employee theft

[Kevin]

Earlier this summer, from Home Depot, I bought an electric lawn mower, only to find out both of the batteries were missing from the box. Then a second lawn mower, to figure out one battery was missing.

This isn't about electric lawn mowers. I did finally buy one that had all the parts inside. I returned the first lawn mower back to Home Depot. The manager said yep, someone stole the batteries. Like he knew this was a problem.

But just now, today, I ordered a new apple watch on Amazon. The Amazon package was sealed, but the apple box inside had been opened and someone took out the charger and cable. $27 on their website.

I don't ever remember things like this happening back in the "good old days." (those days being pre-Covid 2020.)



What the heck!???!

The watch is going back to Amazon, and I'll go to the Apple store tomorrow and buy a watch.

I'm just tired of this.

 

[buckaroo]

I don't ever remember things like this happening back in the "good old days." (those days being pre-Covid 2020.)
I'm just tired of this.

And that's just it Kevin, I never saw or heard the stuff I have since the COVID-19 deal. It's always been there but it just seems it's way out of control now. I think some of it is revenge by employees because they are angry they have to be back working.
Saw an employee at Walmart throwing produce onto the shelves, who throws food around like that, he looked at me and his eyes said ……..old man. It really bothered me.

Twice this year in under 3 months I've had to replace my debit card because of bogus charges on my bank statement.

 

[Kevin]

Yes, they are getting better at the grift. Today both my wife and I are getting 15 to 20 calls each so far. She answered one and thought it was Amazon calling to verify a purchase. She asked me, and we hadn’t bought an iPad on Amazon. They talked a bit more and then they asked to verify our account information for security purposes. Then she realized it was a scam.

But they are getting better.

 

[buckaroo]

Yupper, I don't answer I let it all go to voicemail, most times it won't. Then I plug the number into my computer and try to find out where it originated from and if it looks fishy I then block it on my phone.
And those fraud emails from PayPal saying that they are awaiting payment, I have a program installed to block it completely without even going to spam.

 

[Dave P.]

Regarding missing parts... we get stuff shipped in factory direct. Product will arrive in factory sealed boxes with stuff missing or short hardware
bags, happens often. I've had three zero turn mowers this season that came with no seats. How bad does your quality control need to be
to not have a seat? I've had batteries missing from handheld product, again factory shipped in unmolested packages.
Not saying all the HD people were honest but the company building it could be part of the problem. What ever the reason you're right
it's been worse the last few years. We've ran into quite a bit of poorly assembled stuff, suspect Joe is doing Pete's job because Pete is
out with covid.....on down the whole production line.
Some of our vendors do "private label" production and I've been hearing that the buyers are sending their own QC people into
plants to verify their stuff is being done correctly.

 

[buckaroo]

The commies are ........ us everyway but lose. Joe's on the payroll for the midterms.

 

[blume357]

yeah... right.... no one ever stole, cheated lied before Karl Marx came up with communism.... the odd thing is I haven't seen or heard of one communist anywhere.... you'd think they'd be recruiting.... but I sure see a lot of Democrats and Republicans complaining of how the other side is destroying America....

I'd be willing to bet good money the majority of the crooks out there doing this have absolutely no political affiliation at all.

 

[gunzo]

Nothing new. A thief is a thief & they've been around a few decades.

 

[buckaroo]

I'd be willing to bet good money the majority of the crooks out there doing this have absolutely no political affiliation at all.

Perhaps but what are the odds they come from solid backgrounds. They are smart we know that but when you sit on you a** most of the day you can figure out a lot of stuff. The young people today grew up on computers.
However most of the cyber theft is coming from out of country.

The tool theft at the home stores is the same contractor who will be ripping you off with shoddy work. What this COVID-19 deal has shown is just how corrupt it is out here. And there really is no online security because they don't care. Why spend the money, let the consumers worry about it.

But don't ever think America isn't a target, the cyber theft is a well organized Russian and China call sign. Sponsored by their governments. Maybe deep down they long to be progressive Liberals uh.

 

[vito]

With workers hard to find, maybe places like Home Depot are scraping the bottom of the labor barrel, hiring people that would have been rejected not so long ago. Last night I stopped at MacDonalds for a burger and told the employee that I almost didn't stop because I thought they might be closed since all the outdoor lights were out. He said the manager ordered the lights turned off because he prefers it that way (it was only about 7 PM). I told the employee that this would lose them a lot of business. He just shrugged and said it would make his job easier. This is what labor shortages look like.

As to the Apple Watch, I bought mine at Costco. Nothing missing and had there been it would have been simple to return it. Their price was better than Amazon.

 

[buckaroo]

With workers hard to find, maybe places like Home Depot are scraping the bottom of the labor barrel, hiring people that would have been rejected not so long ago.

Spot on vito ! This is how we end up with people stocking the produce shelves by throwing it on there. (literally)
These people are low-lives to begin with, and odds are most with criminal backgrounds, the rest are just deadbeat pot heads and other assorted vises. Ex-cons you name it.

 

[jyo]

"Inventory Shrinkage" is the biggest source of theft from businesses---always has been because it's so easy and just part of the cost of doing business... Rarely is anybody arrested or charged---just fired---then they go to another business and do the same thing again... The batteries (and other stuff) is then sold on Craigslist...!

 

[GypsmJim]

My son worked for a major retailer. I won't mention names. They suffered a lot from shoplifting. Of course, that adds to the price for the consumer. Finally, they put hidden cameras in the back room and warehouse. MOST of the shoplifting was going right out the back door into employee's cars.

So, lots of people got fired. Too much hassle to take them to court so they got away with it.

After covid, its hard to find people to go to work. So now the stores are short staffed and the customer suffers again.

What's the answer? I dunno.

 

[Colonialgirl]

Years ago, my son worked at "Food Lion" and after graduation was made a stock clerk that worked the night shift. He said that one night the front door opened and the Store Manager came in with several police officers and they ARRESTED ever other Stock Clerk but him! All the others had been stealing groceries and carrying them out to their autos.
Thank You Son for being the HONEST person I raised you to be.

 

[Kevin]

And another scam I’ve been getting lately just posting this because I know there are older people here who might question these. I've gotten two so far.

This is a screen shot of an email I got. I'm not even the direct email recipient, they Blind Carbon Copied me. (my email is NOT consumer2547) And I've never signed up for anything from the Geek Squad.

You just have to stay aware, even more so these days it seems. My parents call me every now and then questioning an email or text message they get. I have to tell them over and over, it's just a scam and to ignore it. Some of these are very believable.

Just be aware!

 

[kmoore]

I have gotten several of those text's about a thank you for a geek squad subscription. They only charge me 249.95, your really getting ripped. When I got the first one I phoned them and the number was no good. In my case they don't have my CC number and no funds have been taken.

 

[t-reg]

As far as internet "scams", I see it as a socio-economic Darwinism.

Employee theft? Back in the 80's I worked retail loss prevention and had much success in that area. Always thought it could have morphed into a career.
In recent years I have come to know a woman who is retired from a successful career in employee theft prevention for a major auto parts chain.

Yup, it's been happening.

 

[buckaroo]

The numbers are astronomical how much business loses every year. Walmart use to show the numbers haven't seen them in awhile.
But here's the thing, the general public are stealing perhaps even more than the employee's are. It's certainly not new with the employee theft, back when I started my working life I worked in a warehouse distribution center and we were checked when we left. And under heavy surveillance while inside. Dealing with high priced items and heavy, stoves, refrigerators etc.
Always thought when they would check us after our shifts if they thought we had a t.v. under our jacket or something.

But don't ever give a pass to the public, we need a thread on 'public theft'. I never saw it first hand until a couple of years ago after I moved to another State. At Walmart, a whole Indian family (native Americans) was robbing them blind. Down the pants legs and up the shirt sleeves. It was a surprise because I didn't expect it where I'm living, where I came from was a different story. And having never seen it in my life first hand.

Anyway, if Walmart says they are losing billions a year, believe it.

 

[The A Team]

Employees often think we install camera systems to catch them smoking. But we get those contracts when power tools/ higher cost items suddenly go missing and the employer wants clear proof of who is the thief.

 

[Acorn]

My wife worked at a WM and a few years ago their store came up $2,000,000.00 short in inventory.
Multiply that times the the number of WM stores and the number is staggering.