Boots shopping at TJMax (rant, long, sorry)

[tloonya]

I do not shop a lot anymore. Hardly ever but I think I lost it completely yesterday.
I went to the TJMax and found nice boots. I haven't worn anything with heels for ever. So I wore them and went looking for duvet and winter coat.
Found duvet. Couldn't find coat. Placed box from the boots (huge blue box) into a shopping cart with duvet along and told my husband to go pay.
Shopping wore me out so I was kind of irritated that line to the register was about 6 people with full carts. I wanted to leave so bad when I had noticed my boots are still on me. With a sensor. I thought they will scan the box and I can walk out in the boots. So I had tried to take them off but as a new things they wouldn't come off.
So I was like 'shoot!' I have to go all the way back to the shoe dept where there is a chair. When I saw there is a few chairs in a lobby of the store.
I don't know if all TJMaxes built like that but it is stand alone store with entrance door, lobby with shopping carts and chairs and another door to the store. So I went to the lobby and set on a chair, took off boots, put on sneakers, and went back holding the boots. I was about to wait for my husband to come out but it hit me again - sensor! So I went to my husband, placed boots into the shopping cart and said I will go look for winter coats one more time because thought of coming back was almost unbearable.
Empty-handed I am walking by jewelry dept and see this sales lady staring at me with an eyes like an owl. I came up to her and asked if there are more winter coats anywhere in the store, she said no, there are some over in coats. I went around just not to stand in line. Coming back by her - she is hissing 'Mizzz', 'mizzz'...so I come up to her and she said 'mizz, you weren't supposed to take merchandise outside of the store'
I was like 'whaaaat?' she repeated. I was still like WTF? She said 'there is sensor and you can't walk out with merchandise'...
I said I did not walked out! I was still IN THE STORE! And sensor LET me there, so...
She still goes 'mizzz, mizzz...listen to me'
I went like 'enough already!' and it hit me again 'what is she saying? that I was about to take them without paying?'
I said 'my husband is in line with box and window in the lobby is glass and huge! what were you thinking I was going to do? still the boots in front of all the people here? do I look that stupid?'
She seemed got scared and her eyes became like a saucers...and she started to hiss again 'but mizz'...and I went bit crazy on her.
Geez! I don't ever want to shop again. At TJMax that is for sure.
I love the boots though
I might be wrong but if anyone watched me and saw no crime done, weren't they supposed to just let it go and not reprimand an adult customer
for nothing gone wrong? Specially when nothing went wrong?

[tloonya]

Sept 15, 2014 7:48:22 GMT -5 @missmargarita said:

You should have told her you were a mystery shopper from corporate and that she was going to be getting a huge raise for being such a proactive employee.

 I wish you were there to tell me that

[NancysSummerSip]

As long as you did not leave the store's interior, you were fine. If you stepped outside the doors and onto the sidewalk or into the parking lot, then it becomes retail theft. Does not matter if your husband was on line with the box or not. If he had not paid for them, and you leave, it's theft.

But it sounds like you were moving around the sales floor area, yet you were still inside the store itself. The salesperson might have been a little jumpy for some reason; maybe the store had a recent theft, or bunch of thefts?

And those sensors at the door can be strange...sometimes, they sound an alarm for no reason and sometimes you can walk right by with the anti-theft tags still on the items, and they will not make a sound.

[Sam_2.0]

You have to actually leave the premises with the merchandise for it to be theft - sometimes that includes leaving the parking lot. Until that point the store personnel can ask you about it but they cannot accuse you of stealing, and cannot press charges if you leave the merchandise on the property. Worked at Target for years and saw all the crazy ways people would try to steal things. And yes, sometimes they were bold enough to do what you just did and then walk out of the store with the boots. For the most part, though, they try to be sneaky if they are trying to steal.

[whoami]

You absolutely CAN be detained if you have not left the store depending on your state.

You could have easily been viewed as trying to conceal the boots on your feet regardless of what your husband was doing.  

[tloonya]

Sept 15, 2014 10:01:31 GMT -5 whoami said:

You absolutely CAN be detained if you have not left the store depending on your state.

You could have easily been viewed as trying to conceal the boots on your feet regardless of what your husband was doing.  

Let's say I had been 'viewed' as such BUT like I said nothing had happened and thus they were supposed to shut up!
Say I was thinking of stealing the boots (forget my Dh with huge box at the register) but I had changed my mind. Case closed. Again SHUT UP!!!

[NancysSummerSip]

Sept 15, 2014 10:01:31 GMT -5 whoami said:

You absolutely CAN be detained if you have not left the store depending on your state.

You could have easily been viewed as trying to conceal the boots on your feet regardless of what your husband was doing.  

Whoami may have a point. From Pennsylvania's criminal statutes:

(c) Presumptions.--Any person intentionally concealing unpurchased property of any store or other mercantile establishment, either on the premises or outside the premises of such store, shall be prima facie presumed to have so concealed such property with the intention of depriving the merchant of the possession, use or benefit of such merchandise without paying the full retail value thereof within the meaning of subsection (a), and the finding of such unpurchased property concealed, upon the person or among the belongings of such person, shall be prima facie evidence of intentional concealment, and, if such person conceals, or causes to be concealed, such unpurchased property, upon the person or among the belongings of another, such fact shall also be prima facie evidence of intentional concealment on the part of the person so concealing such property.

In Florida, you have to actually exit the premises, even if you conceal the merchandise. If I read PA's law correctly, it can be done inside or outside the store.

[tloonya]

Sept 15, 2014 10:21:23 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

Sept 15, 2014 10:01:31 GMT -5 whoami said:

You absolutely CAN be detained if you have not left the store depending on your state.

You could have easily been viewed as trying to conceal the boots on your feet regardless of what your husband was doing.  

Whoami may have a point. From Pennsylvania's criminal statutes:

(c) Presumptions.--Any person intentionally concealing unpurchased property of any store or other mercantile establishment, either on the premises or outside the premises of such store, shall be prima facie presumed to have so concealed such property with the intention of depriving the merchant of the possession, use or benefit of such merchandise without paying the full retail value thereof within the meaning of subsection (a), and the finding of such unpurchased property concealed, upon the person or among the belongings of such person, shall be prima facie evidence of intentional concealment, and, if such person conceals, or causes to be concealed, such unpurchased property, upon the person or among the belongings of another, such fact shall also be prima facie evidence of intentional concealment on the part of the person so concealing such property.

In Florida, you have to actually exit the premises, even if you conceal the merchandise. If I read PA's law correctly, it can be done inside or outside the store.

I was inside on premises in a store lobby which is open for everyone to see from every angle, changing shoes and taking them to the store.
What was I concealing? I had empty hands and t-shirt on me.

[NancysSummerSip]

Sept 15, 2014 10:41:54 GMT -5 tloonya said:

Sept 15, 2014 10:21:23 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

Whoami may have a point. From Pennsylvania's criminal statutes:

(c) Presumptions.--Any person intentionally concealing unpurchased property of any store or other mercantile establishment, either on the premises or outside the premises of such store, shall be prima facie presumed to have so concealed such property with the intention of depriving the merchant of the possession, use or benefit of such merchandise without paying the full retail value thereof within the meaning of subsection (a), and the finding of such unpurchased property concealed, upon the person or among the belongings of such person, shall be prima facie evidence of intentional concealment, and, if such person conceals, or causes to be concealed, such unpurchased property, upon the person or among the belongings of another, such fact shall also be prima facie evidence of intentional concealment on the part of the person so concealing such property.

In Florida, you have to actually exit the premises, even if you conceal the merchandise. If I read PA's law correctly, it can be done inside or outside the store.

I was inside on premises in a store lobby which is open for everyone to see from every angle, changing shoes and taking them to the store.
What was I concealing? I had empty hands and t-shirt on me.

To me, probably nothing. And in Florida, you would not have been guilty of a thing, since you were still on store premises.
But it's not me doing the judging. It's the store personnel. And if the store decides that by wearing those boots, you were concealing them, then you were.
They have no idea that your husband is in line with the box. How would they know that, by looking at you?
And as whoami pointed out, laws do differ from state to state. Pennsylvania has a much stricter interpretation than I was aware of.

[tloonya]

Sept 15, 2014 10:52:15 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

Sept 15, 2014 10:41:54 GMT -5 tloonya said:

I was inside on premises in a store lobby which is open for everyone to see from every angle, changing shoes and taking them to the store.
What was I concealing? I had empty hands and t-shirt on me.

To me, probably nothing. And in Florida, you would not have been guilty of a thing, since you were still on store premises.
But it's not me doing the judging. It's the store personnel. And if the store decides that by wearing those boots, you were concealing them, then you were.They
 have no idea that your husband is in line with the box. How would they know that, by looking at you?
And as whoami pointed out, laws do differ from state to state. Pennsylvania has a much stricter interpretation than I was aware of.

Because I TOLD her but she was still yapping. And all this commotion with me happened right in front of her friggin face! It is a small area. But well lit up and it was 11am sunny day.

[flutterby]

I want to see a picture of these fabulous boots you found!

[tloonya]

Sept 15, 2014 11:16:24 GMT -5 flutterby said:

I want to see a picture of these fabulous boots you found!

I know all you want is to see if they are small so I could roll them and a small ball and carry out in my hand

[flutterby]

Lol no. I love boots, and now I'm wondering if I should make a trip to TJMax.

[NancysSummerSip]

Sept 15, 2014 11:12:01 GMT -5 tloonya said:

Sept 15, 2014 10:52:15 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

To me, probably nothing. And in Florida, you would not have been guilty of a thing, since you were still on store premises.
But it's not me doing the judging. It's the store personnel. And if the store decides that by wearing those boots, you were concealing them, then you were.They
 have no idea that your husband is in line with the box. How would they know that, by looking at you?
And as whoami pointed out, laws do differ from state to state. Pennsylvania has a much stricter interpretation than I was aware of.

Because I TOLD her but she was still yapping. And all this commotion with me happened right in front of her friggin face! It is a small area. But well lit up and it was 11am sunny day.

Does. Not. Matter. It's the presumption, based on your actions. State laws look at it differently. Your state appears to be a little tougher than most. No doubt, her eyes were as wide as saucers because you sounded like you do here.

[Lizard Queen]

TJ Maxx seems like a store that gets a lot of shoplifters, and they probably do it in much the same way as you were nonchalantly walking around the store. So if you're wearing their merchandise around the store, they are going to have to watch you like a hawk.  Plus, they're going to have to watch your husband as well to make sure he actually pays for them, and doesn't put the box down somewhere. Sounds like an awful lot of work for them to keep track of you both.

[whoami]

Sept 15, 2014 11:58:43 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

Sept 15, 2014 11:12:01 GMT -5 tloonya said:

Because I TOLD her but she was still yapping. And all this commotion with me happened right in front of her friggin face! It is a small area. But well lit up and it was 11am sunny day.

Does. Not. Matter. It's the presumption, based on your actions. State laws look at it differently. Your state appears to be a little tougher than most. No doubt, her eyes were as wide as saucers because you sounded like you do here.

"Sounded like you do here"

That about covers it.

[achelois]

I once was shopping for a tv and put it into my cart, then was shopping in the store for the rest of the stuff I wanted to buy. Was stopped by store personnel who told me electronics had to be paid for in electronics dept and alarm had activated because I had taken item out of dept without sensor being deactivated. 

I never heard of that before, but ok. They were nice about it, though. I guess it happened from time to time. I had to show my receipt at the regular register, too, to get out of the store with it. 

this was in PA also, so about ten or eleven years ago. 

[tloonya]

Sept 15, 2014 11:58:43 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

Sept 15, 2014 11:12:01 GMT -5 tloonya said:

Because I TOLD her but she was still yapping. And all this commotion with me happened right in front of her friggin face! It is a small area. But well lit up and it was 11am sunny day.

Does. Not. Matter. It's the presumption, based on your actions. State laws look at it differently. Your state appears to be a little tougher than most. No doubt, her eyes were as wide as saucers because you sounded like you do here.

I don't give a damn about why her eyes were wide. And no, I sound worse in person.

[NancysSummerSip]

Sept 16, 2014 12:14:07 GMT -5 tloonya said:

Sept 15, 2014 11:58:43 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

Does. Not. Matter. It's the presumption, based on your actions. State laws look at it differently. Your state appears to be a little tougher than most. No doubt, her eyes were as wide as saucers because you sounded like you do here.

I don't give a damn about why her eyes were wide. And no, I sound worse in person.

Well, there you go. You've clearly stated the issue.

[Spellbound454]

They are going to watch you if you leave the boots on..... and walk round the store.

I would have tried them on and walked around the shoe area before taking them off to pay.

You've probably given the store detective kittens.