Theft Ring at a Supermarket

[impulse]

Your getting confused, let me simplify it for you

Fill the abandoned buildings with smartphones phones, cash and other valuables and then see what they target....

After that they might come to strip the copper wire though

Bicycle vs cars... Maybe you should try stealing both and see which one you can get in under 5 seconds .... Different types of thief out there

I freely admit that I do get confused when someone's ridiculous argument requires conjuring up images of abandoned buildings full of smartphones and cash.

And claims the fact that smartphones are worth more money pretty much excludes the possibility that there are opportunistic thieves that would steal medicine if they could make a buck doing it. (Your posts #3 x #7)

[daveAustin]

The checker successfully diverted my attention for about five minutes, long enough for an accomplice to lift the small bag of medicine. I had mistakenly thought that it was safe to put the bag down while I presented my membership card and credit card. Obviously even a few minutes of inattention are enough for the thieves to do their work.

But they didn't, did they. You are probably just absent-minded as you clearly forgot about the other place you stopped at. No biggie, I'll admit, I have also blamed Thais when something seemed to disappear or go wrong, only to find out later it was all on me and then felt a complete prat and apologized/took myself down a peg. Do the same. They're not all out to get us!

[blackcab]

You can't predict the vindictiveness of people who are accused of wrongdoing and Thais don't handle frustration and anger well. Knives can appear in an instant.

Perhaps they are.

[Berty100]

Just a honest question, is the medication for dementia or Alzheimer?

Edited May 5, 2016 by Berty100

[roamer]

Thank you for taking time to report your problem.

DELETED. Two inhalers for me (to cure slight asthma problems) are already over 3.400 Baht.

I was surprised to read that they were that costly in Thailand, if you are talking about Ventolin or generics etc.

[Halfaboy]

Thank you for taking time to report your problem.

DELETED. Two inhalers for me (to cure slight asthma problems) are already over 3.400 Baht.

I was surprised to read that they were that costly in Thailand, if you are talking about Ventolin or generics etc.

No, talking about Symbicort (budesonide / formoterol). Same price here as in Europe....

[wooloomooloo]

Honestly. A mafia theft ring operating at full tilt in a supermarket which then turns out not to be the case. Next scene is the mom and pop shop. Yeah, it must of been 70 year old pop.

Isn't there the slightest chance that you've lost your medicines due to your own negligence?

Seriously, I give up.

[DogNo1]

Yes, it turns out that I absentmindedly left the medicine on a table in Central Chidlom's Food Loft. When I asked about it today, they delivered the bag to my table in about five minutes. They said that they had grabbed up the bag quickly so that someone wouldn't steal it and try to sell the medicine. They refused a tip. I must say that the two supermarkets, Central Chidlom Food Court amd MaxxValue in the basement of the Erawan were very good natured and patient in allowing me to look at their CCTV tapes. They really do have quite a number of cameras in their stores. Alls well that ends well, I guess. I am very favorably impressed by the helpfulness of the staff at the three stores!

[1BADDAT]

More often than not I am more surprised how honest people are here. I have left my 5000 baht sunglasses on the restaurant table twice. I have no idea how much they thought they were worth, I just know they followed me to return them.

The other day I put my motorcycle helmet on my bike floor. When I came out from the shop it was gone. It is a cheap helmet for around town so I didn't really care too much but I didn't really want to go get another one. I turned around and the security guard had put it up for me at the desk he was at. I don't know if he had done it because it fell on the ground or not, I just know they made sure I got it before I left.

Hardly ever have an issue with cashiers and a few times they have actually returned money to me because I gave an extra 1000 instead of 100 (or similar). Only had one bad experience when it appeared the cashier at Family Mart was going to pocket the money instead of ring it into the register. Eventually she rang it up through the computer. I commented on that occasion and I was accused of being a thai basher...go figure.

The main thing that I have learned from Thailand is to try and stay calm and think things through rationally. I commend the OP for admitting he was wrong.

[mesquite]

I have heard some strange stories during my time in Thailand but this is a first !

Supermarket checkout medicine thieves ?

That stretches the imagination !

I had 2 million baht stolen from me once ......

not sure what to call her ?

Wife.

[mogandave]

I've not had any issues with checkers in Thailand.

Thieves steal copper wire & pipe because it is easy to sell. It is also legal to sell, legal to use and legal to posses. Also, it is only a misdemeanor to steal it. Prescription medicine, not so much.

[NancyL]

I've never had issues with the checkers at the major supermarkets where I thought they were trying to steal from me.

Just the opposite, in face. Yesterday, I was at Tops in Kad Suan Kaew mall, Chiang Mai doing a big shopping for home delivery

and pulled out a wad of coupons from my handbag which the checker carefully went thru to make sure I utilized all the ones

I could. She even went into her handbag and pulled out a few that she donated to the effort! She was so pleased with

herself when she showed me the savings was over 500 baht on my order. I was tempted to tip her 100 baht, but I've never

seen anyone tip a supermarket checkout clerk and I didn't know if it would be considered an insult. I did give her a few

of my coupons.

[NancyL]

I don't know how it would even be possible for a check-out clerk to be in cahoots with a pharmacy employee to return

medicines for a refund and then split the money. My pharmacy won't accept medicines for refund, even though they know

me well, know that I bought the product from them within the past month and the box is unopened. The pharmacist claims

it's against the law to sell "used" medicines and she could loose her license if an inspection showed she gave refunds.

[DogNo1]

It is not pleasant to think that any of your things can be stolen while you are shopping but it can happen. When the staff at the Central Food Loft returned my medicine, they said that they had grabbed it right away so someone wouldn't steal the medicine and try to sell it. Some pharmacies to buy medicine and then there always "fences." In fact, I lost an even more valuable bag of medicine which I purchased for over 3,000 baht at the same store a little over three months ago. I checked with all of the appropriate desks but nobody had seen it. I am forgetful and don't know exactly where in the store that it went missing but I had it when I walked in and didn't have it when I walked out. Then, about a month ago, I parked my grocery cart while picking through some onions to buy. When I turned around, another cart was in its place loaded with a lot of a particular item. I thought that it might be for stocking the shelves. I immediately looked all through the supermarket but couldn't find my cart. After about ten minutes I got back to where I had left the cart and there it was. It was only full of groceries that I hadn't as yet purchased so there was nothing to lose. I don't know where the cart went. Perhaps it was mistakenly taken by another customer but it could have been removed for looking through by the staff. As uncomfortable as it may be, it is best to watch your items closely when you are shopping. For those who condemn me for drawing the wrong conclusion about this most recent incident of losing my bag of medicine, I can only say, "Do you ever make mistakes?" I would also point out that only by dilligently pursuing every possibility did I get my medicine back. My father was a policemen and I was always amazed at how he could uncover thefts that I would never have suspected were happening. It is certainly more comfortable to be trusting than suspicious but it is good to be aware that scams and thefts are happening all of the time and to guard ourselves against victimization.

[mogandave]

I'll all all for being careful, but I have no desire to go through life thinking everyone is trying to cheat me.

Incidentally, I've been the victim of armed robbery a couple times, had my car stolen a few times and been cheated a few times.

Trust everyone, always count your change.

[mogandave]

Incidentally, did you go back and apologize to the checker you accused of cheating you?

[tropo]

Scam that happened to me once at a Foodland: I had a lot of stuff and the cashier was taking his time. So I moved ahead to where the bagger was packing my stuff. Baggers will often ask how you want stuff arranged but this guy seemed to be making a show of it. "This is heavy, better double pack". "Shall I put this in this bag or you want it separate". "Careful with the apples, don't want them bruised." A lot of talk which made me slightly uncomfortable though I didn't think too much of it at the time.

The total was obviously going to be hefty given the amount of stuff but some second thought caused me to keep the receipt - normally I toss it pretty quickly - and crosscheck the goods at home. Sure enough there was an item on the receipt which I had never bought and couldn't find. I forget exactly what but about 100b. worth. Too late to do anything about. If I had checked in the store then maybe.

Foodland is the one supermarket I have difficulty checking. They are very fast at checkout and the receipt is all in Thai - and most items don't have price stickers. They could ring up hundreds extra and I would never know.

[stevenl]

Sounds like the op may be a bit confused or forgetful on ocassion.

[mogandave]

Scam that happened to me once at a Foodland: I had a lot of stuff and the cashier was taking his time. So I moved ahead to where the bagger was packing my stuff. Baggers will often ask how you want stuff arranged but this guy seemed to be making a show of it. "This is heavy, better double pack". "Shall I put this in this bag or you want it separate". "Careful with the apples, don't want them bruised." A lot of talk which made me slightly uncomfortable though I didn't think too much of it at the time.

The total was obviously going to be hefty given the amount of stuff but some second thought caused me to keep the receipt - normally I toss it pretty quickly - and crosscheck the goods at home. Sure enough there was an item on the receipt which I had never bought and couldn't find. I forget exactly what but about 100b. worth. Too late to do anything about. If I had checked in the store then maybe.

Foodland is the one supermarket I have difficulty checking. They are very fast at checkout and the receipt is all in Thai - and most items don't have price stickers. They could ring up hundreds extra and I would never know.

I generally know about what the total should be.

Also, you can watch the prices as they scan them.

The easiest way for checkers to make money is by short-changing, but the registers make change now as well.

One thing I see occasionally at mini-marts is when you have one item and they price-check rather than ring you up. The can make change in their head and pocket the charge. But this costs the store, not the customer.

[dcnx]

Thank you for taking time to report your problem.

DELETED. Two inhalers for me (to cure slight asthma problems) are already over 3.400 Baht.

I don't think organised thieves would target your medicine, don't see the market for it myself...

If it was cash or a smartphone sure, but this happened twice?? And they only took your medication?? Both times

Ask to see the cctv if you at suspicious of employees involvement... But hard to believe this so far

Which makes it the perfect heist. Nobody's expecting it.

Team up with a pharmacy employee that can give them a "refund" for medicine they didn't even buy, and they just made 10 days' salary at Thai minimum wage.

I'm not saying that's what happened, but thieves could write volumes about all the ways to fleece us that we wouldn't expect. And certainly not specific to Thailand.

a smartphone is worth 20-30k thesedays...

Easier than resell medication but if you're convinced medicine thieves are following you around then do something about it and report them to the supermarket

Very common to steal medicine, especially in places like China. The thieves work in teams.

[willyumiii]

Thank you for taking time to report your problem.

DELETED. Two inhalers for me (to cure slight asthma problems) are already over 3.400 Baht.

I don't think organised thieves would target your medicine, don't see the market for it myself...

If it was cash or a smartphone sure, but this happened twice?? And they only took your medication?? Both times

Ask to see the cctv if you at suspicious of employees involvement... But hard to believe this so far

Which makes it the perfect heist. Nobody's expecting it.

Team up with a pharmacy employee that can give them a "refund" for medicine they didn't even buy, and they just made 10 days' salary at Thai minimum wage.

I'm not saying that's what happened, but thieves could write volumes about all the ways to fleece us that we wouldn't expect. And certainly not specific to Thailand.

a smartphone is worth 20-30k thesedays...

Easier than resell medication but if you're convinced medicine thieves are following you around then do something about it and report them to the supermarket

Interesting..

AIS just gave me a new smart phone for free when I upgraded my service...

I'll be happy to sell it to you for 20k if you want it!

[rak sa_ngop]

Foodland is the one supermarket I have difficulty checking. They are very fast at checkout and the receipt is all in Thai - and most items don't have price stickers. They could ring up hundreds extra and I would never know.

That's strange because I like Foodland because it nearly always has price stickers on all its items. Unlike Tops and others where a lot of the time you are bending down and to check the label (usually in miniscule type or in Thai) on the shelf to see how much the item costs. And often it is not stacked in the correct location so you have to hunt down the correct label.

This is in my local Foodland in Bangkok so maybe your one is run differently.

[mogandave]

I like Top's, and think them a better value than Foodland.

[B1TcoinLife]

Thank you for taking time to report your problem.

DELETED. Two inhalers for me (to cure slight asthma problems) are already over 3.400 Baht.

I don't think organised thieves would target your medicine, don't see the market for it myself...

If it was cash or a smartphone sure, but this happened twice?? And they only took your medication?? Both times

Ask to see the cctv if you at suspicious of employees involvement... But hard to believe this so far

Which makes it the perfect heist. Nobody's expecting it.

Team up with a pharmacy employee that can give them a "refund" for medicine they didn't even buy, and they just made 10 days' salary at Thai minimum wage.

I'm not saying that's what happened, but thieves could write volumes about all the ways to fleece us that we wouldn't expect. And certainly not specific to Thailand.

a smartphone is worth 20-30k thesedays...

Easier than resell medication but if you're convinced medicine thieves are following you around then do something about it and report them to the supermarket

Interesting..

AIS just gave me a new smart phone for free when I upgraded my service...

I'll be happy to sell it to you for 20k if you want it!

A free ais "smartphone" is about as smart as it's user....

[thaiduncankk]

"Once bitten,twice shy",why on Earth would you go back and let it happen

a 2nd time !

The biggest scam at check out is over charging,whenever i go shopping

i make a list of the goods I am going to buy,add others as I go,fill prices

in, total them up, say it comes to 2,467 THB,that is what i expect their bill

to be, but so any times its not+, might just be 23 ,40, ect, but once at Makro

it was 1,356 Bhat,something was charged twice ,AND always count your

change.

regards worgeordie +but NEVER undercharged.

As checkouts have a till linked to computerised bar codes, maybe your calculations are wrong.

It prints out a receipt with every item listed, albeit in Thai, but as you have the itemised cost on your piece of paper,

it would not be hard to pick out any discrepancies, and it would not take long to check it before leaving the store.

[dcnx]

My meds (allergy and sleep) were nicked yesterday from my bag while flying on an international flight to the USA.

[steven100]

Sounds like the op may be a bit confused or forgetful on ocassion.

I think he's old, accussing the wrong people for stealing can get you into hot water ..... especially in Thailand