...
Back on topic, I read the article. Seems like management at store level made a mistake and were called out on it after the story hit the news. That sounds like poor training on the part of store managers.
And for people to say to not do anything but call 911: the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
The 911 dispatcher asked him to follow, to me that's a little different from engaging.
I knew someone who once worked for Home Depot (and hated it). They told me that for the first few days of employment there, new-hires take a long, detailed, mind-numbing "training" on the computer...a series of tutorials followed by tests on them. One of the topics emphasized over & over was to not leave the inside of the store to deal with anybody or anything, for any reason, beyond the store doors. Right or wrong, those are HD rules.
Along with that & everything else they shared with me, their job sounded awful.
This was when they had a very liberal return policy. No receipt needed and you got cash back.
I also worked there part-time for awhile, in the electrical department. They would also take things back that were obviously used, like the time I saw a 100-foot electrical cord that was covered in mud. The original purchaser "changed their mind" about it, obviously after they finished their project. They did change the policy about returns on generators, because too many people were bringing them back after they used them for storm related power outages.
I heard a story from the "old-timers" about the time they accepted a Craftsman lawn mower as a return (a Sears product).
When I was there, the most stolen item was Round-Up. Apparently, you could use it in the process to make crack.
And of course there are many low life's who will take one screw out of a package of 7 screws, and put the package back. How bereft of integrity does someone need to be to not spend $1.19 on a whole package of screws?
Then there was a guy who bought good quality cabinet hardware, then replaced it with cheap hardware from Walmart, sealed up the packages, and returned it.
This was when they had a very liberal return policy. No receipt needed and you got cash back. Lots of thieves would steal small electrical items, I think switches were popular, and return them for cash. Then they switched the policy to if you didn't have a receipt you got a gift card. Thieves would still steal, bring the returns for gift cards then sell the gift cards. Not sure what the policy is now.
Power tools were bought and then returned. If you've bought a power tool from HD, you notice that a lot of them have the clear plastic straps on them. Thieves would buy those power tool sets, remove the tools and fill the boxes back with sand/rocks to the same weight, reband the plastic strap on there and then return it. They would get their money back and then sell the stolen tools. Policy was always reactionary so the store policy would be to open all returns and check the contents.
Another method of stealing was to buy something that was large that you could stuff smaller items in. If the employee didn't check, thieves left with more items.
It's amazing what thieves will think of and how creative they can become in order to steal. If they had only put this much effort into law abiding activities...
Back on topic, I read the article. Seems like management at store level made a mistake and were called out on it after the story hit the news. That sounds like poor training on the part of store managers.
And for people to say to not do anything but call 911: the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
The 911 dispatcher asked him to follow, to me that's a little different from engaging.
Yep... went to buy a rolling tool box/chest with a neighbor and was going through the almost mandatory self-checkout since they removed most all of the cashiers...
Anyway, at self checkout we just paid and took about two steps and a cashier came running over... opened every drawer top to bottom and looked underneath... found it to be annoying because what is the point of self checkout if you can't do it yourself.
Anyway, she said you would be amazed at how many think tool cabinets should come with tools...
I've had employees come out at my request... saw someone do a smash and grab and glass was everywhere... the manager thanked me for bringing it to his attention.
The big companies are pretty much the same when it comes to anything outside your job description, defend a woman or man being beaten, fired. Watch someone steal and tell that customer you saw them steal, fired. If a customer falls and gets hurt in the store and you try to help, fired. With that, some companies can fire you for calling 911 to help a customer that was hurt.
This is all told to employees during the two week training session. Employees can't claim ignorance, much like mentioning the word union, fired.
And of course there are many low life's who will take one screw out of a package of 7 screws, and put the package back. How bereft of integrity does someone need to be to not spend $1.19 on a whole package of screws?
Then there was a guy who bought good quality cabinet hardware, then replaced it with cheap hardware from Walmart, sealed up the packages, and returned it.
My business partner once had a client that was charged with a similar crime. The woman in this case would buy several bottles of name brand laundry detergent bring them home empty the contents into another container, refill the original bottle with water and take them back to the store for a refund. She did this for a couple years and made quite a bit of $$$ as she was also reselling the original detergent. It was about the same time the movie Superbad was out, where one of the kids in the movie fills a laundry detergent container with booze. I suspect that may have been at least part of the inspiration.
This has happened at hubby's HD. A guy faked a heart attack while his buddy tried to steal a cart full of stuff.
The smaller franchise hardware stores-same with them as well. I go to my local True Value Store weekly as I'm having a lot of fix up work on this tar paper shack of mine. Inventory stats are getting worse all the time. Lots of power tools getting ripped off. The people I know who work there say it's never been as bad as it has been the last several months.
When KGW asked Reagan if he wanted to resume his position at the Portland store, he said no. He added that he wants his next employer to not second guess his actions during an emergency.
and he should follow policy in emergencies, then no second guessing is required...
he is not a trained emergency personal, and he wants to be taken as an authority and not be second guessed?
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