John has a bit of advice for iPad owners: don’t use the device in public. At least, don’t use it for price comparisons at a Best Buy with particularly clueless loss prevention staff unless you want to be accused of theft and have the police show up. He writes that this happened to him while checking some prices on his iPad.
I went to best buy a few months ago to look at Macbook Pros. I happened to bring along a iPad 32GB with snapshots of competing prices. After seeing what Best Buy had to offer i decided to leave. That is where the trouble started. I was carrying my iPad out in the open, when security demanded me to show a receipt for the iPad. I told them i do not have a receipt due to not purchasing the device at Best Buy. He proceeded to demand that i show proof of ownership. I told him that I am not required to do so as he doesn’t have reasonable doubt that it was stolen. He then threatened me by stating that he will call the authorities if i do not comply and that i will be held here until they arrived. I told him that i will be leaving this store.
He proceeded to stand in my way again demanding that i show proof. I told him again, Unless you have a warrant i am not going to show you the data on my device. The police show up about 10 minutes latter. I explain to them that this is my personal device, and that the store falsely accused me of stealing the iPad that i brought in with me. They asked for proof, and that is when i showed how much of an ass the Security was.
I said, “Here are the ways you could have known that this was mine, For one the device is SOLD OUT. Your store doesn’t have them in stock. Two, The backs of the demo units have written in Bold Lettering “FOR DEMO USE ONLY, NOT FOR RESALE” Three, the demo units are 16GB models, mine is 32GB. Finally, if i stole it why would i keep it in clear view?”
The Police looked at me in shock. They then said you are free to go. The store manager was asking me why i didn’t tell the security this in the first place. I simply told him, why should i have to?
The issue is this, i use my iPad as a travel and shopping companion. Why should I be hustled every time I shop?
The problem, of course, is that while employees might be used to customers consulting their smartphones while shopping, carrying around a tablet is a new enough phenomenon that pioneers like John will, indeed, be hassled.
This never happens when I shop at Amazon.
This problem for Best Buy is completely self-induced. They have made a business decision to design their facility in a manner that enables shoplifters being able to exit the store without going through the check register area.
Best Buys solution is to offend anybody that shops there (I won’t for just this reason.) by placing a guard at the exit.
In addition they do not properly train or monitor these employees thereby exposing them to litigation.
The solution is to design their stores like Toys-R-Us, which does not completely solve the problem but certainly improves on it.
I try to be proactive with BB when it comes to stuff that I think could cause a stink. For instance, I went in to a BB to look at iPod clock radios and I wanted to compare sound. As I walked in, I went straight to the loss prevention guy, pulled out my ipod and told him what I was there for. I gave him a nod and a “thank you” as I walked out, and he managed to remember me.
smart man
Really? He couldn’t have printed out a sheet of paper or used a smaller device? He HAD to bring in a hulking tablet into the store?
And then he KNEW the differences from the floor model right off the bat? This guy WANTED to get caught.
iPad users like to bring them everywhere. They spent the money on it why not? Right?
That way us pleebs who do not or can not own one have to deal with the. Yay Apple!!!
So I like the part that says in part: “I told him that I am not required to do so as he doesn’t have reasonable doubt that it was stolen.” What does this even mean? I love when people take verbiage from somewhere and recycle it somewhere else where it doesn’t make any sense. This is funny to me. I suspect the OP could have handled this by politely explaining to the security guard that the unit was his, giving a few details, and he would’ve been on his way. My impression is that the OP was extremely defensive, and annoyed by the security guard, and was almost looking for a fight.. The security guard was just doing his job.
Why would he allow himself to be detained by a security guard at a store? They have no authority to detain him. If they try to hold you against your will, it’s kidnapping.
you’re a thief if you don’t buy something from BB, and BB’s a thief if you do buy something from them
Shouldn’t he have gotten a sticker when he first walked in with it. Also why wouldn’t he just show them the data or something to he can leave. Obviously this person has a lot of free time on their hands to sit around for the cops.
The dude was just doing his job, you know he probably has bills to pay and someone walking out w/ an Ipad is something he should notice.
Bravo! The cherry on top would have been to ask the police to arrest security for false imprisonment while you were at it. But well-played, sir, well-played!
the LP personnel should’ve known clearly that it wasn’t theft…..
i’m almost certain that they didn’t see the OP do anything suspicious (who cuts the security tether on a display, in broad view of staff/customers/cameras ?), and the MO for shoplifters is a quick, non-memorable getaway, not to shop around.
i don’t think the writer was out-of-line, even though he could have easily proved his innocence, b/c the store could’ve also provided proof he didn’t do it with their tone and actions
Isn’t the burden of proof on the store?
Give me a break. It’s common sense that you need to be careful when going into a store carrying the item they sell. It’s just like going into a bookstore carrying a book or walking into a drug store eating a candy bar. Wake the hell up people – we don’t live in the 1950′s anymore.
he could have saved himself the hassle by not taking the ipad into a store that sells them. take a brand new nail gun into home depot and see if they ask for your receipt on the way out. people are so ignorant.
The OP could also have just printed out the photos or, jotted them down on a piece of paper rather than “baiting” the store security just for fun.
Sounds like “John” is trying a little entrapment on Best Buy. Was your lawyer waiting in the car, John?
This fails the common sense test big time.
John is dumb, I do agree with him he doesnt have to prove to the LP that he owns it but CMON! Your just asking for hassel when you do that. Yes the LP guy was a dumb for not investigating but he could had the LP guy ask if they had any ipads in stock, THIS IS WHY I HATE MAC FANBOYS! and no he cant prosecute Best Buy for them checking to see if it was stolen
Yes technically you don’t have to show the security person your proof of ownership, but what is the big deal? If you could have prevented this whole situation by calmly explaining that you weren’t going to show your personal data but then presented the other 2 facts, the person would have most likely let him leave w/ out the hassle.
Second, look at it for a sec from this person’s point of view. Letting a $500+ item walk out the door would be very bad for his future employment. I’m not saying he had the right to be a dick but I wonder if the OP’s attitude worsened the situation.
Reminds me of when I tried to sell a new unopened audio CD to a music store that bought old music. I walked up to the cashier to ask how much I would get for it and I showed him the CD. He claimed I took it right off the shelf. “Oh yeah?” I said. It wasn’t worth the argument. I picked up my CD and held it up as I walked out of the store.
No one chased me. I guess he didn’t think the argument was worth it either.
Wow. He didn’t shoot any video of this on the IPad? I would have been all over that opportunity. Then I would call my lawyer.
It’s the same as having a cellphone or a camera on you. Unless they witnessed you take it, they cannot claim you stole it.
You are allowed to have personal belongings on you when you shop.
The cops should have done the right thing and arrested the idiot that called them for filing a false police report.
Just another reason to stop shopping at this crappy store. I really wish everyone would stop giving their money to Best Buy so they’d go out of business. Their employees are rude and unhelpful.
Maybe someday most people will be toting ipads around, but I don’t plan to be one of them. It’s such an awkward size; it doesn’t fit in a pocket or purse. If you drop it, it’s trashed. And it’s too easy to lay it down somewhere and walk away. Someone has probably designed a carrying case with shoulder straps, but it’s still another thing to carry around.
I don’t know why John took his ipad into Best Buy. Why didn’t he just print out those pictures he needed on a piece of paper? I’m sure he wanted everyone to see his super-cool device. And I would bet that he hid it from the guard on the way in so that he could get into a confrontation on the way out.
You don’t understand; it was his own iPad, not theirs.
The simple fact is that in this country the burden of proof is on the accuser. I would tell the security people “Do you have ANY proof I stole this? No? Then we’re through. Buh bye.”
This person is just trying to make trouble, to test the waters to see what the procedure is when he actually steells the ipad.
every item that enters best buy that they carry is supposed to tagged with a sticker that can be removed when you leave the store, the lp personnel should’ve stopped him at the door when they saw him carrying an ipad and put a tag on it
Who here is really surprised at this, especially given that for using a gift card?
False imprisonment is a tort, not a criminal matter. You could sue, but police are do not arrest.
Uhhh why do you need an iPad to compare prices on an Apple product? There is very little difference in price between retailers’ Apple devices. Sounds to me like he was out to set someone out from the start.
Can you imagine the hard on that security guard must’ve gotten when he thought he caught himsself a bonafide SHOPLIFTER?? It must’ve been like an elephant tusk.
I really like this site, but common people. I can understand the aggression towards Best Buy, but you have got to work with the security. “No, I do not have a receipt as it was purchased elsewhere. This is my device, and I can prove it because it has my applications on it with my preferences.”
How the hell would a security guard know that your iPad did or didn’t say “DEMO UNIT”, or know the capacity size. Had they asked you, I assure you would have said screw you.
Get off the high-horse, realize that not everybody is out to screw you, and they are just trying to do their job to keep their prices low.
Could I see your identification as an employee please? That could be any nut scam artist out there trying to steal your iPad … and pardon me but the security guard is the one claiming the iPad is Best Buy property-where is HIS receipt for this claim?
They don’t ask if the cell phone in your pocket is a floor model, so why persecute you for walking out with an iPad? I’ve walked in and out with headphones on and they never ask if the ones I’m wearing were stolen. I’ve walked in and out of department stores fully clothed before and they don’t stop to ask if I stole the pants I’m wearing. I think it was just an over eager security guard and all the OP had to do was explain exactly what he explained to the cops. Somehow I’m not so sure a security guard would have been allowed to let it get as far as it did, so I’m going to have to call BS on the story. Someone just wanted to see their story posted on Consumerist. Show me a pending action against the security guard or STFU.
I don’t shop anywhere that they have these receipt policies. Who wants to be treated like a criminal by jerks at the door?
So you don’t shop anywhere, then?
The Best Buy that I sometimes visit is within walking distance of a coffee shop I sometimes hang out at. I’ve taken my iPad with me, on occasion, to read while drinking coffee. Every now and again I’ll walk over and wander the aisles of Best Buy with my iPad in tow because I’d rather not leave it sit in my car or, obviously, on a table in the coffee shop. Fortunately, I haven’t been bothered by any security, nor has anyone demanded that I prove that I didn’t steal it from the store. But if that were to happen, I imagine I’d handle myself similar to the OP. I don’t think anyone should ever be compelled to prove that they’ve done nothing wrong based on completely fabricated suspicion from a random stranger. That’s downright absurd.
People are insisting that the OP should have diffused the situation quickly by giving in to the demands of the security guard and proving that the OP didn’t steal what was, in fact, his own property. Fact is, if the OP wanted to push things by resolving the matter in a way that didn’t require him to yield to the wants of a misinformed security guard, that’s his prerogative. Many commentors here seem to think the OP should have done what would have been most convenient for the guard rather than himself. That is, again, absurd. The guard made the incorrect assumption. The onus was on him to provide proof, not the other way around. It’s as simple as that.
If you, yourself, would rather keep things warm and fuzzy by kowtowing to someone else’s irrational and unfounded demands, that’s all fine and well. But you have no business whatsoever in demanding that every other person follow your lead and react as you theoretically would in the same situation. Try to remember that the next time someone around you is clearly in the wrong, but unfairly and foolishly demands that you yield to them based on nothing but ignorant assumption. The easiest way out isn’t always the right one.
Retard. It would’ve taken all of 30 seconds for you to have said that to the guard in the first place, or shown him that you have personal pictures on the iPad, or Contacts, or whatever… and you’d be on your way.
You sure showed that security guard what a big man you were, though. And your very own post on Consumerist! Congratulations, now you can retire.
Too many people are concerned with one upping someone else and being a prick out of spite. The guy was mistaken, big freaking deal. Show him why he’s wrong and be on your merry way.
It doesn’t take any time at all to keep walking and ignore the troll security guard. The security guard couldn’t possibly have seen the OP steal an ipad.
> I simply told him, why should i have to?
So Best Buy’s security isn’t supposed to ask questions then?
I don’t understand the point you were trying to prove.
> I simply told him, why should i have to?
So Best Buy’s security isn’t supposed to ask questions then? I don’t understand the point you were trying to prove.
> I simply told him, why should i have to?
So Best Buy’s security isn’t supposed to ask questions then? I don’t understand the point you were trying to prove.
The counter argument to this is of course, what is to stop someone from walking into a store and walking out with a display model if the security officers have to take the word of the shopper that they bought it somewhere else. The submitter could have easily pointed out the details to prove it was his iPad before the police got involved, but he was more interested in satisfying his moral indignation than being reasonable. A good rule of thumb is don’t take a new looking big ticket gizmo into a store that sells that gizmo without a receipt. If you do, just mention it to someone at the register as you walk in, so they know you have it, that way both sides know what’s going on.
Well, this is what happens . . . It begins with the receipt check of things you just bought. I’ll be honest, it seems reasonable enough (although I’m still not required to do anything). In and of itself, it’s likely not going to cause any real problems for anyone. BUT once you’ve shifted the burden of proof, you get events like this. The consumer’s time is wasted, the merchant’s time is wasted. Can we just agree we don’t have the right to arbitrarily insist that others prove they did not steal their possessions?
LP – “You need to PROVE that you are the owner…”
Rebuttal – “YOU need to prove that I am not…”
You have enough grounds to have the worker charged with false imprisonment.
When you are on the attacking side, it is up to bestbuy to prove that they had evidence, meaning surveillance footage and other things, if they cant provide evidence then the charges stick, you can then find things to sue them for, If you were on lunch break or had a place where you needed to be, then sue them for lost wages due to false imprisonment.
Many stores like this, like to take advantage. when ever you give someone authority, they will always have a push to abuse it (the same goes for store security).
The OP was right to not give them any additional information. If it was me in this situation, the moment I was blocked, I would call the police and report them for false imprisonment then make arrangements for a court case and get as much money out of them as possible.
The law is ideally innocent until proven guilty but in reality, it is guilty until proven innocent. if you go after them for false imprisonment, they must prove that they had a valid reason to detain you for theft, which they cant in this case so you will be able to sue easily.
He should have told the folks at the store on entry that he was bringing in an iPad. What an idiot. He was looking for a fight… period.
I never go to BestBuy, not because of their security, but because they never help me unless I am female. The last time I went was to look for some speakers, so I have my wife head over to the sound systems. She always dresses in tight stuff, so she is immediately ‘helped’ by no less than three blue salesbots. That’s when I rush over and say, “oh hi honey, here you are…, yeah, I was looking at his HTIB and….” Suddenly, most of them seem uninterested….
The problem here is there is no mention of a sticker or other verification of bringing it into the store. Probably because when the OP came into the store they either didn’t have it out, or did have it out and declined to allow a STICKER to touch their property.
The OP is at fault because of being a douche instead of simply letting security know information that would be useful to verify ID and everyone could then go about their days.
Oh wait, I guess he is right in his position because he came to Consumerist to complain. All of you haters are sheep anyway.
I completely agree. A sticker is not that hard of a concept….
You should sue them for false imprisonment. That’s what they did when they physically prevented you from leaving.
Best Buy just COMPLETELY SUCKS. It was a sad day for me indeed when Circuit City went out of business. BB has essentially no real competition anymore and that’s really bad news for all of us. Like so many of us I’ve purchased literally dozens of electronic devices over the last 15 years, multiple laptops, tvs, desktops, surround sound systems, cell phones.. you know the stuff we all spend our money on. Me with a family of 6, all “linked in” you can imagine how many things I’ve bought. And, in all of those years and all of those purchases I’ve never, ever, not once found the best deal at “best buy”. That, and they return policy is just criminal. They are at liberty to charge us a restocking fee on any return. That’s just stealing, imo. So, I’ll still go into that store every few weeks to have a look, but I don’t buy.
Because he was detained without cause, this is technically kidnapping because he was prevented from leaving. The Best Buy people should have been arrested. For sure, I would have pressed charges. But I stopped having anything to do with Best Buy years ago. They are the worst retailer on he planet and I will never purchase anything from these jerks again.
Going to a Best Buy is an invitation to be ripped off and mistreated.
I get that BB is run and staffed by morons, but I don’t see why the OP wasted his and everybody else’s time when all he had to do is turn on the iPad and show that there were apps loaded on there that don’t come with the device. Heck, if it were mine, they would just have to see the cute cat picture on the lock screen.
An interesting point.
However, in the instances of jewelry stores and clothing stores, the staff can generally see you wearing those items when you walk in the store.
It seems a prudent act that anytime you walk into a store carrying an item that the store sells, that you show it to them as you walk in the door.
“Hey guys, This is mine, I just wanted to avoid confusion as I leave. Thanks!”
And this is not a new concept.
The guy acts like he was extremely wronged, and that he is making some socio-political statement, when really he was just being obtuse and rude.
I agree wholeheartedly. This person was looking to stir the pot from the minute he entered the store. I may not like the store policy on receipt checking but I’m not going to take it out on the guy whose job it is to do it. If it bothers me that much, I will not take my business there.
As much as I loathe Best Buy, all you had to do was say what you did to the officer at the end of the whole “ordeal”. You would have been out right away.
YOU decided that the best course of action was to become defensive and suspicious, which I find mind-boggling. You could have shown him that the wallpaper and apps weren’t pre-loaded, too.
Seriously, people defending your actions are nuts. What you did was petty and power-tripish. I don’t think they had a right to stop you without any clear proof that you may have stolen the unit, but the fact of the matter is that you were stopped and you obviously had the ammunition you needed to prove it wasn’t stolen. You simply chose to take the alternate route, which was to be a flaming douche and waste everyone’s time.