Ummm... Is this what the economy has really turned to?

[pilotgeorge747]

I don't even know what to say about this...

(The Daily) - Law enforcement officials across the country have been left baffled by a crime wave targeting an unlikely item -- Tide laundry detergent.
Theft of Tide detergent has become so rampant that some cities are setting up special task forces to stop it and retailers like CVS are taking special security precautions to lock down the liquid.
One Tide thief in West St. Paul, Minn., stole $25,000 of the product over 15 months before he was arrested last year.


Read more: http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpps/new...#ixzz1oxqdFcQr

[Jiggles]

When I was in loss prevention I caught an old lady stealing tide. She would come in with empty vitamin bottles and fill them up with tide. She told me she was sampling it because she has sensitive skin and wanted to see if the detergent would agitate her skin... I explained to her that if a customer happened to pick up the bottle and realize it wasn't full, the store would be liable for a $10,000 fine from weights and measurements.

I didn't believe her and processed her like any other thief. Besides she took far more than a 'sample.' Nice try grandma.

[250rr]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

When I was in loss prevention I caught an old lady stealing tide. She would come in with empty vitamin bottles and fill them up with tide. She told me she was sampling it because she has sensitive skin and wanted to see if the detergent would agitate her skin... I explained to her that if a customer happened to pick up the bottle and realize it wasn't full, the store would be liable for a $10,000 fine from weights and measurements.

I didn't believe her and processed her like any other thief. Besides she took far more than a 'sample.' Nice try grandma.

lol @ 'nice try grandma'.

[Jono]

What the hell?!? Why are people stealing Tide? Can't they just settle for some cheap knock off laundry soap from like the dollar store or something. geeez! Wouldn't it suck to be caught and convicted of stealing soap. Hahaha

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by Jono

What the hell?!? Why are people stealing Tide? Can't they just settle for some cheap knock off laundry soap from like the dollar store or something. geeez! Wouldn't it suck to be caught and convicted of stealing soap. Hahaha

It's only a $500 fine and misdemeanor. Unless its a second offense, then its just a felony

[CynicalC]

$25,000 worth? I wonder if you can you make meth with it or something.

[kyrider]

If I was gonna steal I would steal Gain.

[gfloyd2002]

It is used as currency for drug and other black market purchases. Stable resale market (about 1/2 face value) on an item everyone needs. Tide is very recognizeable and (until now) didn't indicate anything criminal, no way to trace it (unlike electronic items and cash), doesn't spoil (unlike some other commodities) and is safer to deal in than cash. Nice side benefit for a drug dealer who may face stiffer penalties if caught with a large amount of cash - Courts convert the cash found into equivalent drug amounts and sentence based upon the large total. This could change a misdemeanor count into a felony with mandatory 20 year minimum sentence. (See, e.g., U.S. v. Henderson, 254 F.3d 543, 544 (5th Cir. 2001) (upheld converting $1,560 into seven grams of cocaine base); United States v. Perkins, 94 F.3d 429, 437-438 (8th Cir. 1996) (upheld conversion of 1/3 cash seized from defendant into crack); United States v. Tokars, 95 F.3d 1520, 1542 (11th Cir. 1996) (upheld conversion of money from drug sales into equivalent amount of drugs); United States v. Sepulveda, 102 F.3d 1313, 1319 (1st Cir. 1996) (upheld converting cash into crack rather than powder cocaine).

Harrison Sprague, a detective in Prince George's County, Md., and other police across the country have linked the Tide thefts to drug sales, according to The Daily. Sprague said, "We think (users) are trading it for drugs."

In Gresham, Ore., "They'll do it right in front of a cop car -- buying heroin or methamphetamine with Tide," detective Rick Blake told The Daily.

Others say stolen Tide is sold on the black market. "They've done the same thing with baby formula for years," West St. Paul, Minn., police Chief Bud Shaver told the Star Tribune. "It's an essential. You're going to buy it." The Star Tribune reported recently that a Wal-Mart in West St. Paul had lost an estimated $25,000 worth of Tide over the span of 15 months.

Laundry detergent is something all households need, and the price of Tide -- $10 to $20 per bottle retail -- translates to $5 to $10 on the black market, which makes it a stable currency, according to The Daily. Also, detergent is not perishable, and -- unlike electronic items -- carries no identifying information.

...a recent drug sting turned up more Tide than cocaine.

"We sent in an informant to buy drugs. The dealer said, 'I don't have drugs, but I could sell you 15 bottles of Tide,' " Sprague told The Daily. "Upstairs in the drug dealer's bedroom was about 14 bottles of Tide laundry soap. We think [users] are trading it for drugs."

[Xoulrath]

All anyone who wants cheap detergent needs to do is:

1) Find friend with Sam's Club membership (or equivalent).
2) Purchase largest store brand detergent for roughly $15.
3) Use about 1/2 - 1/3 the recommended amount specified.
4) It will last a family of three for more than a year (ask me how I know).

Even if these people get three months out of a $5 bottle of black market Tide, they are still spending $20 a year. More than likely they are using and spending more than that. They should have stayed in school.

[Jiggles]

I also caught a guy stealing 13 bottles of head and shoulders. He said he could sell them at the flea market for half value. Interesting thing about this guy is that he ratted out all of his (friends?) Basically, one guy owned a house and he would let other people stay there if they would steal merchandise for him from local chain supermarkets and drug stores. The guy I caught was one of the ones staying at the house. He told me his story I told the police and they investigated it and arrested 5 people total. Fun stuff

[Jono]

Just saw the story on the Yahoo homepage!

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending...162253268.html

[Jono]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

I also caught a guy stealing 13 bottles of head and shoulders. He said he could sell them at the flea market for half value. Interesting thing about this guy is that he ratted out all of his (friends?) Basically, one guy owned a house and he would let other people stay there if they would steal merchandise for him from local chain supermarkets and drug stores. The guy I caught was one of the ones staying at the house. He told me his story I told the police and they investigated it and arrested 5 people total. Fun stuff

Wow. Don't be such a nark, Jiggles! lol

[Mocha Man]

I'm going to have to go steal a sample of some Charmin Ultra now and explain to people that I'm stealing it to sample which type of toilet paper prevents chafing on my butt.

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by Mocha Man

I'm going to have to go steal a sample of some Charmin Ultra now and explain to people that I'm stealing it to sample which type of toilet paper prevents chafing on my butt.

Fun fact, you can walk into a store, go to the bathroom and use their products and not be held liable for theft. For example, go wash your hair in the sink, shave, take a dump and cleanup all using products off the shelf. I was not able to stop people unless they actually removed the product from the store. Things that were exempt from that rule were consumables and OTC medication you could ingest. I stopped a stoner once when he came in and used some eyedrops. The police told me it was a bit of a stretch, but since he technically removed the product from the store (by putting it in his eyes) that we could issue the citation.

So next time you want to take a dump at Lucky's, go grab some nice Charmin to grace your buttock with as opposed to that super thin quick disolving crap they provide.

[Mocha Man]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Fun fact, you can walk into a store, go to the bathroom and use their products and not be held liable for theft. For example, go wash your hair in the sink, shave, take a dump and cleanup all using products off the shelf. I was not able to stop people unless they actually removed the product from the store. Things that were exempt from that rule were consumables and OTC medication you could ingest. I stopped a stoner once when he came in and used some eyedrops. The police told me it was a bit of a stretch, but since he technically removed the product from the store (by putting it in his eyes) that we could issue the citation.

So next time you want to take a dump at Lucky's, go grab some nice Charmin to grace your buttock with as opposed to that super thin quick disolving crap they provide.

Wal-Mart, here I come! They'd better have Charmin in stock. I may just take some Febreze in there with me too, just in case... I like to be a courteous semi-criminal. Oh, and don't even get me started on their crappy paper towels (pardon the unintentional bathroom joke). I think some of their microfiber towels will suffice after I wash my hands. Dang, I could live like a king at Wally World!

[Reswob]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Fun fact, you can walk into a store, go to the bathroom and use their products and not be held liable for theft. For example, go wash your hair in the sink, shave, take a dump and cleanup all using products off the shelf. I was not able to stop people unless they actually removed the product from the store. Things that were exempt from that rule were consumables and OTC medication you could ingest. I stopped a stoner once when he came in and used some eyedrops. The police told me it was a bit of a stretch, but since he technically removed the product from the store (by putting it in his eyes) that we could issue the citation.

So next time you want to take a dump at Lucky's, go grab some nice Charmin to grace your buttock with as opposed to that super thin quick disolving crap they provide.

You could argue that they remove product like TP, soap, and shampoo from the store by flushing/rinsing it down the drain?

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by Reswob

You could argue that they remove product like TP, soap, and shampoo from the store by flushing/rinsing it down the drain?

But they don't have it on their person, so they aren't really stealing it

[JohnnyBravo]

What a crazy thread to go along with our crazy world... I never knew the dope man to push detergent. Guess I do now.

Jiggles that's an oddity usin the stores stuff without stealing, wonder who will be on the stores cameras later on