I will admit that I was not there to witness this firsthand, but I heard several corroborating stories, and I then saw it on the surveillance camera footage.
Last night, a customer came up to the floor associate and asked to get a tablet and a pair of high-dollar headphones. No problem. She unlocks the cases for both items, and carries them up to the register for him, as per procedure. She leaves the items with the associate on the register (lets call her Sunshine), and goes back out on the floor.
When the customer gets to the register, he starts mumbling incoherently to Sunshine about color choices for the headphones and other things. Now, the store is pretty busy and the line is backing up.
The second cashier for the evening (we'll call him Lanky) comes out of the office to get on his register, and Sunshine takes the opportunity to hand the customer off to him so that she can attend to her other customers.
Once he is out of Sunshine's earshot, the customer's story changes. He is now claiming that his sister bought him both items and that he was dissatisfied with the color of the headphones and wants to exchange them. He asks Lanky if there are any other color options for them, and on being told "no", the customer thanks Lanky for the help and walks out with both items.
No security devices on them to trigger the sensors since they had been under lock and key. Lanky had no idea that the customer's story wasn't true. Granted, Sunshine should have told Lanky the story beforehand, but her line was seriously backed up and she is the sort to want to think the best of everyone, so I'm not surprised she didn't think of it.
It's not often that someone gets to just waltz out of a store with over $500 worth of merchandise, in plain view of two associates.
--Dragoncat
I want to hate that person but that was kind of genious.
Dammit I know I spelled genious wrong.
Posted by: Skittles | Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 12:43 AM
Considering how easily that could have failed, a small slow clap has to be given for managing to get away with that. Lesson? Even if its locked up the merch still needs to be tagged.
Posted by: RayvenMoon | Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 02:04 AM
Wow, seems like he got lucky with the change of hands there. I doubt that would have worked if the cashiers hadn't changed then. And if he deliberately timed it to the shift change, then I got to commend him. I always advocate intelligence when undertaking any criminal enterprise!
Seriously, I watch a lot of The First 48 and even just a little bit of forethought can create a lot of complications in solving a case.
Posted by: Nomnom | Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 05:55 AM
Ballsy, subtle and well done. I think the thief knew to come at a busy time when there was a chance he could jump from one register to another and play employees against each other. He's a rat bastard, but a good shoplifter.
Posted by: L | Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 06:23 AM
I second what Skittles said. I want to hate him, but that was just crafty as fucking hell.
Posted by: ScreamingOffKey | Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 08:30 AM
Bit of a follow-up: We have decent camera footage of his face, and all the other stores in the area have been warned to look for people trying to return those particular items without a receipt. I'm not sure if the footage has been turned over to the local PD yet, but I'm sure it will be either today or tomorrow if it hasn't yet.
Posted by: Dragoncat | Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 08:49 AM
Wow.
Well you could probably identify him by the size of his balls later.
Posted by: nubbinz | Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 12:10 PM
@nubbinz or possibly by waving a metal detector in their general direction.
He may have made the assumption that it'd appear to be just another transaction easily forgotten unless someone actively watched the cameras or until stocktake came up a computer short thus nobody looking for a missing computer.
Posted by: Techdeath | Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 03:54 PM
That was very crafty, but this is partially why I am always very clear when handing off a customer to another staff member, so there is no confusion for an unscrupulous NAT to take advantage of. The other part is simply because it's good customer service - the clearer you are when handing things over, the smoother and more professional experience the customer gets.
Posted by: Zmidponk | Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 01:49 PM
I often wonder what an awesome place the world would be if NATs turned their creativity to good instead of evil.
Posted by: CoG | Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 05:18 PM