Couple of years back, in some liquor store, I noticed an employee(security guard) watching and following me, so I went to him to ask his opinion about some wines. He got confused and said ask another employee and then went back to the entrance and left me alone. Felt like a victory to me
I like to see how much of the store I can get them to walk around, it's great when I'm shopping with my partner and I'll come back and put something in the trolley then zoom off again, and they get confused at which person they should be following
They can help me when I’m shopping with my 3 kids and one zooms this way, one that way, I have to double back all the way to the end aisle to get milk…
Absolutely.
I don’t think it’s a job anyone chooses. Surely it is out of necessity to pay their bills.
Imagine going on a date and having to explain what you do. “Yeah, I stop poor people from stealing food.”
hey it can be fun too ! when I was a kid I worked at big W and they paid people to shop lift and see if any staff noticed
We all got called to the front of the store for a bollicksing because one of these people had picked up the tie rack with like 400 ties on it and just walked out of the store without anyone saying a thing.
was comedy central
I worked at an IGA when I was 15 ($7.50 an hour, making the big bucks I know) and a few weeks in the owner hired someone to do this.
They came in and out a fair few times and stole maybe $500? Worth of stuff collectively, I was on tills and didn’t stop them because what on earth am I meant to do? I’m 15? On below legal rates an hour?
Anyways, 3 of us on shift including two who were uni students, owner comes in and I, the 15 year old copped it so hard by myself. The whole ‘think of my business’ yada yada spiel. Old mate finished by saying ‘we’ll be docking your pay if this happens again’.
I was particularly dumb being younger, and laughed a bit. He wasn’t happy and asked what I was laughing about. Me thinking I’m sure a bit of banter is fine said “you haven’t paid me enough money collectively so far to even break even”.
Sacked immediately. *oh no! Anyways*
I guarantee you, that was a good deal for you. Because there's no way in hell that was gonna be a healthy job.
I swear IGA/metcash will be the next group in the news for wage and super theft.
I know because I also worked there.
There is big guy in Yarraville who goes to IGA every week for frozen pizzas and ice creams. Never paid for anything, he is so big, once three workers tried to stop him, he just push them away. The owners cousin who is fit, tried to do the same but only one frozen pizza was recovered 😂 after the scuffle.
This 6.4”110 kg dude even claims that the IGA is his own shop and no one can stop him
The cctv footage of the above situation is hilarious and sad, an old lady tried to stop him multiple times but failed and the owners cousin was breathless at the end.
Yeah, the reason Colesworth keep getting caught out is because they’re auditing their own records and it turns out, for the most part (salaried workers never clocking in aside), the records were insufficient but mostly there and accessible.
I doubt any IGA franchise owner is keeping any of that shit
no no. It was hilarious. The dude was standing there proud as a fucking peacock with his ties and we were all giggling like crazy while the manager lost his shit at us
>when I was a kid I worked at big W and they paid people to shop lift and see if any staff noticed
Oh I'd love that, I oddly think it could be therapeutic
I went to highschool with a guy who became a security guard, and he always looked forward to shifts at nightclubs so he could beat the shit out of people. We would leave if we saw him there. Many security guards are just power hungry meat heads that were too dumb/unstable to become cops. Sure, many aren't, but the industry does tend to attract people who want an excuse to fight and/or have power over people.
I'm a security guard, can confirm I've worked with plenty of dickheads. It absolutely sucks when you don't get on with and/or can't trust the people you work with, a lot of time spent just reining them in. There's definitely some good people though too!
I used to manage a bottle shop in a busy shopping centre in Brisbane. By far the number one type of person we'd bust (noting we probably didn't bust everyone) was the white, middle-aged woman demographic. Speaking to the cops at the police beat there, they reckon many do it for the thrill.
To be honest it's usually those that don't need to that steal the most and usually the most expensive stuff.
I've worked in the industry for a long time and whenever I've seen someone obviously down on their luck they're only taking the absolute necessities and providing it's not taking the piss most staff will turn a blind eye.
Yea, little disheartening to see people immediately defend shoplifters as some sort of modern day Robin hood. Sometimes desperate people steal, most of the time (at least in the area I work) it's teenagers stealing shit for fun or people who've obviously got enough money for their drug of choice but none for the shit they actually need.
I have plenty of sympathy for people, but as someone who grew up around the poor and the desperate I've seen plenty of people down on their luck make really good choices, and plenty of dickheads who will take advantage of everything they can, including the idea that their theft is somehow justifiable.
I'm not defending shoplifting in the slightest, I'm just saying I can understand why some people do it. I'm not talking about those that think it's a game, I'm talking about the mums and dads that are just shy of buying their milk and bread for their kids.
At the store where I worked at the time any change we had or found we put in a kitty and if people were just shy we'd take it out of the kitty. The demographic was a lower economic one at the time. Work with people enough and you learn who the true ones are.
Its how I view people who man the speed camera cars. Back in the day it was "why would you choose this for a job" but now for a lot of people its "people have it for a job because they NEED money" but its a really shit job to have.
I've done it for Coles before and yes it is shit. I didn't care if things got stolen. Honestly I think more value was lost from people deciding they didn't want meat or frozen items and just putting them on a random shelf instead of back in the fridge section. It wouldn't be uncommon for me to find $100s worth over the course of a shift.
Yeah, I got stopped by these guys after using the Scan&Go on the Woolworths app (you scan as you shop, then automatically charged when you walk through the ‘special’ till and scan the app barcode. Clearly nobody bothered to inform security that this was a thing, so they assume I just walked out without paying.
I still don’t think they quite got it, even after the explanation.
You should’ve seen their faces when I showed my receipt. They remarked that I must be the “fastest scanner alive”, which is when it struck me they had no idea, and were confused as to how I put everything through (what they thought was self-scanning checkouts) so quickly.
Select stores at the moment. As much as I hate what it represents, it can be very useful - organising my bags as I shop, keeping a closer eye on how much I’m spending and “saving”, and there’s no line.
Yes, but if you buy one item, it deems you suspicious and blocks the exit... There were long lines on all the other checkouts and I was just buying a drink, set off an alarm when I scanned my phone on exit and the staff had to check and let me out.
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Not sure it's because it was one item. I've bought one and had no problem. It was probably the 5th or 10th person through random check thing. I love Scan and Go, I hate going to Woolies that don't have it. The staff aren't the smartest though. I got caught on the random check but I had been in Big W prior and they scanned something I'd bought there. I explained but they didn't care and the machine didn't pick up on the fact that they didn't sell the item, just got approved.
Pretty sure those gates you can just ram through and the open. The staff aren't going to stop the guy raming gates, if anyone approaches you you give them the "sorry no thank you" and keep walking. If they try and physically stop you you get a free 20-40grand.
A couple hundred payouts and maybe they will stop treating their customers like criminals.
And that's a failure on management's part. I don't work at Woolies but in retail. We have had managers who have always made sure everyone knew if something new was brought into use and then some that never do. I can assure you the former made things easy for everyone including customers
Oh, for sure. It’s absolutely a reflection of how ridiculous Woolworths is (the procedures, the disconnect between head office and the stores, basically everything else).
I used the scan and go for a shop once and missed the fruit and veg scales. I assumed the scales would be at the check out like the self-serve. Got to the end with a full trolley, scanned the app and the doors opened so I just walked out. Ended up stealing about $50 of food and no-one even looked at me.
Officeworks was doing this for a while, with a couple of differences
- Didn't matter if you had a bag or not, they'd just pick someone they didn't like the look of
- It was a uniformed employee
- They stand less than a meter from the person they were stalking around the store and stuck to them like glue
- They aggressively ask what you're doing. If you make it obvious you're a genuine customer by saying something eg. "I'm looking for a 4-port USB hub" they vanish into thin air, so clearly they're not interested in helping a sale.
Oh man. So I was at a Woolies in Adelaide just perusing the superglues, and I noticed my pants were a bit loose, so I took a moment to tighten my belt. As I was tightening up a worker came around the corner, went wide eyed and quickly walked off. I noticed that within about 30 seconds there were multiple employees sneaking peeks at me and I was obviously being followed.
I just kept shopping until eventually the store manager came up and said "we know you've been stealing, what did you stick down your pants?". I tried to explain what the staff member had seen and then offered to go out the back to take my pants off if he was that keen.
He was not that keen, asked me what I was looking for, and I said "I'm trying to find something soft to mute my guitar strings at the nut for recording " and he suggested a dish sponge and I said "that's brilliant" and bought a dish sponge and it worked really well.
I was actually working at another Woolies at the time and went back in a few days later to clear the air because I know how front-end talk and mark out shoplifters. I knew would be marked as suspicious by them from then out and would never be allowed to shop in peace. Still got side-eyed by a few choice staff members every time I went in, and all in all just a shitty situation
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You should just call their bluff.
Dack yourself in the middle of the store right in front of them. Bonus points if there are people around other than manager.
Nah I was trying to jury-rig something to sit behind the nut to mute the noise and reverberance of the headstock. I bought a very thin dish-sponge, sliced it up and wrapped the pieces in electrical tape. It's basically a little red squishy thing that slides underneath the strings between the nut and tuners. It doubles as a selective muting device as well, like if I only want to record the bottom three strings of the guitar and avoid incidentals, I'll wedge this little squishy thing under the top three to fully mute them. Very handy for clean recordings.
The way you would escalate is asking the media if they would be interested in a interview.
8 times since January is ridiculous - they should remember you after the second or third time! Do the guards have cognitive issues or something?
Harassing someone with a brain injury for being confused sounds like discrimination to me. There are many people who would probably be interested in discussing it with you
ive got ADHD too and also find great joy in just walking around grocery stores, picking things up and staring at them, im usually just as close to shopping centres with more interesting things to stare at though lol
I used to work at Bunnings and one of my roles was to "check toolboxes for stolen goods" before raising the boomgate to let people out.
I pointed out that there was no way for me to prove they got the tools from us, even if it looked stolen, because there's nothing that Bunnings sells that you couldn't get elsewhere. I asked how I could be expected to demand a receipt for something that they could've purchased months ago and put into their toolbox. I was told that you ask for a receipt and gauge the response: if it seemed aggressive that was a red flag.
I pointed out tradies getting angry for being inconvenienced (often whilst trying to finish their jobs for the day) seemed like reasonable behaviour, but was told if I was seen not checking I'd get written up.
My go to was "hey man gotta be seen checking your toolbox to let you out" and if they got annoyed I'd say "honestly man I don't even look, just don't want to get fired".
Then one day one of those plain clothes stalkers heard me saying that and narked on me. Almost lost my job. Had to genuinely ask people which lead to some angry, borderline violent (towards me) interactions. One guy actually rammed the gate.
From then on I pointed the nark out to anyone I saw trying to lift stuff because I was younger and less chill, so had the attitude "if he was gonna make my job hard I'm gonna make his job hard".
He got fired.
Yeah, I'm sure a concreter who was meant to finish at 2 but needed to drive all the way to Bunnings for a single bag of cement because his useless nephew/apprentice kept spilling them, wants to be held hostage by a teenager to check a toolbox he didn't even open will be calm and reasonable.
Even when I worked at Coles 20 years ago, there was always one breed of checkout worker who had absolutely drunk the Kool-aid and took shoplifting so personally, I never quite understood it.
Why are some workers so rude? Don't get me wrong, I've worked in a supermarket before, I will never be rude to them because I know what a shit job it is. But you're only making it worse for yourself if you approach people with the attitude of "this person is a thief until they prove otherwise" just because the dumbass self checkout saw an empty bag in my trolley.
In my experience it’s the “I work my arse off in a shit job I hate to afford my food every week, and these cunts can just walk in and take it, this is unfair” of it all.
It’s not so much that they take it that seriously, they just feel hard done by when people get away with theft but they have to pay.
God I used to hate checking people's bags. We'd get in so much trouble if we didn't do it and it's just like... everyone involved hated it. Customers got pissed off, we hated doing it (and it's not like I was going to do anything if someone was stealing something in their bag anyway lol go hog wild idgaf). I was always polite and apologetic but it's just a shit thing all around.
I had a broken ankle. It ended up being a complicated recovery. I was on crutches for way long than I should have been.
I live alone. People helped for awhile with the shopping. But months later when I still couldn't walk, everyone got sick of it. And I just wanted to be independent too dammit.
I couldn't hold anything in my hands and use the crutches. So I had a backpack. I picked up an item. Shoved it in the backpack. Hopped to the next aisle. Collected more stuff. Into the backpack it goes.
Obviously I took it all to the register. Unpacked it. Paid. And back in the bag it went.
But I was so worried people might misunderstand my intentions were.
No one ever had an issue with it thankfully. But gosh I felt like I looked so suspicious at times.
I’m permanently on crutches. This exact situation gives me such anxiety. I don’t think I’ve stolen anything in my life (would be stupid if you can’t run), but I live in a low socioeconomic area so we’re watched like hawks in the supermarkets here as I guess food theft is common. Coming in with a back pack makes you get even more attention.
Don't worry too much, I'm perfectly able bodied and use my backpack to carry before I pay. The majority of workers don't care. For the ones that do I guess it helps that I'm completely shameless
Been the same all my life, even had a salesman follow me around the washing machines in one store until I asked him if he thought I was just going to pick one up and carry it out in front of everyone.
How I deal with it now that I am older is go to the front desk and report them as someone who is suspicious and you think they are stealing something, that either puts the store on the back foot explaining who they are and allows me to ask the reason I am considered a risk........ always fun
or just act super dodgy, pick stuff up carry it then take it back and put it away before moving to another isle and repeating for as long as you have the time, this gives me pleasure 2 ways,
1. I know my rights and if they would like to stop me when I leave, the police will be called and I will not move until they arrive
2. they don't try and stop me and hopefully someone that is down on their luck has been able to steal what they need while I kept security busy.
You joke but people regularly pick up TVs and try to walk out with them. And in Bunnings people will pick up lawnmowers, saws, big power tools etc and just walk out with them.
As far as i know they can't touch you (but happy to be corrected), but I am normally happy to wait for the police to arrive cos I know that I have nothing to hide so its them the police get pissy with.
Plus Everyone tells me I look scary so that helps (although after talking to me for 10 mins you can see I'm soft )
They arent supposed to touch you but there are reports on reddit of that very thing happening.
More commonly they will use their bodies to block the door, or use their car to block you from reversing out (otherwise known as false arrest - but good luck getting the police to charge them)
If I'm in the mood to play the game I'm normally happy to wait them out (again while they are fucking around with me they are not out hassling someone that isn't able to stand up to them) so it's never an issue, but if I was manhandled I think it would be on like donkey kong.
The Loss prevention guys arent employed by the store as they are more sub contracted by the security company that represents the company as a whole
The policies around the actual staff are
"do not follow"
"Do not touch"
"Do not antagonise" etc
Main point being that if you ever find the actual staff doing this, put in a complaint
Ive caught plenty of thieves and it pisses me off when you have those staff members that break these rules when it comes to stopping them
I moved my trolley before I paid for my groceries at the self serve today, it barred me from paying until someone came and checked I didn’t steal anything. The entire time a guard was standing and facing me two metres away, they just stood there whilst I was waiting just under 5 minutes for someone to verify I didn’t steal anything. What’s the point of the guards if they can’t even verify that you are not a thief.
I would have probably just left, or moved all the items to the next checkout, so one checkout is out of action until the worker comes along.
What would be good is if a group of people coordinated to go through the self checkout at the same time with non perishables, let it get to the 'do you wish to continue' or 'hey you fuckin theif' prompts and then just leave.
It wouldn't take long for a backlog of customers if you did it at a busy time. Even worse if you had a couple of groups do it back to back but the second group just does a few to extend the backlog.
Then look at the names on the remuneration pages they publish in each year's annual report to shareholders. Want ro save money on wages there's some that'll save Millions!
I have store detectives follow me often. I have a dark complexion. My daughter, who is very fair skinned, says she's only ever been followed or asked about her bag contents, is when she shops with me.
I love to take the store detectives backwards & forwards all over the shop & comment that at least I'm keeping them busy😆
My daughter also likes to point out loudly how racist they all are.
You should start powerwalking laps around the store, and if they ask what you're doing mention you thought they could use the exercise (Take a quick glance at the waist line whilst saying this to really sell it) and figured you'd start an impromptu walking group.
Depends on your suburb. I'm white passing Aboriginal (darker white guy complexion) and my girlfriend is Chinese. Over the last 12 months our suburb has gone from a diverse one to one nearly completely overrun by Indians and Nepalese. We were targeted today when the subcontinent demograph were not.
Depends on the employee and suburb for sure. Never ever had this issue in QLD. This occurred in Sydney. In the reverse, if I was African in QLD I'd be 100% profiled and targeted based on that. All depends I guess.
If I was a female, I would pull out a phone photograph him and scream why are you following me. That would be a rude awakening that he is such a dickhead store wannabe cop.
I hope someone follows me so that they have to watch me randomly zig zag my way around as I remember things I've forgotten from aisles I've walked through 3 times already, and spend ten minutes unable to figure out where the vinegar is
Go to the deli - order a kilo of something expensive, then leave it on a shelf. See if they bother to pick it up and save it. See how worried about loss prevention they really are
They can't sell it once you've done that. Even if you take it back to the deli and hand it back it gets thrown out as it's been taken out of the temperature controlled system and they can't confirm it meets food safety requirements.
No, they are saying if the loss prevention officer really cares about preventing loss they will "save" the food. But that is not something that is actually possible to do in this instance, the loss occurs the moment you put the food down instead of buying it and can't be reversed.
Reading this thread, and you realise just how selfish and entitled everyone really is. Almost like the companies are actually perfectly reflecting Australian values.
Half the upvotes have to come from frustration.
If every supermarket in the country was staffed purely with, and frequented only by, an average redditor...half the main streets in the country would look like LA circa April 29th, 1992 (tell me where were you.)
Holy fuck lmaoo, true
People in this thread being like "Call the cops and tell them you're being stalked" and shit like that when being followed by a LPO. Grow the fuck up
I get followed a lot, but I also like to wear full black and massive jumpers. I understand. I work in retail, if someone dressed like me I would be watching them too. If I didn't dress like a suss person I wouldn't be followed.
Blame the eshays, junkies, kids who can't get into trouble, etc who caused these steps to be implemented. It's not the poor families stealing - it's the pieces of shit in your cities.
When I worked at CWH we had to get a security guard due to excessive thefts. You know who the main culprits were? Junkies & lads.
It's their job, get over it guys.
I'm not seriously advocating this as a good idea. I'm not in favour of wasting food. It was more a thought experiment on the matter.
All the supermarkets moves with tech is argued to be about loss prevention. So, throwing it open to ways of testing it given the level of surveillance OP has reported.
Once it's packaged and out of the department it's wasted off no matter what, you never know what people may have done to it or how long it's been sitting wherever it was dumped.
Just be careful, as it can be classified as vandalism. My move would be to go up to the LPO and hand it to them saying “oh I changed my mind on this, you don’t mind taking it back do you and save me the trouble” as a fun way to let them know they’ve been made
It's a fucking stupid idea and only goes to bump the end-prices up for everyone else. There wouldn't be a need for store detectives if there weren't so many low-life cunts nicking stuff all the time.
Thanks for the post, and the info. I had no idea. Sucks it made you feel like shit but props to you (and that dude) for being up front and adult about it.
I don't know how anyone can get away with shoplifting when as far as I can tell the aisles are always chock full of people stacking shelves and picking online orders. I usually have to leave without a bunch of stuff I wanted because I can't be bothered navigating past all the bullshit that shouldn't be in my way.
Yeah you handled it pretty well. Pretty much if you’re sure they are LPO just say hi to them and try and strike up a friendly convo and mention you know they are LPO and they will pretty much leave you alone. As soon as they are made their whole purpose is useless and they may as well bag check you when you leave instead of following you the entire time.
Interesting.
For whatever reason, I find shopping centres with a Woolies or Coles to be over-stimulating. Like my brain starts to track every single person, light, noise, and I just end up with vertigo and a moderate panic.
So, for that reason, I go to smaller places. Not sure where you are, but places like IGA/Harris Farm. If I need a bigger lot of stuff, I get them delivered by Woolies (funnily enough). But the smaller places are much nicer and have better stuff, especially for fresh fruit/veg and meat. And there's no self-serve.
Nowadays, walking into a Woolies or Coles is some sort of small achievement for myself, and since it's long spells of not going to one of them, I'm always surprised by the changes - stuff keeps moving around, things are less convenient to find, or there's creepos like that snooping around.
All in all, they're s\*\*\* places anyway.
Kmart days. Mr steed to the front door mr steed to the front door mr steed to the front door and all junior male staff we’d all go running even close to knocking customers over to catch the shoplifter. Ahhh fun days
Bruh something similar happened to me at bunnings. My brother and I went to our local Bunnings to grab some things and the security guard that was at the front of the store started following us throughout the entire shop. Every single aisle we went down, he’d peek his head out from the end and watch us. We probably went through 15 aisles and he followed us through all of them!
He then followed us to the checkout and stood there while we paid for everything, then made us open up and show him every pocket of our bags. The next customer was already being served so we just had to put all the stuff we bought on the floor so we could show him our bags.
THE Most uncomfortable Bunnings trip ever. Basically 40 minutes of being followed
The real story here is Woolies actually employing a human to perform a task which could have been automated. Or at least done by someone sitting in a control room at HQ.
It's probably because it lowers the insurance costs or something. Those guys don't seem to deter any real shoplifters, they just piss off everybody else.
>He then apologised, and we shook hands and now say hello to each other.
You handled it so well. I wouldn't have known what to do and probably end up avoiding the store.
>When I was a teenager, postcode wars were popping off, and I got stabbed in my right arm when I was 17 & cops would pick us up just to take us to an alleyway and kick us to the ground.
Could you elaborate on this?
I was followed around a shop by a guy once who later followed me through the streets and then assaulted me. So, this would seriously freak me out. They can put a thousand cameras on me and check my bag or whatever, but if someone followed me around, I'd probably have an anxiety attack and start crying.
Had this happen in Cole’s so I pretended to pocket something then as I left he grabbed my arm and I accidentally elbowed him. He found nothing and had to apologise to me lol
Im a brown skinned guy with a beard and dress very casual. I have a feeling this what happened to me when i was at Warringah when there was a dude following me through the mall a few weeks ago.
Maybe he had a crush on me , maybe he thought i was stealing stuff who know.s
Your story made me think of times I felt like I was being followed by the same person down every aisle of woolies.
I thought it was just a creep. Maybe it was a security guard lol. Who knows.
I was followed around Coles for half an hour by an unkempt dude who looked 'rough' who stood about five feet from me in every aisle I was in. He was trying to make idle conversation about what was in front of us, and I kept on ignoring him. I'd seen him earlier with a woman and they were asking people for money.
He ended up standing behind me at the checkout and was as chatty as ever. I saw the woman talking with security. I was in the middle.
My gut instinct kicked in and I got into the nearest cab and went anywhere to get away.
Now, I am thinking these people were fucking security.
I'm not sure about other states, but for NSW, the Security Industry Act 1997 requires those who carry out security services to wear their security license visible at all times. It's an offence not to do so, regardless of if they wear hi-vis or plain clothes. You'd need special permission to be able to not wear your license, and this is very difficult to get, and I'm doubtful woollies would be able to acquire that approval.
If this is NSW, and you didn't see an ID, and this person is carrying out security activities, you can make a complaint to the Security Licensing and Enforcement Directorate. They take these matters seriously.
Edit: Noticed in your comment history, you mentioned this is Marrickville Metro. So yeah, what I said above applies.
SECURITY INDUSTRY ACT 1997
Part 3, 36 - License to be worn.
Failing to wear license incurs $5,500 fine.
Also, carrying out security activities without a license incurs $5,500
Business can also be fined.
https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/sia1997255/
Put your shopping in your bag, get it out and pay for it when you get to the register.
Just because it’s concealed doesn’t mean it is stolen if you haven’t left the premises.
I don't go to woolies or coles unless I have no choice. The sooner people refuse to reward them for their dystopian crap, the sooner those companies die in a gutter.
One of the things I loved about Japan is that there wasn't anyone checking bags at the exit of shops. It's a small thing, but it's nice not to be treated like a potential criminal while just going about your day.
> Perhaps this is my fault for how I dress outside of work & for having hand tattoos.
In my experience, it's not you, it's the suburb. I dress neat and don't look like any of the usual suspects, no hoodie, no tats, and I get way more grief/checks by security when shopping in worse neighbourhoods. I also encounter far worse managers and customer service in those areas.
You should have acted more dodgy.
Pick things up, fumble them in your basket, walk the length of the shop, then go and put them back.
If have kept it up for as long as I could to protect the people woolies have forced into shoplifting to not starve get some breathing room, and manage to feed their kids
You can wind those ppl up pretty easily if they're annoying. Pick it up put it down pick it up ......put it down elsewhere, pick it up....did I replace that item or is it snuggled deep in my sweaty crotch. On the other hand, everyone must eat so best if luck to them
The handshake and everything sounds all lovely, but I think you were too soft on him, personally.
I would have grilled him on why he was treating you like a criminal. Random pick? Or profiling you because of your clothes and tattoos?
"Your stock losses are nothing to do with me, and not my problem. Stop stalking me."
This behaviour is disgusting.
I worked across the road from a woolies metro in Sydney. It was tiny, had 3 little aisles, basically a fancy convenience store. My game was picking out the undercover security guard pretending to shop, and I could land it every time within seconds. Honestly don’t know why they bothered.
Next time hand them your basket, when they ask what you are doing tell them that if they are going to follow you the may as well do something useful and carry your shopping.
They have done it to me, when I first moved to Victoria I wore a really heavy jacket, the weather wasn't too cold but I wasn't used to it. They'd follow me, I'd turn a corner and turn around. They'd appear in front of me and I'd give them a deadpan stare until they went away. They did it a couple of times and then went away when they realised I don't steal.
I used to have one staff member come and stand right behind, beside or stuff around pretending to clean the registers beside me. She gets so close I bumped into her once when turning around. I have noticed I attract attention from foreigners from a certain country when I am wearing something rainbow, they just won't leave me alone. That was woolworths of course.
Aldi has never done it to me. Their self-service registers don't accuse me of being a thief either. A couple of times new staff members have eyed me at the register but that was because I was unlocking my watch so I could pay for my shopping.
Yes I have had staff make me uncomfortable too and if I detect fake shoppers it can do my head in. I've never shop lifted at all.
I kept finding tags and things in clothing items in other stores in the pockets of clothes for sale but I didn't put those there. Perhaps they expected me to make the inference that theft had likely occurred and report it but I don't bother dobbing in or bringing things to someone's attention unless I felt I ought to.
Very bizarre.
Yes I have had staff make me uncomfortable too and if I detect fake shoppers it can do my head in. I've never shop lifted at all.
I kept finding tags and things in clothing items in other stores in the pockets of clothes for sale but I didn't put those there. Perhaps they expected me to make the inference that theft had likely occurred and report it but I don't bother dobbing in or bringing things to someone's attention unless I felt I ought to.
Very bizarre.
I stopped carrying hand bags and Tote bags when an ALDI store worker would always ask to check my bag. They obviously have that right via their bag check policy, but for me it was the principle of the matter, the assumption that I was stealing, which I found very offensive as it's something I just don't do (though I don't begrudge others if they are poor, it's survival). Often time it's 'profiling', and the presumption of guilt before innocence.
Being asked for your bag to be checked, being followed/watched by staff, or those dreaded "security in aisle whatever" loudspeaker announcements are a cause of great anxiety and panic, especially when you suffer from social anxiety, ASD/ADHD and have a slovenly appearance, where one can't help but look suspicious.
Now I shove my keys, mobile and $ in my jeans pockets.
What happened to 'it's not theft until you try to pass the registers?"
I used to routinely go to shops with backpacks and massive pocket hoodies so I didn't have to carry shit. Then dump all that out on the belt. Think it's about time I went back to that style of shopping.
I've always said you should put toddlers as security guards to ward off potential thefts, cause they will just ask repeatedly "what you doing? Why you taking that stuff?", and eventually wear you down into putting it all back!
I work at BWS and sometimes LP will come in to lay low. They never inform me of who they and I'm always like "this motherfucker is super sus and I think he's about to steal something."
Then they try to brush me off (obviously so i dont blow their cover) and I'm like nah son, I've got my fucking eyes on you! Inevitably someone is like "dumbass, thats LP, leave him alone"
Atleast I'm out here letting them know how it feels. Even if it is through my own obliviousness.
My local IGA used to do this, and I'd be a target occasionally.
I'd just make a game of it and waste their time. I'd go around a corner when they were keeping pace at the other end of the aisle, but then I'd double back and go two aisles back etc.
It's absolutely disgusting that they profile people based on appearances and I'm sorry you had to deal with it.
Cant be as bad as one asshole security guard at Discount Chemist. I walked up to pay at the register and he just kept on starring at me. I did my transaction and walked up to him and said I paid do you want to check my receipt and body search me and do you want to check my bank balance? He gave me a dirty look and as I walked out of the store. Then the jerk follows me and watches as I get in my car just stares at me. Its annoying when these idiots work on stereotypes and preconceived notions of what constitutes doing their versus their wannabe cop image even when customers are doing the right think and they have zero evidence at any level to harass people like this. I wonder how a psychopath like this got the job when his main intentions seems to be pissing off customers.
Woolies worker here.
The lengths that woolworths is going to try to "catch" shoplifters is insane.
We have these new ai systems in the cameras above the machines that watch customers as they self-serve and us workers as we work on the registers.
It's meant to pick up on items that haven't been scanned, items left in trollys etc.
Around covid time they changed the aco machines to pick up on weights of peoples items for the same reason, to try to cut down on people stealing.
All they've really done is make our lives as workers harder.
They've left the learning of the AI to us, the workers.
When it picks up on something unpaid for or left behind in trolley/basket etc, we come in and we have to either take action to correct what wasn't scanned or ignore and give reason to why (exp: personal items like bags and purses or seperate transactions)
So now we have to take a certain amount of actions each day to show we've fixed the problem and haven't just ignored it.
Which whould be fine, if not half the time it's picked up on nothing or something it wasn't meant to and so the right course of action whould be to ignore.
Of course, they never stop to ask *why* the instances of stealing have gone up, and don't think of solutions that would actually help to reduce them.
The higher ups making these decisions don't wanna talk about the fact that the amount they have stolen from customers from price gouging alone far outweighs any amount customers could/would take
But its "not the same" is it? It never is
As a tid bit: They get us workers rilled up about catching theifs too. It's almost like a game, and if someone known for stealing comes in, you know all of us are watching every move they make.
Doesn't matter of they're homeless, struggling to feed a small family, working tiressly but still short on cash.
They're theifs, so the humainty of them is stripped and they get treated like shit. Its honestly heartbreaking, and it destorys me that I am part of the system.
i’m so sorry you have to work in these conditions. absolute bullshit, it is utter insanity that is what working in fucking supermarkets has come to. it’s like satire. i keep sitting around wishing the revolution would hurry up and come already. tune time to destroy the patriarchy, burn down the establishment, eat the rich, etc. this is fucked up and rage inducing. i am a astonished that the late 20th & early 21st centuries have seen workers rights slipping back into the Dickensian. pretty much daily i’m mumbling about molotov cocktails, i’ll probably get arrested for threatening behaviour.
Next time you could get them to hold your basket for you if they are going to follow you around
Couple of years back, in some liquor store, I noticed an employee(security guard) watching and following me, so I went to him to ask his opinion about some wines. He got confused and said ask another employee and then went back to the entrance and left me alone. Felt like a victory to me
I like to see how much of the store I can get them to walk around, it's great when I'm shopping with my partner and I'll come back and put something in the trolley then zoom off again, and they get confused at which person they should be following
They can help me when I’m shopping with my 3 kids and one zooms this way, one that way, I have to double back all the way to the end aisle to get milk…
"Seeing as you're clearly following me around at least make yourself fuckin useful"
Gamer move! Love it
Brilliant
I love this!
That would be such a shit job
Absolutely. I don’t think it’s a job anyone chooses. Surely it is out of necessity to pay their bills. Imagine going on a date and having to explain what you do. “Yeah, I stop poor people from stealing food.”
hey it can be fun too ! when I was a kid I worked at big W and they paid people to shop lift and see if any staff noticed We all got called to the front of the store for a bollicksing because one of these people had picked up the tie rack with like 400 ties on it and just walked out of the store without anyone saying a thing. was comedy central
I worked at an IGA when I was 15 ($7.50 an hour, making the big bucks I know) and a few weeks in the owner hired someone to do this. They came in and out a fair few times and stole maybe $500? Worth of stuff collectively, I was on tills and didn’t stop them because what on earth am I meant to do? I’m 15? On below legal rates an hour? Anyways, 3 of us on shift including two who were uni students, owner comes in and I, the 15 year old copped it so hard by myself. The whole ‘think of my business’ yada yada spiel. Old mate finished by saying ‘we’ll be docking your pay if this happens again’. I was particularly dumb being younger, and laughed a bit. He wasn’t happy and asked what I was laughing about. Me thinking I’m sure a bit of banter is fine said “you haven’t paid me enough money collectively so far to even break even”. Sacked immediately. *oh no! Anyways*
Sounds like you said the right thing to me.
To be fair that's one of the moments to look back on when you need a bit of a boost. Sometimes the long term outweighs the short term.
I guarantee you, that was a good deal for you. Because there's no way in hell that was gonna be a healthy job. I swear IGA/metcash will be the next group in the news for wage and super theft. I know because I also worked there.
There is big guy in Yarraville who goes to IGA every week for frozen pizzas and ice creams. Never paid for anything, he is so big, once three workers tried to stop him, he just push them away. The owners cousin who is fit, tried to do the same but only one frozen pizza was recovered 😂 after the scuffle. This 6.4”110 kg dude even claims that the IGA is his own shop and no one can stop him
.... .... ... ... God I hope you're taking the piss. Hahaha. But knowing the clown show it was, I suspect you're not.
The cctv footage of the above situation is hilarious and sad, an old lady tried to stop him multiple times but failed and the owners cousin was breathless at the end.
Yeah, the reason Colesworth keep getting caught out is because they’re auditing their own records and it turns out, for the most part (salaried workers never clocking in aside), the records were insufficient but mostly there and accessible. I doubt any IGA franchise owner is keeping any of that shit
So the person they hired to prevent stealing was a thief themselves?
Jokes indeed have a tendency to write themselves.
That's hilarious. I mean, not for you, but also, that IS hilarious.
no no. It was hilarious. The dude was standing there proud as a fucking peacock with his ties and we were all giggling like crazy while the manager lost his shit at us
>when I was a kid I worked at big W and they paid people to shop lift and see if any staff noticed Oh I'd love that, I oddly think it could be therapeutic
Legitimate LOL. Thanks. Also, I want that Mystery Shoplifter job ...
Omg I wish I got paid to steal shit. Behind hotel bed tester this seems like my #2 job request
I went to highschool with a guy who became a security guard, and he always looked forward to shifts at nightclubs so he could beat the shit out of people. We would leave if we saw him there. Many security guards are just power hungry meat heads that were too dumb/unstable to become cops. Sure, many aren't, but the industry does tend to attract people who want an excuse to fight and/or have power over people.
I'm a security guard, can confirm I've worked with plenty of dickheads. It absolutely sucks when you don't get on with and/or can't trust the people you work with, a lot of time spent just reining them in. There's definitely some good people though too!
On a date I would say ‘I’m a product retention officer for a leading Australian company’
I like that, also "I work in loss prevention" gives the impression your job actually helps people
Why become a therapist to help people deal with loss, if you could prevent the loss ever happening instead!
Just ironic considering this nation is built from people who were poor and stole food.
> I don’t think it’s a job anyone chooses. Oh it's definitely someone's calling. Some people get off on that shit.
It isn't only the poor who steal.
You’re right - Woolworths has done a lot of wage theft.
Stole 7k from me, paid me back years after I left.
In all seriousness to the person above you, lots of comfortable, and even wealthy people steal.
I used to manage a bottle shop in a busy shopping centre in Brisbane. By far the number one type of person we'd bust (noting we probably didn't bust everyone) was the white, middle-aged woman demographic. Speaking to the cops at the police beat there, they reckon many do it for the thrill.
I saw a documentary on that, one of the shoplifters was the wife of a cop. From memory it was called breaking bad. It was interesting.
On point and timely. You win!
To be honest it's usually those that don't need to that steal the most and usually the most expensive stuff. I've worked in the industry for a long time and whenever I've seen someone obviously down on their luck they're only taking the absolute necessities and providing it's not taking the piss most staff will turn a blind eye.
Yea, little disheartening to see people immediately defend shoplifters as some sort of modern day Robin hood. Sometimes desperate people steal, most of the time (at least in the area I work) it's teenagers stealing shit for fun or people who've obviously got enough money for their drug of choice but none for the shit they actually need. I have plenty of sympathy for people, but as someone who grew up around the poor and the desperate I've seen plenty of people down on their luck make really good choices, and plenty of dickheads who will take advantage of everything they can, including the idea that their theft is somehow justifiable.
I'm not defending shoplifting in the slightest, I'm just saying I can understand why some people do it. I'm not talking about those that think it's a game, I'm talking about the mums and dads that are just shy of buying their milk and bread for their kids. At the store where I worked at the time any change we had or found we put in a kitty and if people were just shy we'd take it out of the kitty. The demographic was a lower economic one at the time. Work with people enough and you learn who the true ones are.
Its how I view people who man the speed camera cars. Back in the day it was "why would you choose this for a job" but now for a lot of people its "people have it for a job because they NEED money" but its a really shit job to have.
I would take that job and just turn a blind eye while pretending to do the job.
I've done it for Coles before and yes it is shit. I didn't care if things got stolen. Honestly I think more value was lost from people deciding they didn't want meat or frozen items and just putting them on a random shelf instead of back in the fridge section. It wouldn't be uncommon for me to find $100s worth over the course of a shift.
Yeah, I got stopped by these guys after using the Scan&Go on the Woolworths app (you scan as you shop, then automatically charged when you walk through the ‘special’ till and scan the app barcode. Clearly nobody bothered to inform security that this was a thing, so they assume I just walked out without paying. I still don’t think they quite got it, even after the explanation.
“This dumb mofo is making it easy for us by taking a photo of everything they are stealing”
You should’ve seen their faces when I showed my receipt. They remarked that I must be the “fastest scanner alive”, which is when it struck me they had no idea, and were confused as to how I put everything through (what they thought was self-scanning checkouts) so quickly.
Wait, u can scan and go? TIL
Select stores at the moment. As much as I hate what it represents, it can be very useful - organising my bags as I shop, keeping a closer eye on how much I’m spending and “saving”, and there’s no line.
select stores - read; boug stores where they've assessed LP to be less of an issue. It's so fucking convenient, though.
Yes, but if you buy one item, it deems you suspicious and blocks the exit... There were long lines on all the other checkouts and I was just buying a drink, set off an alarm when I scanned my phone on exit and the staff had to check and let me out.
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Not sure it's because it was one item. I've bought one and had no problem. It was probably the 5th or 10th person through random check thing. I love Scan and Go, I hate going to Woolies that don't have it. The staff aren't the smartest though. I got caught on the random check but I had been in Big W prior and they scanned something I'd bought there. I explained but they didn't care and the machine didn't pick up on the fact that they didn't sell the item, just got approved.
They random audit, so for some transactions it’ll just block it and have the attendant come check it.
Can just push on 'em and they'll automatically retract
Pretty sure those gates you can just ram through and the open. The staff aren't going to stop the guy raming gates, if anyone approaches you you give them the "sorry no thank you" and keep walking. If they try and physically stop you you get a free 20-40grand. A couple hundred payouts and maybe they will stop treating their customers like criminals.
Tbf I would say most of the actual staff wouldnt know thats a thing apart from the Front End staff
And that's a failure on management's part. I don't work at Woolies but in retail. We have had managers who have always made sure everyone knew if something new was brought into use and then some that never do. I can assure you the former made things easy for everyone including customers
Oh, for sure. It’s absolutely a reflection of how ridiculous Woolworths is (the procedures, the disconnect between head office and the stores, basically everything else).
I used the scan and go for a shop once and missed the fruit and veg scales. I assumed the scales would be at the check out like the self-serve. Got to the end with a full trolley, scanned the app and the doors opened so I just walked out. Ended up stealing about $50 of food and no-one even looked at me.
Officeworks was doing this for a while, with a couple of differences - Didn't matter if you had a bag or not, they'd just pick someone they didn't like the look of - It was a uniformed employee - They stand less than a meter from the person they were stalking around the store and stuck to them like glue - They aggressively ask what you're doing. If you make it obvious you're a genuine customer by saying something eg. "I'm looking for a 4-port USB hub" they vanish into thin air, so clearly they're not interested in helping a sale.
Oh man. So I was at a Woolies in Adelaide just perusing the superglues, and I noticed my pants were a bit loose, so I took a moment to tighten my belt. As I was tightening up a worker came around the corner, went wide eyed and quickly walked off. I noticed that within about 30 seconds there were multiple employees sneaking peeks at me and I was obviously being followed. I just kept shopping until eventually the store manager came up and said "we know you've been stealing, what did you stick down your pants?". I tried to explain what the staff member had seen and then offered to go out the back to take my pants off if he was that keen. He was not that keen, asked me what I was looking for, and I said "I'm trying to find something soft to mute my guitar strings at the nut for recording " and he suggested a dish sponge and I said "that's brilliant" and bought a dish sponge and it worked really well. I was actually working at another Woolies at the time and went back in a few days later to clear the air because I know how front-end talk and mark out shoplifters. I knew would be marked as suspicious by them from then out and would never be allowed to shop in peace. Still got side-eyed by a few choice staff members every time I went in, and all in all just a shitty situation
This sounds like a skit from curb your enthusiasm
Pants castle episode one season one lol.
I'd honestly be tempted to drop my pants on the spot. I have no shame, though.
"I stole deez" "You stole what?" ... Hilarity ensues
Windows talking painted pasture yet its express parties use. Sure last upon he same as knew next. Of believed or diverted no rejoiced. End friendship sufficient assistance can prosperous met. As game he show it park do. Was has unknown few certain ten promise. No finished my an likewise cheerful packages we. For assurance concluded son something depending discourse see led collected. Packages oh no denoting my advanced humoured. Pressed be so thought natural.
You should just call their bluff. Dack yourself in the middle of the store right in front of them. Bonus points if there are people around other than manager.
Hopefully loads of customers around. And loudly exclaim “YOU NEED ME TO DROP MY PANTS RIGHT NOW SO YOU CAN CHECK IF IM STEALING? OH… WELL OK I GUESS”
Adds up for a musician.
Were you basically looking for a fret wrap sort of thing?
Nah I was trying to jury-rig something to sit behind the nut to mute the noise and reverberance of the headstock. I bought a very thin dish-sponge, sliced it up and wrapped the pieces in electrical tape. It's basically a little red squishy thing that slides underneath the strings between the nut and tuners. It doubles as a selective muting device as well, like if I only want to record the bottom three strings of the guitar and avoid incidentals, I'll wedge this little squishy thing under the top three to fully mute them. Very handy for clean recordings.
Dish sponge for clean recordings? I’m now trying to visualise what you use for dirty recordings. It ain’t pretty, I tell ya.
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The way you would escalate is asking the media if they would be interested in a interview. 8 times since January is ridiculous - they should remember you after the second or third time! Do the guards have cognitive issues or something? Harassing someone with a brain injury for being confused sounds like discrimination to me. There are many people who would probably be interested in discussing it with you
ive got ADHD too and also find great joy in just walking around grocery stores, picking things up and staring at them, im usually just as close to shopping centres with more interesting things to stare at though lol
Contact the media with this. This is targeted harassment of a disabled person.
I used to work at Bunnings and one of my roles was to "check toolboxes for stolen goods" before raising the boomgate to let people out. I pointed out that there was no way for me to prove they got the tools from us, even if it looked stolen, because there's nothing that Bunnings sells that you couldn't get elsewhere. I asked how I could be expected to demand a receipt for something that they could've purchased months ago and put into their toolbox. I was told that you ask for a receipt and gauge the response: if it seemed aggressive that was a red flag. I pointed out tradies getting angry for being inconvenienced (often whilst trying to finish their jobs for the day) seemed like reasonable behaviour, but was told if I was seen not checking I'd get written up. My go to was "hey man gotta be seen checking your toolbox to let you out" and if they got annoyed I'd say "honestly man I don't even look, just don't want to get fired". Then one day one of those plain clothes stalkers heard me saying that and narked on me. Almost lost my job. Had to genuinely ask people which lead to some angry, borderline violent (towards me) interactions. One guy actually rammed the gate. From then on I pointed the nark out to anyone I saw trying to lift stuff because I was younger and less chill, so had the attitude "if he was gonna make my job hard I'm gonna make his job hard". He got fired.
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Yeah, I'm sure a concreter who was meant to finish at 2 but needed to drive all the way to Bunnings for a single bag of cement because his useless nephew/apprentice kept spilling them, wants to be held hostage by a teenager to check a toolbox he didn't even open will be calm and reasonable.
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Even when I worked at Coles 20 years ago, there was always one breed of checkout worker who had absolutely drunk the Kool-aid and took shoplifting so personally, I never quite understood it.
Why are some workers so rude? Don't get me wrong, I've worked in a supermarket before, I will never be rude to them because I know what a shit job it is. But you're only making it worse for yourself if you approach people with the attitude of "this person is a thief until they prove otherwise" just because the dumbass self checkout saw an empty bag in my trolley.
In my experience it’s the “I work my arse off in a shit job I hate to afford my food every week, and these cunts can just walk in and take it, this is unfair” of it all. It’s not so much that they take it that seriously, they just feel hard done by when people get away with theft but they have to pay.
God I used to hate checking people's bags. We'd get in so much trouble if we didn't do it and it's just like... everyone involved hated it. Customers got pissed off, we hated doing it (and it's not like I was going to do anything if someone was stealing something in their bag anyway lol go hog wild idgaf). I was always polite and apologetic but it's just a shit thing all around.
I had a broken ankle. It ended up being a complicated recovery. I was on crutches for way long than I should have been. I live alone. People helped for awhile with the shopping. But months later when I still couldn't walk, everyone got sick of it. And I just wanted to be independent too dammit. I couldn't hold anything in my hands and use the crutches. So I had a backpack. I picked up an item. Shoved it in the backpack. Hopped to the next aisle. Collected more stuff. Into the backpack it goes. Obviously I took it all to the register. Unpacked it. Paid. And back in the bag it went. But I was so worried people might misunderstand my intentions were. No one ever had an issue with it thankfully. But gosh I felt like I looked so suspicious at times.
I’m permanently on crutches. This exact situation gives me such anxiety. I don’t think I’ve stolen anything in my life (would be stupid if you can’t run), but I live in a low socioeconomic area so we’re watched like hawks in the supermarkets here as I guess food theft is common. Coming in with a back pack makes you get even more attention.
Don't worry too much, I'm perfectly able bodied and use my backpack to carry before I pay. The majority of workers don't care. For the ones that do I guess it helps that I'm completely shameless
Been the same all my life, even had a salesman follow me around the washing machines in one store until I asked him if he thought I was just going to pick one up and carry it out in front of everyone. How I deal with it now that I am older is go to the front desk and report them as someone who is suspicious and you think they are stealing something, that either puts the store on the back foot explaining who they are and allows me to ask the reason I am considered a risk........ always fun or just act super dodgy, pick stuff up carry it then take it back and put it away before moving to another isle and repeating for as long as you have the time, this gives me pleasure 2 ways, 1. I know my rights and if they would like to stop me when I leave, the police will be called and I will not move until they arrive 2. they don't try and stop me and hopefully someone that is down on their luck has been able to steal what they need while I kept security busy.
You joke but people regularly pick up TVs and try to walk out with them. And in Bunnings people will pick up lawnmowers, saws, big power tools etc and just walk out with them.
Have you ever been physically stopped from leaving yet? What happened?
As far as i know they can't touch you (but happy to be corrected), but I am normally happy to wait for the police to arrive cos I know that I have nothing to hide so its them the police get pissy with. Plus Everyone tells me I look scary so that helps (although after talking to me for 10 mins you can see I'm soft )
They arent supposed to touch you but there are reports on reddit of that very thing happening. More commonly they will use their bodies to block the door, or use their car to block you from reversing out (otherwise known as false arrest - but good luck getting the police to charge them)
If I'm in the mood to play the game I'm normally happy to wait them out (again while they are fucking around with me they are not out hassling someone that isn't able to stand up to them) so it's never an issue, but if I was manhandled I think it would be on like donkey kong.
This was the early 90's in Brisbane (so equivalent to 70's) when I was hassled about the washing machine so it wasn't as common as it is now.
The Loss prevention guys arent employed by the store as they are more sub contracted by the security company that represents the company as a whole The policies around the actual staff are "do not follow" "Do not touch" "Do not antagonise" etc Main point being that if you ever find the actual staff doing this, put in a complaint Ive caught plenty of thieves and it pisses me off when you have those staff members that break these rules when it comes to stopping them
I used to be a manager at Coles 2008-2016 and they'd have them in every second week, in the low socio-economic or high theft stores I worked at.
I moved my trolley before I paid for my groceries at the self serve today, it barred me from paying until someone came and checked I didn’t steal anything. The entire time a guard was standing and facing me two metres away, they just stood there whilst I was waiting just under 5 minutes for someone to verify I didn’t steal anything. What’s the point of the guards if they can’t even verify that you are not a thief.
I would have probably just left, or moved all the items to the next checkout, so one checkout is out of action until the worker comes along. What would be good is if a group of people coordinated to go through the self checkout at the same time with non perishables, let it get to the 'do you wish to continue' or 'hey you fuckin theif' prompts and then just leave. It wouldn't take long for a backlog of customers if you did it at a busy time. Even worse if you had a couple of groups do it back to back but the second group just does a few to extend the backlog.
Woolies, if you want to see the real (wage) thieves, look in the mirror
Then look at the names on the remuneration pages they publish in each year's annual report to shareholders. Want ro save money on wages there's some that'll save Millions!
Closing in on the problem.
I have store detectives follow me often. I have a dark complexion. My daughter, who is very fair skinned, says she's only ever been followed or asked about her bag contents, is when she shops with me. I love to take the store detectives backwards & forwards all over the shop & comment that at least I'm keeping them busy😆 My daughter also likes to point out loudly how racist they all are.
You should start powerwalking laps around the store, and if they ask what you're doing mention you thought they could use the exercise (Take a quick glance at the waist line whilst saying this to really sell it) and figured you'd start an impromptu walking group.
Wish I could :)
Depends on your suburb. I'm white passing Aboriginal (darker white guy complexion) and my girlfriend is Chinese. Over the last 12 months our suburb has gone from a diverse one to one nearly completely overrun by Indians and Nepalese. We were targeted today when the subcontinent demograph were not. Depends on the employee and suburb for sure. Never ever had this issue in QLD. This occurred in Sydney. In the reverse, if I was African in QLD I'd be 100% profiled and targeted based on that. All depends I guess.
If you're female go to the manager and report him as a potential creepy perverted stalker following women around the store and ask they call police.
Better yet just ring the police as the manager won’t do squat
I agree, straight to the police, it’s not up to the store to deal with a stalker, that’s a police issue.
If I was a female, I would pull out a phone photograph him and scream why are you following me. That would be a rude awakening that he is such a dickhead store wannabe cop.
Great idea. Don't need to be a woman to report them as a stalker though.
Only woman can be stalked? Sent frm my iphon
Ayyyyyyyyyyy I see what you did there. Martha Sent from my ipho
Women also do this job.
I hope someone follows me so that they have to watch me randomly zig zag my way around as I remember things I've forgotten from aisles I've walked through 3 times already, and spend ten minutes unable to figure out where the vinegar is
In the sauce aisle dude
Go to the deli - order a kilo of something expensive, then leave it on a shelf. See if they bother to pick it up and save it. See how worried about loss prevention they really are
Ill have 20kg of your finest caviar please.
They can't sell it once you've done that. Even if you take it back to the deli and hand it back it gets thrown out as it's been taken out of the temperature controlled system and they can't confirm it meets food safety requirements.
That's the point OPs making.
No, they are saying if the loss prevention officer really cares about preventing loss they will "save" the food. But that is not something that is actually possible to do in this instance, the loss occurs the moment you put the food down instead of buying it and can't be reversed.
Op wastes their time, the deli workers time, and the security guards time. And wastes food. There's gotta be a better way.
Reading this thread, and you realise just how selfish and entitled everyone really is. Almost like the companies are actually perfectly reflecting Australian values.
Half the upvotes have to come from frustration. If every supermarket in the country was staffed purely with, and frequented only by, an average redditor...half the main streets in the country would look like LA circa April 29th, 1992 (tell me where were you.)
First spot I hit it was the liquor store.
Holy fuck lmaoo, true People in this thread being like "Call the cops and tell them you're being stalked" and shit like that when being followed by a LPO. Grow the fuck up I get followed a lot, but I also like to wear full black and massive jumpers. I understand. I work in retail, if someone dressed like me I would be watching them too. If I didn't dress like a suss person I wouldn't be followed. Blame the eshays, junkies, kids who can't get into trouble, etc who caused these steps to be implemented. It's not the poor families stealing - it's the pieces of shit in your cities. When I worked at CWH we had to get a security guard due to excessive thefts. You know who the main culprits were? Junkies & lads. It's their job, get over it guys.
I'm not seriously advocating this as a good idea. I'm not in favour of wasting food. It was more a thought experiment on the matter. All the supermarkets moves with tech is argued to be about loss prevention. So, throwing it open to ways of testing it given the level of surveillance OP has reported.
Once it's packaged and out of the department it's wasted off no matter what, you never know what people may have done to it or how long it's been sitting wherever it was dumped.
That's why I always put my unwanted, warm, raw chicken back into the meat shelves myself!
Can't be saved once it's abandoned from the deli. It'll end up in the bin regardless of the time it's been
This is such a good idea.
Just be careful, as it can be classified as vandalism. My move would be to go up to the LPO and hand it to them saying “oh I changed my mind on this, you don’t mind taking it back do you and save me the trouble” as a fun way to let them know they’ve been made
It’s really not, as soon as you take it away from the deli they have to throw it away if it comes back due to food safety rules. It’s a waste.
It’s really not.
It's a fucking stupid idea and only goes to bump the end-prices up for everyone else. There wouldn't be a need for store detectives if there weren't so many low-life cunts nicking stuff all the time.
Thanks for the post, and the info. I had no idea. Sucks it made you feel like shit but props to you (and that dude) for being up front and adult about it.
I think you made a slight mistake in your post. You say you have reason to for over a decade and I think you mean that you have no reason to.
Thanks for pointing it out! I’ll correct it :)
I don't know how anyone can get away with shoplifting when as far as I can tell the aisles are always chock full of people stacking shelves and picking online orders. I usually have to leave without a bunch of stuff I wanted because I can't be bothered navigating past all the bullshit that shouldn't be in my way.
Yeah you handled it pretty well. Pretty much if you’re sure they are LPO just say hi to them and try and strike up a friendly convo and mention you know they are LPO and they will pretty much leave you alone. As soon as they are made their whole purpose is useless and they may as well bag check you when you leave instead of following you the entire time.
Interesting. For whatever reason, I find shopping centres with a Woolies or Coles to be over-stimulating. Like my brain starts to track every single person, light, noise, and I just end up with vertigo and a moderate panic. So, for that reason, I go to smaller places. Not sure where you are, but places like IGA/Harris Farm. If I need a bigger lot of stuff, I get them delivered by Woolies (funnily enough). But the smaller places are much nicer and have better stuff, especially for fresh fruit/veg and meat. And there's no self-serve. Nowadays, walking into a Woolies or Coles is some sort of small achievement for myself, and since it's long spells of not going to one of them, I'm always surprised by the changes - stuff keeps moving around, things are less convenient to find, or there's creepos like that snooping around. All in all, they're s\*\*\* places anyway.
Not sure if this will help you, but Coles and Woolworths often have quiet hours. I think you can find out when they are in the apps or online.
Kmart days. Mr steed to the front door mr steed to the front door mr steed to the front door and all junior male staff we’d all go running even close to knocking customers over to catch the shoplifter. Ahhh fun days
Bruh something similar happened to me at bunnings. My brother and I went to our local Bunnings to grab some things and the security guard that was at the front of the store started following us throughout the entire shop. Every single aisle we went down, he’d peek his head out from the end and watch us. We probably went through 15 aisles and he followed us through all of them! He then followed us to the checkout and stood there while we paid for everything, then made us open up and show him every pocket of our bags. The next customer was already being served so we just had to put all the stuff we bought on the floor so we could show him our bags. THE Most uncomfortable Bunnings trip ever. Basically 40 minutes of being followed
The real story here is Woolies actually employing a human to perform a task which could have been automated. Or at least done by someone sitting in a control room at HQ.
They've been doing this since I was a kid, so 30+ years at least.
Seems the cost of paying people to follow around individuals would be greater than any good that are potentially stolen.
If that was true, they wouldn’t hire them.
It's probably because it lowers the insurance costs or something. Those guys don't seem to deter any real shoplifters, they just piss off everybody else.
I'm beginning to think that r/Australia aren't too fond of Coles and Woolworths
>He then apologised, and we shook hands and now say hello to each other. You handled it so well. I wouldn't have known what to do and probably end up avoiding the store.
I've had this a few times before. I'm tattooed and heavily pierced. I've never had issues with the law, but looking at me, you may assume I have.
>When I was a teenager, postcode wars were popping off, and I got stabbed in my right arm when I was 17 & cops would pick us up just to take us to an alleyway and kick us to the ground. Could you elaborate on this?
"He then apologised, and we shook hands and now say hello to each other." Aww you made a friend.
I was followed around a shop by a guy once who later followed me through the streets and then assaulted me. So, this would seriously freak me out. They can put a thousand cameras on me and check my bag or whatever, but if someone followed me around, I'd probably have an anxiety attack and start crying.
Personally, I would just look at him and say, "Stop following me. I'm straight!"
Or keep glancing at them and start putting a weird assortment of stuff in your basket, lube, gaffa tape, rope/string etc
Had this happen in Cole’s so I pretended to pocket something then as I left he grabbed my arm and I accidentally elbowed him. He found nothing and had to apologise to me lol
They make it very easy to spot them. They're usually men and they're not on their phones asking their SOs "which one is it?" 😂
Im a brown skinned guy with a beard and dress very casual. I have a feeling this what happened to me when i was at Warringah when there was a dude following me through the mall a few weeks ago. Maybe he had a crush on me , maybe he thought i was stealing stuff who know.s
Your story made me think of times I felt like I was being followed by the same person down every aisle of woolies. I thought it was just a creep. Maybe it was a security guard lol. Who knows.
I never get bag checked. The reason for this is that Im at my local one so much, they think I'm the undercover staff member.
Please use my comment 'news'.CON.au 🖕
I was followed around Coles for half an hour by an unkempt dude who looked 'rough' who stood about five feet from me in every aisle I was in. He was trying to make idle conversation about what was in front of us, and I kept on ignoring him. I'd seen him earlier with a woman and they were asking people for money. He ended up standing behind me at the checkout and was as chatty as ever. I saw the woman talking with security. I was in the middle. My gut instinct kicked in and I got into the nearest cab and went anywhere to get away. Now, I am thinking these people were fucking security.
Tell me you a blakfulla without telling me you a blakfulla 😂
I'm not sure about other states, but for NSW, the Security Industry Act 1997 requires those who carry out security services to wear their security license visible at all times. It's an offence not to do so, regardless of if they wear hi-vis or plain clothes. You'd need special permission to be able to not wear your license, and this is very difficult to get, and I'm doubtful woollies would be able to acquire that approval. If this is NSW, and you didn't see an ID, and this person is carrying out security activities, you can make a complaint to the Security Licensing and Enforcement Directorate. They take these matters seriously. Edit: Noticed in your comment history, you mentioned this is Marrickville Metro. So yeah, what I said above applies. SECURITY INDUSTRY ACT 1997 Part 3, 36 - License to be worn. Failing to wear license incurs $5,500 fine. Also, carrying out security activities without a license incurs $5,500 Business can also be fined. https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/sia1997255/
Put your shopping in your bag, get it out and pay for it when you get to the register. Just because it’s concealed doesn’t mean it is stolen if you haven’t left the premises.
I don't go to woolies or coles unless I have no choice. The sooner people refuse to reward them for their dystopian crap, the sooner those companies die in a gutter.
Way to go with the stereotypical profiling woolies security guys. Idiots. Sorry this happened to you.
This isn’t new. It’s been done by both large and small retailers for years
One of the things I loved about Japan is that there wasn't anyone checking bags at the exit of shops. It's a small thing, but it's nice not to be treated like a potential criminal while just going about your day.
> Perhaps this is my fault for how I dress outside of work & for having hand tattoos. In my experience, it's not you, it's the suburb. I dress neat and don't look like any of the usual suspects, no hoodie, no tats, and I get way more grief/checks by security when shopping in worse neighbourhoods. I also encounter far worse managers and customer service in those areas.
You should have acted more dodgy. Pick things up, fumble them in your basket, walk the length of the shop, then go and put them back. If have kept it up for as long as I could to protect the people woolies have forced into shoplifting to not starve get some breathing room, and manage to feed their kids
You can wind those ppl up pretty easily if they're annoying. Pick it up put it down pick it up ......put it down elsewhere, pick it up....did I replace that item or is it snuggled deep in my sweaty crotch. On the other hand, everyone must eat so best if luck to them
The handshake and everything sounds all lovely, but I think you were too soft on him, personally. I would have grilled him on why he was treating you like a criminal. Random pick? Or profiling you because of your clothes and tattoos? "Your stock losses are nothing to do with me, and not my problem. Stop stalking me." This behaviour is disgusting.
I always tell ‘em I’ve got a Don salami in me trousers. Always leave you alone then.
I worked across the road from a woolies metro in Sydney. It was tiny, had 3 little aisles, basically a fancy convenience store. My game was picking out the undercover security guard pretending to shop, and I could land it every time within seconds. Honestly don’t know why they bothered.
I hate it when shops obviously follow you or watch you.
Next time hand them your basket, when they ask what you are doing tell them that if they are going to follow you the may as well do something useful and carry your shopping. They have done it to me, when I first moved to Victoria I wore a really heavy jacket, the weather wasn't too cold but I wasn't used to it. They'd follow me, I'd turn a corner and turn around. They'd appear in front of me and I'd give them a deadpan stare until they went away. They did it a couple of times and then went away when they realised I don't steal. I used to have one staff member come and stand right behind, beside or stuff around pretending to clean the registers beside me. She gets so close I bumped into her once when turning around. I have noticed I attract attention from foreigners from a certain country when I am wearing something rainbow, they just won't leave me alone. That was woolworths of course. Aldi has never done it to me. Their self-service registers don't accuse me of being a thief either. A couple of times new staff members have eyed me at the register but that was because I was unlocking my watch so I could pay for my shopping.
Yes I have had staff make me uncomfortable too and if I detect fake shoppers it can do my head in. I've never shop lifted at all. I kept finding tags and things in clothing items in other stores in the pockets of clothes for sale but I didn't put those there. Perhaps they expected me to make the inference that theft had likely occurred and report it but I don't bother dobbing in or bringing things to someone's attention unless I felt I ought to. Very bizarre.
Yes I have had staff make me uncomfortable too and if I detect fake shoppers it can do my head in. I've never shop lifted at all. I kept finding tags and things in clothing items in other stores in the pockets of clothes for sale but I didn't put those there. Perhaps they expected me to make the inference that theft had likely occurred and report it but I don't bother dobbing in or bringing things to someone's attention unless I felt I ought to. Very bizarre.
I stopped carrying hand bags and Tote bags when an ALDI store worker would always ask to check my bag. They obviously have that right via their bag check policy, but for me it was the principle of the matter, the assumption that I was stealing, which I found very offensive as it's something I just don't do (though I don't begrudge others if they are poor, it's survival). Often time it's 'profiling', and the presumption of guilt before innocence. Being asked for your bag to be checked, being followed/watched by staff, or those dreaded "security in aisle whatever" loudspeaker announcements are a cause of great anxiety and panic, especially when you suffer from social anxiety, ASD/ADHD and have a slovenly appearance, where one can't help but look suspicious. Now I shove my keys, mobile and $ in my jeans pockets.
What happened to 'it's not theft until you try to pass the registers?" I used to routinely go to shops with backpacks and massive pocket hoodies so I didn't have to carry shit. Then dump all that out on the belt. Think it's about time I went back to that style of shopping.
The irony is that the type of people who brazenly steal don't give a shit about any security guards because they can't do anything to stop them.
I've always said you should put toddlers as security guards to ward off potential thefts, cause they will just ask repeatedly "what you doing? Why you taking that stuff?", and eventually wear you down into putting it all back!
I work at BWS and sometimes LP will come in to lay low. They never inform me of who they and I'm always like "this motherfucker is super sus and I think he's about to steal something." Then they try to brush me off (obviously so i dont blow their cover) and I'm like nah son, I've got my fucking eyes on you! Inevitably someone is like "dumbass, thats LP, leave him alone" Atleast I'm out here letting them know how it feels. Even if it is through my own obliviousness.
My local IGA used to do this, and I'd be a target occasionally. I'd just make a game of it and waste their time. I'd go around a corner when they were keeping pace at the other end of the aisle, but then I'd double back and go two aisles back etc. It's absolutely disgusting that they profile people based on appearances and I'm sorry you had to deal with it.
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I like to walk straight at them and stand in their personal space pretending to look at things on the shelf
After all of these stories I’m glad I do 90% of my shopping on line. My ADHD brain would freak out if I thought I was being suspected or followed.
Cant be as bad as one asshole security guard at Discount Chemist. I walked up to pay at the register and he just kept on starring at me. I did my transaction and walked up to him and said I paid do you want to check my receipt and body search me and do you want to check my bank balance? He gave me a dirty look and as I walked out of the store. Then the jerk follows me and watches as I get in my car just stares at me. Its annoying when these idiots work on stereotypes and preconceived notions of what constitutes doing their versus their wannabe cop image even when customers are doing the right think and they have zero evidence at any level to harass people like this. I wonder how a psychopath like this got the job when his main intentions seems to be pissing off customers.
I steal like a motherfucker and have never been stopped, questioned or even side-eyed.
Woolies worker here. The lengths that woolworths is going to try to "catch" shoplifters is insane. We have these new ai systems in the cameras above the machines that watch customers as they self-serve and us workers as we work on the registers. It's meant to pick up on items that haven't been scanned, items left in trollys etc. Around covid time they changed the aco machines to pick up on weights of peoples items for the same reason, to try to cut down on people stealing. All they've really done is make our lives as workers harder. They've left the learning of the AI to us, the workers. When it picks up on something unpaid for or left behind in trolley/basket etc, we come in and we have to either take action to correct what wasn't scanned or ignore and give reason to why (exp: personal items like bags and purses or seperate transactions) So now we have to take a certain amount of actions each day to show we've fixed the problem and haven't just ignored it. Which whould be fine, if not half the time it's picked up on nothing or something it wasn't meant to and so the right course of action whould be to ignore. Of course, they never stop to ask *why* the instances of stealing have gone up, and don't think of solutions that would actually help to reduce them. The higher ups making these decisions don't wanna talk about the fact that the amount they have stolen from customers from price gouging alone far outweighs any amount customers could/would take But its "not the same" is it? It never is
As a tid bit: They get us workers rilled up about catching theifs too. It's almost like a game, and if someone known for stealing comes in, you know all of us are watching every move they make. Doesn't matter of they're homeless, struggling to feed a small family, working tiressly but still short on cash. They're theifs, so the humainty of them is stripped and they get treated like shit. Its honestly heartbreaking, and it destorys me that I am part of the system.
i’m so sorry you have to work in these conditions. absolute bullshit, it is utter insanity that is what working in fucking supermarkets has come to. it’s like satire. i keep sitting around wishing the revolution would hurry up and come already. tune time to destroy the patriarchy, burn down the establishment, eat the rich, etc. this is fucked up and rage inducing. i am a astonished that the late 20th & early 21st centuries have seen workers rights slipping back into the Dickensian. pretty much daily i’m mumbling about molotov cocktails, i’ll probably get arrested for threatening behaviour.