Happy Friday: Anti-Theft Devices on WHAT?
Sent from reader, Michelle:
I don’t know if anyone else will find this funny so I am sharing with my coupon peeps! Who would think that it is so bad that we have to put anti-theft devices on laundry detergent?!
HAPPY FRIDAY!
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I came to the comments expecting to read more open minded reactions, more sympathetic views. Guess I was wrong. I don’t see how this is funny at all. We mainly come to this site to coupon and save money on things that cold otherwise make our cost of living very expensive. People are stealing these items like soap and tampons and formula for a reason. Life can be pretty expensive and aside from cost things like tampons and pregnancy tests can be hard to come by for some people. I think everyone needs to not be so quick to judge and ask themselves whether it’d be so hilarious and hard to understand if they found themselves in a tough situation.
Exactly!
Stealung is wrong, period!!!! If your life is tough, go figure something out!!! Your hardship should never be a privilege to steal what others earn! You can ask and beg for it, not just take without permission!
So the lady used the word “funny”. It does make your eyes roll in disgust. But the statement “People are stealing these items like soap and tampons and formula for a reason” seems to rationalize illegal and self demoralizing behavior. No one is entitled to steal. There’s obviously enough people who think they’re entitled to steal that the stores have put sensors on these items so it’s just not one or two cases that may legitimately need these items. Start a supply closet in your church or school for people to come and buy the things at a low price, donated by those who have more than enough to share and who want to share. Works here in Troy, Michigan. (And while your at it spend an extra buck to buy that coat or windbreaker at the Salvation Army, wash it up and take that to the local homeless shelter) Give the dignity back to the people but for Pete sake don’t rationalize dehumanizing behavior.
Really….lol
Wow, really? Just because a company have a grocery store, anyone who can’t afford to buy stuff, can just pick up from the shelf without paying? Sad that they pick expensive brands to steal too! At my store, so many cough and cold medicines, lotion and cream, detergent, body washes and many more are in lock box cases. Why because they lost so many items.
pregnancy test – why did it then steal? By the way, they are available in $1 too so don’t steal the expensive one!
From the articles being shared here I don’t think the Tide bottles are being stolen by low income families who need to do laundry. Yes, personal care and baby products can be expensive. If you’re low enough income rather than steal you can apply for housing assistance and food stamps. The WIC program will provide formula and other help for babies/young children. Cheaper kinds of detergent often goes on sale for about a dollar. I’ve seen pregnancy tests at the Dollar Tree that are rumored to be just as effective as the expensive ones. Stores are businesses looking to make a profit. In the end theft causes decreased profits and thy have to cut costs in other areas – like employee wages or cut hours or reduced customer service (fewer employees on thr clock each shift). I saw a lot of comments about the black market and shock/suprise that common goods are so frequently stolen but I didn’t see anyone making comments about people who can/can’t afford detergent.
Whoa, lot of comments. Didn’t know this was still be disussed .Hip2save should start a debate forum. As for the comments, it’s sad to see that things such as pregnancy, baby formula and such, are popular items being stolen. Even, sadder, are some of the ignorant comments. Enjoy church service tomorrow while your being a hypocrite.
Normal sight in my hood.
Are people really stealing detergent? Ugh… if only they knew about this site and they could get it really cheap- legally! Recently two women in my area were arrested for stealing thousands of dollars of merchandise from area CVS and Rite AIDS. They showed the items they recovered. I was cringing because it was everything that you can get by couponing. Diapers, paper towels, soaps, etc…
My thoughts exactly. I have 8 bottles of Tide right now that were all free after rewards from Walgreens deals when they offer the 7k bonus points on various occasions. Couponing should be a class in high school.
From personal experience living in poverty, it takes a little extra money to save a little extra money. It’s hard for those with very little money to put cash upfront on things that are not rent or food. A lot of couponing is thus extremely hard.
Yes! We went thru hard times. I never did the “cash back” so-deals at Walgreens or rite-aid etc, because I never had extra money to buy more than the basic 1 item for maybe $1 at Dollar tree, even though the quality may not be there. We didn’t have a credit card either and life sucked. We were on food stamps for 9 months and it doesn’t pay for ANY necessary toiletries nor laundry soap! But you can buy all the crap soda, candy, sugar cereal or ANY food you want—you can even use food stamps at Papa Murphys! Crazy huh???? No wonder people take advantage of being on it—it paid for more food per month for our family than we ever paid for before. A blessing when hubby lost his job. Temporary though.
I agree with that. My first ‘real’ job out of college didn’t pay a whole lot. I could afford everything I needed but there wasn’t much wiggle room. $1-$2 may be a fantastic price for that big bottle of detergent or that name brand shampoo but buying 5 bottles still requires an extra $10 in that week’s budget. I remember even skipping the big package of paper towels once, even though it had the lower price per roll, to buy the generic 2 pack because there there wasnt enough money in the budget that week. Basically buying ahead for future weeks would have meant doing without something in the current week. I still eventually got into couponing but those initial couple months of building a stockpile weren’t easy. Thankfully we’re in a different place now but once in a while I still think that I’m lucky I can afford to go to a warehouse club for paper goods or take advantage of one of Hip’s stock up deals 🙂
That’s funny Holly, I teach seniors and I’ve been known to go off on a tangent about my latest couponing score 🙂 I’ll break it down on the white board, too, so they can see how it’s done. I usually start with “How many of you would like to use your paycheck on things like toilet paper and kleenex? No? Really?” So many of my students work and help provide for their family – I really do enjoy teaching them these things. The students are usually fascinated, too!
This person obviously doesn’t live in the hood. If you go to the convenience stores theres devices on chips, anything it can be clipped on to. Everything is locked at all the stores (at CVS you have to push a button that calls out an employee so they can unlock the cabinet with the condoms haha).
I was at Walmart and saw that lotion is now in the anti-theft boxes. It’s just crazy what people are stealing these days!
Reminds me of a story about a lady who was trying to hide a ham in her skirt!! When it suddenly dropped out and rolled on the floor she says..”who threw that ham?”🤣
🤣🤣classic.
Want to talk weird things people have steal. My cousin used to work at a pet store and people would try to hide puppies and small parrots in their coats.
Its not funny. Its been a problem for years. I actually had laundry detergent stolen from my car (the cheap stuff!) once so never leave stuff where someone can see it and ALWAYS LOCK YOUR CAR!!!!
So the lady used the word “funny”. It does make your eyes roll in disgust. But the statement “People are stealing these items like soap and tampons and formula for a reason” seems to rationalize illegal and self demoralizing behavior. No one is entitled to steal. There’s obviously enough people who think they’re entitled to steal that the stores have put sensors on these items so it’s just not one or two cases that may legitimately need these items. Start a supply closet in your church or school for people to come and buy the things at a low price, donated by those who have more than enough to share and who want to share. Works here in Troy, Michigan. (And while your at it spend an extra buck to buy that coat or windbreaker at the Salvation Army, wash it up and take that to the local homeless shelter) Give the dignity back to the people but for Pete sake don’t rationalize dehumanizing behavior.
I’m poor. It’s still funny. Lighten up. You must be zero fun at parties.
Yeah the photo is funny. However, people today over analyze everything and are too easily offended.
I prefer to laugh, as opposed to waste time venting! Tiff…you may be poor, but you have a sense of humor, which is priceless! Leigh, I completely agree with you! I think that is why I prefer animals over people.
Can’t believe couponers are this uptight.
Lol ! I have to comment I had bought several boxes of tide the yellow bottle when there was a mega sale at Kroger got the bottles for .99 cents and my mom’s neighbor who owns a little store wanted to buy them! From my mom
, mom said no , but my mother had a boyfriend looser no good for nothing same age as me and the bottles disappear one day that was the end of moms relationship with that men , I had a masectomity and histerecomity anr knee surgery and I still manage to go to work and couponing within a week after my surgery’s – so I was upset and my anger came out and told him, I have one breast and you have 2 b—s and your stealing my mom’s stuff 🤗 But happy ending he left !!!
Look at the item here: Tide detergent. I previously asked a retail employee why there were tags on the Tide only and she told me that people come in and steal them AND THEN SELL THEM. I am not sure why Tide is the main one stolen, but they are not necessarily poor, just theives.
I used to work at Target and saw some crazy stuff. Once, this guy ride a bike right out of the store. There was also this one woman that would ride around the store on a scooter, even though she could walk, and fill up her basket. She took clothes and the scooter into the handicap dressing room and ripped the tags off of small items and pocketed them. She came in once a week and it took awhile to catch her because security needed proof. There aren’t cameras in the actual dressing room, so it was hard to catch her. People were always stealing jewelry.
I personally saw a man run out of a cvs with 2 bottles in minneapolis, mn 3 yrs ago
I’m reading/looking at this post and it makes complete sense… I wonder if this is why P&G has been limiting the laundry coupons in the monthly insert. (They are now encouraging us to print our two prints from the website.)
So them folks buying 4-6 papers and can only get 2 prints per computer. 🤔
This is normal is most big cities and some areas. They also lock them in a case sometimes and the CVS employee will unlock the case and grab however many you need. Then the CVS employee will walk them to the counter for you and when you are ready to check out they finally give them to you. Its not just Tide. I have seen it on razors, toothpaste products, and make up. I don’t think it is funny but just a strategy that the store has to utilize in its particular area. I don’t think Michelle intended to appear insensitive to some. It just so happens she may not have seen it before. Whereas a lot of us live in areas where this is normal while others do not. It varies region to region.
Some of these comments are absolutely ignorant, acting as though it’s only poor people that shoplift. People that steal generally don’t do it b/c they can’t afford to buy laundry detergent or pregnancy tests…they do it b/c they feel ENTITLED. Folks that are truly living below the poverty line are too busy trying to survive, to have the time to go and steal these random items which are hard to sell in the first place and don’t bring in much $ anyway. If someone wants to make $ fast off of stolen goods, they’re going to go for electronics (TV’s, laptops, iPhones, etc.)…not Tide and Dove products lol.
And some of you might find it amusing but I find it sickening, that in our society we have to lock up formula and OTC meds b/c ppl have no self-control. Shoplifting/merchandise loss is a big part of what drives prices up for the rest of us. Having to pay more of our hard-earned $ just b/c other ppl feel like they are above the law doesn’t strike me as funny in any way, personally.
There will always be people who steal for a variety of reasons. But let’s be logical most people who steal probably have limited means. The fact that this is so irritating to people is what I find funny. I think there’s more important things to worry about. I’m having a party next week and the uptght couponers on here are not invited. The rest of you can totally come.
Thank you, I’ll bring hostess gift. U get one guess what I would bring !! Lol
A stolen bottle of Tide. ;). Bwahahaha . It will go well with the prime rib I just stole from Target.
I don’t think it is about people stealing laundry detergent so much as maybe forgetting they put it on the rack under their cart and possibly walking out without paying for it.
One of God’s commandment is THOU SHALT NOT STEAL!! God already knew it was going to be out of control. Please heed his command, do not steal for any reason people!!
Good thing I’m an atheist. All praise to Tide.
Wow, I wonder why Tide in particular. Strange
They call Tide “liquid gold”.
Mystery solved. “Police have finally discovered why Tide laundry detergent is fast becoming one of the most-stolen item from shops and grocery stores in recent months – drug addicts are selling it or exchanging it to buy crack.
The pricey detergent – which has been America’s number one since it was first released in 1946 – is known as ‘liquid gold’ on the streets, with a 150-ounce bottle going for either $5 cash or $10 of weed or crack cocaine.
In grocery stores, it sells at upwards of $20 per 150-ounce bottle, about 50 per cent more than the average liquid detergent so is easily sold on to privately-owned retail stores for a profit.
Police first reported the strange crime wave sweeping the nation in March of last year and were baffled as to the sudden surge in theft of the highly-recognizable brand.
An investigation headed by Sergeant Aubrey Thompson in Maryland found some explanation as to why.
The bright orange jugs became ad hoc street currency due to the fact it was such a popular house-hold name – whatever the income – and people were not prepared to forego buying the brand even in recessionary times because it was associated with quality.
‘It doesn’t matter where the clothes come from, if you wash them with Tide, they do have almost this prestige wash to them,’ said Maru Kopelowicz, a global creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi.
Oh I work for my local police department and I can assure you that Tide detergent gets stolen. Someone can sell it quickly and pocket a few bucks. Detergent and baby formula are hot items. On par with cars that get broken into and car chargers and sunglasses get stolen. They’re sold on the street or traded for a few bucks by petty thieves. Locks on detergents are a smart move by grocery stores.
I work for the TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, HomeGoods corp and let me tell you when you see high dollar odd amount gift cards on sale on sites like Raise ( I’m saying like $867.43) these are almost always from people who steal makeup, face creams, perfumes, sheets, knives etc. and return them knowing they will get a store gift card for these stolen items. We have this happen almost daily.
I’ve been told more then once that anti diarrhea meds, formula, tide and crest white strips are some of the most widely stolen items at pharmacies….
I can tell you from first hand experience…its not the low income families stealing it to do their laundry. Sadly most of the theft is by drug addicts, of all ages, races, and incomes. You steal things like tide, baby formula, make up, even good cuts of meat…you take them to a dealer and it’s as good as cash. There’s always an up charge of course. But that’s what goes on. A lot. Heck you watch shows like intervention and almost every single of those people steal to support their habit. If it’s not stealing to trade, then it’s return fraud to get gift cards to trade. I’ve been on both ends of it. Thankfully I never did much of it…bc I was fortunate enough to find couponing and actually be good at it. And I was even more fortunate to quickly find my way out of that darkness.
Shameless has made me less surprised by society…
Nothing is funny about stealing. It is reality. People should know better. It makes it hard on the rest of us who do
what is the right thing to do. If stores have to resort to put anti-theft devices on items, then so be it.
Wow. I think the reason it’s funny is that these things are *big,* and it’s amusing imagining someone shove a bottle of Tide down their pants.
Lighten up.
My COSTCO has a big cage, like Fort Knox, for the cigarettes. The alarm goes off constantly. It’s like people can’t even look in their direction without alarm bells sounding, lol. The tide will go in there next.