B. keeps getting cart-jacked in big-box stores. Not by fellow customers envious of the amazing bargains she finds, but by store employees eager to clean up the store who think that her unattended cart has been abandoned. Not so, she insists, raising another question altogether: how long can you reasonably expect to leave your cart alone before it is, indeed, cartjacked?

Have you ever been shopping, walked away from your cart for a few minutes and then upon returning to where you thought you left your cart, found it had been hijacked by an overly zealous associate? This has happened to me before, however it just happened to me TWICE in two days at box stores.

The first time I thought it was just my wandering mind and I was miffed that I had to retrace my steps, gather up the items I had already placed in my cart one already and ‘re-shop’. Talk about a marketing ploy!

Today took the cake when I found my cart missing, the items put back on the shelf and a smart ass associate telling me that “because an important manager was coming in the morning, the employees were to clean up the place.” ‘Scuse me, but asking any of the three customers in the store if this was their cart could have saved alot of trouble.

I am not the type of shopper who hangs on their cart and blocks each and every aisle with my cart. I like to explore the store and get in a few extra steps. When I had children shopping with me, there was no way I’d leave the cart with or without a child in it, nor would I ever leave my purse unattended. I just don’t understand the reasoning for putting away a cart of items that hasn’t been unattended for a few minutes.

Sayonara WalMart and Staples, obviously you DON’T need my business or my dollars.

Well, consumers and retail workers of the Consumerist Hive Mind, how long should B. have to “explore” before she can expect to lose her cart?

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