Numismatic Nerd Confession: I was a NAT!

Okay RHU, NumismaticNerd here with a half confession, half question.

First the confession.

I was an NAT on Sunday.

It wasn't on purpose (of course) so I'll give the details:

It is the last day of the 18+ Anime Convention (same one I went to last year in this post. If anyone wants to know more about it: Sangawa Project and closing ceremonies have just ended.

It's a short walk from the hotel where the convention was held to the nearest K-fart, which I do, grabbing a cart that is three parking-lots away as I go. (Took a picture of that before I pushed it back)

Having just come from a con, I have my bag with me, as well as my (EXPENSIVE) Ball-jointed dolls, so I put everything into the cart as I make my trek.

My ride is still about an hour from being done work (curse you self, not having a driver's license) so I peruse the store. Seeing a $10 water bottle, I grab it, since I've been looking for one ever since someone at my school stole my first one. I put it in the cart and continue walking. In the clearance section, I pick up two toys at $1.99 each, both of which I can salvage parts from, for my BJDs.

I buy the two doll things, planning on buying the water bottle once my ride shows up (begging her for money to do so, since it's just after a three day convention) then I sit, seeing whether or not I wasted my last $4.

As I'm waiting and changing my biggest doll's clothes, my sister comes and we talk. She mentions that she'll be around shopping and wanders off. Good news: the doll's clothes fit! My 1/3 scale SD now has a new swimsuit! As I put my doll back into the cart, my sister comes back over and helps me grab everything. Somehow or another, the cup made it into my bag from the convention.

Out of sight, out of mind, it must be, because after getting a few more things, we leave the store. The water bottle is still in my bag and unpaid for. I don't realize this until I get home and unpack my bag.

Now I have used the water bottle already, because it's summer and it's hot, and I'd rather not overheat as I walk to school, but what do I do?

Do I go back to K-fart with the UPC to buy it?

Will they treat me like a thief?

Or *hides for even thinking of this* do I just forget it happened?

Thanks for the advice...

--NumismaticNerd

 

Comments

[Adskfhsuidfh]

18+ Anime Convention? I've seen enough hentai to know where this is going...

[NumismaticNerd]

*facepalm* it's more of shows older than the last three years that new anime fans are 'durhur what's that?'

[Megsong23]

I'd say take back the Upc Numa, explain it to customer service-most places are understanding about the brain fart thing.

[Eviscerator]

If they have self-checks, just run it through yourself. If not, then customer service should be understanding.

[L]

I second that. Just bring it back and say you weren't charged by accident and you want to make it right.

[perky]

Or you could just write a note explaining what happened, and mail it to them with a $10 bill. that way they can not track you down.

[InSecurity]

I'd do the UPC and tell them your story.
They shouldn't be dumb enough to try and charge you, especially when you tried to make it right. Thats a lot of bad press if you come back here and make a post.
The best case scenario is that you might get the bottle free because they already wrote it off as shrink. Not likely, but you can always hope.
Most likely, they just want your money and won't care as long as you pay.

[Chicajojobe]

They probably won't try to prosecute if you take back the UPC and tell the what happened.
Cynic that I am, I'd say they'd probably even not charge you for it because they'd be to afraid of "offending a customer"

At the Baby Store people loved to hang shit on the handles of their strollers and would refuse shopping bags even when we offered them. I hated it because they inevitably forget about it and walk out with the stuff. Many people brought it back explaining what happened, but I just know there were plenty of unscrupulous people who did the same and when they noticed said "Well it's mine now!"

[Greenhouse Gal]

Take it back, say you weren't charged for it (which is true, you don't need to go into details), and pay for it.

I've been working back in retail about a year, and I've had folks come in and do this four to five times. Each time, I've thanked the person, and given them 20% off for being honest and going through the trouble of coming back.

Now, I work at a store where I have a lot of leeway to give those kind of discounts, so I wouldn't necessarily count on that...but I can't *imagine* anyone being treated like a thief for coming back in and being all, "look, I wasn't charged for this, I'd like to pay."

[McScrewYou]

That happened to me a while back... I'd been shopping elsewhere before going to a pet store, and had my shopping bag inside my shopping basket. Somewhere along the way a small driftwood decoration I put in the basket made its way into my bag, and I didn't discover it till I got home. I figured the best way to go about it would be to just explain what happened. "Hi- I was in here the other day looking at this, and it must have somehow made it in with the rest of my shopping... I'd like to pay for it please."

In the end, I didn't go back and pay for it, which I still feel kinda bad for... but my social anxiety is pretty harsh, I hate going up to cashiers just to buy things or ask questions, I didn't think it was worth stressing me out that much for something that wasn't even worth $3.

[Skittles]

Just go back and explain and pay for it especially if it would keep you up at night. I did that at a Starbucks that comped me a cup of coffee due to the network being down at my bank, they looked shocked as hell but I can not abide taking free things for some reason.

[Humor_Me]

You didn't "steal" it. You forgot. It happens. When I was buying stuff from Target one day, I had brought my own shopping bags. Somehow, when the cashier was transferring the stuff from one bag to the other, she missed a couple of small items. When I realized they hadn't been paid for, I just went back and paid for them the next time I was there.

[Ben]

Call them if you're afraid.. let them know.

but going back and paying for it is the right thing to do. I've been there myself.

[J. T.]

Go back and pay for it, but bring a relative or friend with you. Explain what happened, but keep it short and sweet (I had a long day, got caught up in an unexpected conversation, and I forgot to pay. I came back to make it right and pay for my purchase). Assuming the staff aren't total asshats, you'll be fine, and they'll be appreciative.

[TimmiHoe]

This has happened to me and my older sister(not at the same time). Both times we completely forgot about the item until we were out in the parking lot. She went and immediately paid for hers and I kinda freaked and ran.....O.e I went back the next day almost in tears (since I LOVE the store I accidentally took from) to pay for it. The workers were very surprised yet accepted our apologies and payment. I still like quadruple check my bags.

[TechTiger]

Stealing is 'I took this and it doesn't belong to me / I don't intend to pay for it'. You were shopping and ka-ka occurred. It happens. I'd just go back and tell them 'I wasn't charged for this', which is entirely true, if not the entire truth.

Or, as Eviscerator said, go back and run it through the self-checkout if they have one, and toss it into the return box or put it back on the shelf (in, of course, the right place). I'd probably do this, as a side effect of both demophobia and working on phones for years, I don't like talking to people if I can help it.

[Lab Rat]

I'd just mail the money to the store, to be honest. Put a note in there explaining what happened. Everybody makes mistakes. I think I may have nearly done this once or twice. :P

Btw, do you have pix of your dolls? :3 I'm surprised you managed to find something that would fit an SD at K-Fart. I was never very good at that.

[Angel]

While that has never happened to me (I hate toting around large bags) I understand the circumstance. This sounds horrible (I'm sorry ya'll) but I would just let it go. Instead I would donate the money so karma doesn't catch up to you. Or keep it, it just depends on your morels really. As a side note, most places do have lp cameras around the store and while it was a water bottle (ten bucks?) you may have been recorded.