question about shoplifting? How are they doing it.?

question about shoplifting? How are they doing it.?
i am a manager of a bestbuy in new york. and over the past few months 20-25 people have stolen over 4000$ worth of games and hardware from are store. we have them all on camera and we have some wvery high tech security. The thing that gets me is there kids! There just walking right out of the store with the unpaid item in the bag and are 1250$ alarm system doesnt go off. we even have people by the door who have permission to search bags if the alarms go off. But for some reason the shoplifters never make the alarm go off. And we know they are walking out with the items in there bag. Can someone please tell me how there doing this? becuase no one in the store seems to know. We dont think there ripping off tags because we never find any torn plastic with the barcode on it laying around the store like some other stores in the mall do. and we know are alarm system works. be test it out every day. it even works when you have the unpaid item in bags and such. Is there some way that these kids found a way to deactivate of cover up the barcode?

Best answer:

they’re probably ripping the barcode off. That would be the only possible way. or even ripping it in half and keeping it. it still wont go off

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5 Comments for question about shoplifting? How are they doing it.?

  • 1. myangels  |  August 31st, 2007 at 7:05 pm

    I am pretty sure those tags are deactivated by strong magnets. The kids just hold a magnet that they brought in over the tag and it doesn’t work anymore. But I will ask my husband in the morning, he worked as a loss prevention officer for several years he may know.

  • 2. Flyguy  |  August 31st, 2007 at 7:40 pm

    Maybe they have a super strong Neodymium magnet and they are deactivating the alarm tags. The CD’s inside would not be damaged because CD’s are not affected by magnets.

    Or maybe they have a real deactivator in their bag and are powering it by a battery.

    Just some theory’s, I don’t know.

  • 3. PETER M  |  August 31st, 2007 at 7:58 pm

    Why don’t the people at the door have permission to search any and all bags as Costco does? The mistake is that the bags are being searched only when an alarm goes off. This is not the way store security is supposed to work and all bags may be subject to search upon leaving the store. I suggest Best Buy post a sign at the front of the store stating that shoplifters will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and that all bags are subject to search upon leaving the store. The posting of this sign will be constructive notice to all customers that this is the policy of Best Buy. It is also a good idea to have all bags, such as backpacks left and checked in with a claim tag at the front of the store and not be permitted to be brought into the store as is done in Ross Stores. It appears your security personnel are not up to date on how to prevent the shoplifting by using the simplest methods along with the cameras and very high tech security. I question the fact that the cameras caught the images of the shoplifters on camera and it was known that a particular person in a camera shot did steal an item why that person was not stopped at the door whether the alarm went off or not. The person should have been stopped were your security personnel been doing their job correctly. Shoplifting can be cut down but it takes people who know what they are doing to help prevent it and it appears your security doesn’t know what it is doing. I suggest you discuss this with your your district manager as you want to help put a stop to shoplifting. Maybe Best Buy has a suggestion program where employees can make suggestions to help the store save money and you may be able to submit a suggestion to make in the security operations. When people shoplift the price of items goes up for the customer to cover the loss in revenue. This is a good observation on your part and I wish you the best in everything you do and were I to own a business I would hire you in a minute because you think and want to make a difference.

  • 4. lucy  |  August 31st, 2007 at 8:06 pm

    work.com/shoplifting-prevention-930/

    You can google and get all kinds of hits on suggestions and ideas.

    I agree most with Peter of his ideas. Signs posting of all bags checked at front and returned when they leave. Also suggest adding sign that all thefts will be strongly prosecuted, since if it gets out, then might deter.

    If video sees them stealing, question why security does not just ask for their receipts or just like Sam’s club, when you walk out, they highlight the receipt and check your purchase. Why cant they request all customers to present receipts before leaving.

    Have plains-clothes security or employees always around the area of the targeted area to slow/prevent stealing.

    But one other consideration that you may not have thought about is your own employees. Do you have surveillance on them at the cashier? An employee could remove the tag correctly, but not charge the customer for the item, thus no alarm. The employee maybe working with some of these kids reselling them.

    good luck

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