Liberating items from a shopping trolley

Factual Questions
1

I just went to a Tesco’s supermarket in order to buy a specific item. Unfortunately, someone snatched away the last item they had in stock. Even though I was far more deserving of the item, I did not resort to violence or try to steal it from his shopping cart, as I play a lawful good character most of the time.

Still, it made me wonder about the legality of taking something from someone’s shopping cart.

Since the other customer has not yet paid for the item and I have every intention of paying for it, the supermarket does not suffer a loss, so would that make it okay?

Or is the simple fact of putting something into your shopping cart showing the intention of buying something and therefore already a contract between the customer and the supermarket?

Also, do we as customers enjoy sovereignty over our shopping carts, so that any attempt to remove an item would be classified as breaking and entering?

2

I don’t think it would rise to the level of “theft” since the other person doesn’t legally own it until they’ve paid the store for it.

it would make you a jerk, though.

3

How is that “breaking”?

Anyway, my guess—and I hope someone with the straight dope can confirm or deny—is that taking as-yet-unbought merchandise from another shopper’s cart is not against any law, but it is a serious breach of etiquette, and it could conceivably get you thrown out of/banned from the store.

4

How so?

5

I very much doubt that you do not know the answer to your question. I also think that if anyone did it to you, you would be pretty cheesed off.

In whose opinion are you “far more deserving of the item”? Silly question - It is your opinion.

6

If you’re “liberating items” when you take them out of his cart, what’s it called when you put them into yours?

7

Because s/he’s a Uniqueorn rather than an ordinaryorn.

8

Isn’t it fairly obvious that the OP was describing this little “incident” jokingly and also in a self-deprecating manner? :confused:

9

And besides that: It is an interesting legal question.

10

Is that all Woolworths or just the one store?

11

Tortious interference is what I would say to sound impressive. Though I’ve no idea if it actually applies to this case.

12

I believe that the official legal term for what the OP describes is “A Complete Dick Move.”

13

Because he’s* the one telling the story, apparently.

I’m always the one who deserves to win the current lottery jackpot, when I’m talking about one of those.

*Or she; Uniqueorn could be a she.

14

If you’re in the U.S., “all Woolworths” adds up to less than one store.

15

When I put something in my shopping cart, I already think of it as ‘mine’. If someone came up and tried to take something out of my cart, I would instinctively defend myself and resist such an affront. It could get real ugly, real fast.

16

The SO was buying something-or-other at Wal-Mart. Whatever it was, it was heavy and far away when she got in line at the pharmacy. Rather than take up a bunch of room with the cart in the line, she parked the cart nearby. While she was there, someone took her cart and her heavy, far-away thing. She was speechless.

The store lost money because she was not going to go all the way back to get another whatever-it-was.

17

Interesting, that it takes a German (or German speaker) to understand my German sense of humour… :smiley:

Thank you. I thought so too and I found the answer by googling the scenario, but only if it happens in Germany.

Under German law, you have sovereignty over your shopping cart and are allowed to defend it and retrieve any items that someone else took from it. And if this is not possible, you are theoretically able to claim damages if you are not able to purchase the item at the same price (if it was a special offer).
Cite (in German)

Still not sure about the original scenario, as it happened in the UK…

18

I do not know the factual answer but I’ll bet it’s documented (for the U.S.) if you search on Black Friday shopping struggles. You know that this must happen on those door-buster deals when one person gets the last flat screen on the shelf for $1.95 and the guy behind him drove an hour to buy the same thing. If it’s illegal I don’t know how the law deals with a jump-ball situation.

19

Lebensraum?

20

How so, and how would the other customer know this? And how do you know his circumstances; that he wasn’t more deserving than you?
Nobody is “deserving” of an item in a store; the products on the shelves are first come, first served.