So, I have a friend on another board, who posted this message in a thread about getting more than you expected:

Now, the thing is this: I know where he did this & I know he's done this before. Like, a LOT. We've tried to talk/threaten him out of this, but he just laughs it off because he says it's not like he's selling crack or pimping women out, and that he won't face any kind of charges for this. He's a good friend and I don't want to piss him off over such a stupid little thing but really it gets on my nerves that he's ripping off kids when he wants his plastic crack. So how do I let the store know that he's the one who's pulling this crap without letting on that I'm the one who sold him out?

 

The store really won't do anything about it unless they see him doing it, and for that you'd have to warn them as he was walking in the door. Even then they still probably won't do anything........

 

I admire youre ethics but nobody likes a rat. Just dont encourage/humor him when he boast his exploits, karmas a bitch and hes due one.

 

I'm sure he'll get caught on his own eventually.

 

I'm surprised he managed to walk out of the store without triggering the alarm.

 

It is a fact of life.... douchebags will be douchebags. No matter what you do to discourage them.

 

99% of the alarms never trigger on smaller toys or inexpensive items.Electronics and high dollar stuff are about the only thing that sets off a TRU alarm.

 

Dang. I didn't know that's how some of the alarms work.

 

I think calling this "theft" is an overreaction.

The store breaks even. They'll take inventory and find one more Ratchet and one less Ironhide than they thought they had - same number of deluxe transformers. Their budget will be fine.

You can debate the ethics of tricking a store into violating their own return/exchange policy, but the store isn't any worse off from a monetary standpoint.

You could also debate the ethics of talking about your friend behind his back and conspiring to secretly turn him in.

 

Wait. How's this guy "ripping off kids"?

 

Youre a switcher arentcha? Think of the polar bears!

 

he will get caught eventually. stay out of it. Bros before toys.

 

Its Theft IMO swapping an older less desirable toy for a new more desirable one that would likely sell much better.

 

Maybe from somewhere like a comic store where secondary market can impact the retail price, but it's really all the same to Toys R Us.

Consider that if his receipt had been dated within their arbitrary time frame, no one at Toys R Us would have a problem with that exchange at all. So three months ago it's fine but today it's theft? That's ridiculous.

 

Theft alarms use magnetic detection thingamajiggers. In other words, if the merchandise doesn't have a magnetic strip attached to it, the alarms won't even detect it. If they worked by some other more advanced method, the alarms would go off if a wind current blew through.

 

I see. Thanks for pointing it out for me.

 

You know, this whole situation reminds me of something. I took a toy back to TRU for a refund because it had really bad quality control (by my picky standards). And when I was there, I wanted to get a replacement, but that specific item was sold out - permanently. It makes me wonder what they did with the item I brought back. Did they reshelf or throw it away?

 

it is acquisition of something by deception...a fraud, and fraud is a form of thievery.
you need to go to TRU without him. because they do charge more than one person with shoplifting if they catch you two at it.

he ain't worth it.

as for being a rat, this isn't something i would rat out a friend over. but there are things i will let a cop know about and pretty damn fast.
i can live with being called a snitch or a rat under those circumstances.

 

See, this is b.s. Self serving reasoning. Its the same argument that ppl who d/l movies n music use. "its not stealing! They wont feel the pinch." thats not the point.

Check it. I'm cool if somebody makes a mistake, we all do. But its b.s. If u try to justify it just to clear your conscience. If u steal or procure items by shady means or whatever you wanna call it, just man up n dont skirt around the issue.

 

I've argued very vehemently against pirating music/movies/etc. on the internet, thank you very much. And I don't believe this is the same as downloading music at all - when you download music you obtain a product without exchanging anything in return.

But, in this case, both parties walk away with exactly as many deluxe sized Animated Transformers as they began with. TRU will probably never know anything occured.

Again, I'm not saying there's not a ethic issue in play here in the case of skirting TRU's rules and making the exchange without their approval, but I think "theft" is painting this situation with a brush it doesn't warrant. That's not behavior someone should be engaging in, and you stand a real chance to get in serious trouble if you get caught doing it...

...but, at the end of the day, is it really worth walking around behind your friend's back and trying to find ways to get him in trouble for it while you plan to later look him in the eye and claim ignorance of who turned him in?