Lesson learned at Wally World

[stevie_d_64]

Well, I feel sort of stupid but I figured I should post this anyway...

I was at Wal-Mart today (carrying, btw). I purchased and paid for what I needed. Then while I walked out I came upon one of those Pet ID machines. So, I decided to get a new tag for one of my dogs. I had some trouble getting it to read my debit card, but finally got it working. So, after I got all the info entered and the machine started engraving the tag I turned and noticed that someone stole my merchandise!! Must have just walked right up to the cart and started walking as if it were theirs. I couldn't believe it!

Here I've been thinking that I've been hyper-aware of surroundings. Boy, it really got me thinking you can NEVER let your guard down.

Betcha they got it on camera!

Bet they can follow the person outside and to whatever they ride off in...Get the tag number if possible...

The rest is...elementary...

I know how you feel...It stinks!

Surprising no one else even those walking by didn't try to let you know someone lifted something from you...

[glockoneniner]

Did you report it to the police? If so, what did they say?

No. Wal-Mart said since it was mine and that since I was about to get it back that they would not report.

Go figure...

[seamusTX]

Did you report it to the police? If so, what did they say?

No. Wal-Mart said since it was mine and that since I was about to get it back that they would not report.

Maybe they didn't want a record. Newspapers and TV stations sometimes publish reports on sites with high rates of crime, and Wal-Mart is going to be on the high side in any case because of shoplifting and theft in the parking lots.

The reason I asked is that I think it's important to bring this kind of thing to the attention of the police. They aren't going to go after a single theft as if it were a bank robbery; but if a pattern emerges, they could probably catch the person doing it.

- Jim

[jimlongley]

I don't see their logic. They replaced your stuff, because you had your receipt, which is not a bad thing, but don't want to report it because you got your stuff back?

That just means that the criminal walks away scot free, and the customers pay for his crime.

[barres]

And as SeamusTX pointed out there is no record in the police criminal statistics of a theft occurring. I think Jim nailed that one.

[kdmill_1]

Warn your wives. That's a classic purse snatching move. I see women all the time in the grocery store and such with their backs turned to their purse in the cart, or even 10-20 feet away down the aisle. I guess I should start saying something politely to them, but that would depend on my perception of the individual.
Glad they offered to make things right though. I, unfortunately, often drop the receipt in one of the bags.

[Steve #1]

[Betcha they got it on camera!

Bet they can follow the person outside and to whatever they ride off in...Get the tag number if possible...

They may have the theft on camera. There is a chance they could get a vehicle. Slim chance they got the make of the vehicle. Absolutely no chance of a plate unless somebody was watching the person on camera. Even then it is hard to get a plate off a vehicle in a store parking lot.

Just one more reason not to shop at Wal-Mart

[Bubba]

I'm just curious which WalMart it was, what city ?

[glockoneniner]

I'm just curious which WalMart it was, what city ?

Cedar Park.

[NcongruNt]

I'm just curious which WalMart it was, what city ?

Cedar Park.

I didn't know you were so close! My girlfriend lives in Cedar Park.

[tallmike]

Just one more reason not to shop at Wal-Mart

I took just the opposite away from the story. I thought it was great that they were willing to completely replace the items for you when the loss had nothing to do with them. I wonder how many retailers would have been as willing to make everything right.

Just curious, why did you decide that this incident reflects on wal-mart instead of on the thief? Honestly, the only actions the store took in this incident reflect well on them, he could have reported the incident to police himself.

[G.C.Montgomery]

Don't feel too bad Glockoneniner. It's not possible to keep eyes on 'everything' all the time. We are only human but in this case you've learned a valuable lesson and fortunately it didn't cost much.

In a typical Walmart there are so many people moving around in the area ahead of the cash registers that if I know I'll have to do business in customer service or stop at any of those vendors I will make a specific trip for that purpose. As an alternative, I may make such stops before heading into the store to make my regular purchases. Regardless of what store I'm in, once I've left the cash register, my business with that store for the day is generally done. So I head straight to the truck, load the cargo and 'Get out of Dodge' as quickly as possible. My wife does the same and does not accept offers of 'help' from strangers in the parking lot.

FWIW, the Wallisville and Uvalde Walmarts on Houston's east side, have become target rich environments for thieves and other predators. There have been at least three attempted kidnappings in the Wallisville Rd Walmart parking lot in the last year. This is in spite of over a dozen, mast-mounted cameras that appear to cover that parking lot and the entry ways of the store. So, I've asked my wife numerous times to NEVER go to that store without me and I never leave her side while we're there.

[pbandjelly]

G19'er: Glad you got your loot back!

[BoneDigger]

Sorry to hear about your loss.

I had a similar incident happen at the Cabelas in Buda. In this case, I had brought in a couple of old brackets from my boat trailer that I wanted to match. I left the cart for an instant and somebody stole the cart, WITH MY USED BRACKETS IN IT!!! So, I had no way of matching the brackets, and was basically SOL. I didn't lose any merchandise that I had just bought, just the used items, but it really ticked me off.

One of the salespeople actually walked with me around the store to look in as many carts as possible, but we never found them.

I am very careful now about what I do withb my shopping cart.

Todd

[Steve #1]

Just curious, why did you decide that this incident reflects on wal-mart instead of on the thief? Honestly, the only actions the store took in this incident reflect well on them, he could have reported the incident to police himself.

I'm not saying that it is Wal-Mart's fault, but in my experience Wal-Mart stores are typically crowded and typically attract a less savory clientèle. Both of which make for a more favorable location for something like this to happen.

It's nice that they replaced the stolen items. They made it a less negative experience for a customer and kept a police report being generated at there address.

I very rarely go to Wal-Mart (2-3 times a year), and when I do it's only between 4 AM and 10 am.

I have plenty of other reasons I don't like Wal-Mart (I'll spare you the diatribe). Hearing this just reaffirms the one.