# Shoplifting hypothetical **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 31, 2017, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoplifting-hypothetical/805616 "2017-12-31T04:59:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2018, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoplifting-hypothetical/805616/21 "2018-01-01T16:09:31Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > Once I was shopping in a local drugstore/variety store type place and I saw a large silk plant that I decided to purchase. It was tagged at $40 or so which was a really good price for the item. I hauled it up to the checkout and the cashier scanned it. It came up as suntan lotion or something, price $5.99. > > I pointed out the error to the cashier and the printed manufacturers tag that showed $39.99. She said “it scanned at $5.99, you get it for $5.99. I guess this is your lucky day.” > > So I took the item. I didn’t feel complicit at all. And you shouldn’t. In some municipalities, the store is required to sell at the lower price. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2018, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoplifting-hypothetical/805616/22 "2018-01-01T18:09:15Z")
> [@j666](#): > > In some municipalities, the store is required to sell at the lower price. A requirement to sell at the lower of the posted or scanned price is common. But where is it a rule that if a scan yields what is clearly the wrong item - at a price correct for that item but irrelevant to the actual one - it must be sold at a that price? ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoplifting-hypothetical/805616/23 "2018-01-02T03:04:18Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > A requirement to sell at the lower of the posted or scanned price is common. > > But where is it a rule that if a scan yields what is clearly the wrong item - at a price correct for that item but irrelevant to the actual one - it must be sold at a that price? I don’t know of any requirement that the description match the item for the price rule to hold. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoplifting-hypothetical/805616/24 "2018-01-02T03:09:02Z")
So if I can manage to affix the pricetag of a cheap item to an expensive one, I then have the right to buy it for pennies on the dollar? ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoplifting-hypothetical/805616/25 "2018-01-02T04:48:22Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > So if I can manage to affix the pricetag of a cheap item to an expensive one, I then have the right to buy it for pennies on the dollar? Absolutely not. That is theft. You intentionally did it to benefit you - the store did not make a mistake that benefitted you. And if caught, you could be prosecuted. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoplifting-hypothetical/805616/26 "2018-01-02T05:20:53Z")
Back to what the OP said: IMHO, the most likely scenario is that another customer purchased the gloves at another store, and they fell out of a shopping bag. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoplifting-hypothetical/805616/27 "2018-01-02T05:43:01Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > It falls under customer service. > > A price check can tie up a line for 5 or more mins. Angry customers may not return. I’ve set my items down and left the store because the cashier was waiting for the asst manager. There were other people in front of me. I had an appointment and walked out after waiting over 5 mins. > > It costs the store much less for the cashier to ring up a reasonable guesstimate. I’ve had cashiers ask if I remembered the price on the shelf tag. It can also get a cashier in trouble if they don’t call for a price check. Heaven forbid they want to keep their job. > [@Xema](#): > > So if I can manage to affix the pricetag of a cheap item to an expensive one, I then have the right to buy it for pennies on the dollar? Seriously? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoplifting-hypothetical/805616/28 "2018-01-02T13:58:34Z")
Yes - it would be indeed be a serious problem for stores to say that showing up at the checkout with an mislabeled item entitles the purchase at the wrong price. It would create a new and easy form of shoplifting. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoplifting-hypothetical/805616/29 "2018-01-02T14:46:06Z")
People do try it, though. ---
**Author:** ![curious11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac91a4/32.png) [@curious11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curious11)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoplifting-hypothetical/805616/30 "2018-01-02T18:05:38Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > People do try it, though. This story always comes to mind when swapping prices and shoplifting is mentioned. > **[Silicon Valley executive takes plea deal in barcode-swapping caper](https://www.mercurynews.com/2013/08/01/silicon-valley-executive-takes-plea-deal-in-barcode-swapping-caper/)** > > Silicon Valley executive takes plea deal in barcode-swapping caper tl;dr: Pasted home-made UPC stickers over printed UPC on boxes of Legos to get a lower price. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoplifting-hypothetical/805616/31 "2018-01-02T18:44:25Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > So if I can manage to affix the pricetag of a cheap item to an expensive one, I then have the right to buy it for pennies on the dollar? No, that’s stealing. > [@Xema](#): > > Yes - it would be indeed be a serious problem for stores to say that showing up at the checkout with an mislabeled item entitles the purchase at the wrong price. It would create a new and easy form of shoplifting. Wait, if you already knew the answer, why’d you ask? Also, it’s far from new, hell there was an old Saturday Night Live commercial about it way back in the day. They were selling a price marking gun that you could take to the store with you and put any price you want on all the items you were buying. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoplifting-hypothetical/805616/32 "2018-01-02T21:23:22Z")
> [@j666](#): > > I don’t know of any requirement that the description match the item for the price rule to hold. > [@Joey\_P](#): > > No, that’s stealing. > Wait, if you already knew the answer, why’d you ask? I believe it was a snarky reply to j666’s statement quoted above. Another possibility for the gloves is that a return was accepted for an item the store doesn’t sell. Perhaps it was from JC Penney online, or some places will even accept returns from other stores. Whoever was restocking the return didn’t find a place for them, so just put them on the top of the rack. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoplifting-hypothetical/805616/33 "2018-01-02T21:33:09Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > … it’s far from new, hell there was an old Saturday Night Live commercial about it way back in the day. The idea of switching price tags long predates SNL. Which is why I’m skeptical that it would be typical for a store to be prohibited from nullifying a transaction that’s based on an obviously incorrect tag. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoplifting-hypothetical/805616.md?page=1)