Have You Ever Set A Store's Security Alarm System Off Accidentally?
By Janey1966
@Janey1966 (24170)
Carlisle, England
July 13, 2010 11:20am CST
The last word in that question is very important as if it wasn't set off accidentally then you'd be a shoplifter lol.
No, what I'm on about is; have you ever walked out of a store with your shopping in your basket BEFORE paying for it..only to set the alarms off as you walk through the exit!
Embarrassing isn't it?
Something similar to this happened to me in..I think, Tenerife. It was definitely abroad anyway. I had bought something in a large store that had bits and bobs of everything really. I remember it being extremely hot in there so I was quite relieved to step out into the fresh air after making my purchase...or so I thought!
As soon as I walked out of the exit a VERY loud alarm went off. A member of staff called me back into the store, obviously thinking that I was fleecing his shop. I had to stand in the shop whilst he raided my shopping bag. He then took the item out of the bag and beckoned me to walk through the exit again.
BEEPO BEEPO BEEPO! Yes, you guessed it, the alarm went off! I really wanted to get away at that point as a load of shoppers were wondering what was going on and had no intention of leaving until the coppers turned up or something. Luckily, that didn't happen because, as I walked through the doors for the 3rd time the assistant suddenly shouted, "Wait! Wait!" and pointed to the underside of one of my sandals.
There was a ruddy great barcode sticker on it that was setting the alarm off! I didn't waste any time ripping the thing off from my shoe, I can tell you. The assistant thought it was funny and laughed in a relieved kind of way. I just blushed and walked off!
What a performance! Has something similar happened to you? Have you ever wandered out of the store in a dream world, FORGETTING that you had just picked something off the clothes rack and setting the alarms off that way? My Mum has been inches away from doing that many times lol.
Something similar to this happened to me in..I think, Tenerife. It was definitely abroad anyway. I had bought something in a large store that had bits and bobs of everything really. I remember it being extremely hot in there so I was quite relieved to step out into the fresh air after making my purchase...or so I thought!
As soon as I walked out of the exit a VERY loud alarm went off. A member of staff called me back into the store, obviously thinking that I was fleecing his shop. I had to stand in the shop whilst he raided my shopping bag. He then took the item out of the bag and beckoned me to walk through the exit again.
BEEPO BEEPO BEEPO! Yes, you guessed it, the alarm went off! I really wanted to get away at that point as a load of shoppers were wondering what was going on and had no intention of leaving until the coppers turned up or something. Luckily, that didn't happen because, as I walked through the doors for the 3rd time the assistant suddenly shouted, "Wait! Wait!" and pointed to the underside of one of my sandals.
There was a ruddy great barcode sticker on it that was setting the alarm off! I didn't waste any time ripping the thing off from my shoe, I can tell you. The assistant thought it was funny and laughed in a relieved kind of way. I just blushed and walked off!
What a performance! Has something similar happened to you? Have you ever wandered out of the store in a dream world, FORGETTING that you had just picked something off the clothes rack and setting the alarms off that way? My Mum has been inches away from doing that many times lol.2 people like this
11 responses
@dawnald (85139)
• Shingle Springs, California
15 Jul 10
I've done it many times:
1. the store forgets to deactivate a security tag
2. the store's computer doesn't deactivate it right
3. I'm trying to return something (grocery) that has a tag on the bottom
Many times...
Some places, the employees are so used to it, they just wave you on out the door!
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
15 Jul 10
Poor Dawn, you seem resigned to your fate i.e. activating alarms wherever you go. Let's just hope there isn't a major robbery going on when it happens next time.
1 person likes this
@warvial (1146)
• Singapore
14 Jul 10
Yes! The first time that happened to me was a long time ago where the alarm was so freaking loud and it turns out to be the item that I purchased wasn't properly demagnetize and thus, it triggered that alarm. I was so traumatize by that incident that whenever I walk pass those detectors, I will just slow down and tried hard to remember if I have actually had anything that might trigger the alarm. It took me months before I was less panic about it and only to encounter this situation again. And that time, it was because of another person's purchase that caused the alarm to go off and I happened to be entering the shop together with that person.
But nowadays, the volume of the alarm seems to have greatly reduced and thus, it didn't create that much scare for me even if it really goes off. But still, it's embarrassing because of the stare and glare of the passerby and the staffs.
And no, have not, and tried hard not to go near the detector if I have unpaid items at hand. But sometimes, I find it very amusing because of how near the merchandise is with the detector that whoever picks the item nearby to browse, it will surely sets off the alarm.
And also, nowadays even if the alarm does goes off, the staff does not bother to check the person who triggered the alarm and let them off. Thus, I don't understand the concept of this security feature if it doesn't serve its purpose.
@warvial (1146)
• Singapore
15 Jul 10
Hi~ yes! There are so many times that I see the staffs waving to the customers telling them it's okay to go. Okay, maybe they knew it's because of the customers' previous purchases that might have trigger the alarm (although there are occasions where it's actually the store's alarm fault).
But previously, the staff actually help me to locate and demagnetize the sensor tag so that I will not encounter such situation at other stores. That's a good move (and nice one) but nowadays, most of them simply ignore it. Don't they think that someone might steal something and conceal it using their previous purchases?
Anyway, yes, the time when I encounter the alarms, it's freaking loud. And because of this experience, I pay quite a lot of attention when passing through them. Sometimes, I might just purposely swing my bag (full of the items purchased) so that if it really goes off, I will be more prepare for the "shock" that awaits me.
Hopefully no one will encounter the side effect that I have because it's really makes one so nervous back then that I refused my own entry to shops because of the detectors
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
14 Jul 10
That last comment you made was very interesting because I've witnessed that too! The alarm going off and the staff ignore it. Surely some shoplifters have "slipped through the net" because of that but we shall never know!
I also know that the alarms are definitely not as loud these days which is another thing you mention. I remember when they were first implemented they were deafening. It's no wonder you jumped out of your skin when the alarm startled you that time. I walk slower too..a bit like walking through the magnetic security thingy at airports. It's horrible waiting for the alarm to go off!
@bwaybaby (903)
• United States
19 Jul 10
I hate walking through the door alarms. I'm always so paranoid about setting them off, and that probably makes me look more suspicious. I never know what sets it off, too. Sometimes I think it's a library book, sometimes my ipod. I have no idea. I can't remember even actually having bought anything from the stores when the alarms go off :/
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
20 Jul 10
How awful that must be for you. Mum has the same problem with anything electrical or mechanical in her house..it's jinxed I'm sure. At the moment I can't even ring her up because her phone doesn't seem to be working. So frustrating! I will have to ring her up at work tomorrow just to prove it wasn't our phone lol.
And, yes, she has the same problem setting off alarms.
@bounce58 (17385)
• Canada
13 Jul 10
Well, accidentally yes.
Once I was at clothing store and picking out shirt for my son. It was at a mall, so they didn't really have any doors. I've already picked a couple of shirts and was at near the entrance because they had some stuff on sale. While I was rummaging through the pile of on-sale stuff, my kid suddenly ran out of the store. He was 3 years old then, so I naturally had to run after him. Alarms went off and sales staff were looking at me funny. It surely looked like I was running away with some stolen shirts.
I dumped it near the door, got my son, and had to buy a few more extra items just to show that I wasn't shoplifting.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
13 Jul 10
Haha! That's so funny my friend, thanks for sharing that with us. I like the fact you felt the need to have to buy some more stuff lol.
Aww, I do sympathise.
Aww, I do sympathise. @wannaberich (246)
•
15 Jul 10
I had an embarrassing experience too about setting alarms off from stores. It happened in a foreign country. We visited an outlet mall in New York and it was really a huge place. Since we have time constraint with shopping, I choose to shop alone so as to save time. As I went to a store and bought a bag, the cashier forgot to remove the barcode from the item. It started to alarm everytime I went in and out from a store. As usual, people would look at you but I don't really paid much attention since nobody cared to ask me anything. Until I came to a store wherein there was a helpful salesman who asked me if he can check on my things. He said things like that can happen like forgetting to remove the barcode. He was able to find the item but since the outlet store is so huge, I waited till I have to go back the same way to have the barcode removed. Anyway, nobody knows me I said to myself. :)
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
20 Jul 10
Haha! Oh dear, I shouldn't laugh. God, how embarrassing that must've been but at least it got resolved...in the end!
@quakeso (28)
• Bulgaria
13 Jul 10
Well not exactly. Just once when i bought a shirt and the seller forgot to remove the "thing that sets the alarm off" (not a bar code, but some kind of a plastic add-on)and i went off out and heard the alarm noise with the red flashes :D However it was more embarrassing for the seller than to me in my opinion. Of course at the first moment i quickly got hot and started to sweat until the problem was solved.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
13 Jul 10
Yes, those plastic things are what my Mum has on clothes she walks about the store with...moving closer to the exit the whole time (totally unaware of course) so it's up to me to shift her out of the way and get her to the tills as soon as possible!
@thedailyclick (3017)
•
13 Jul 10
This, much to my annoyance, happens to me on a far too often basis. The reason being a couple of years ago I had major spinal surgery and have a framework of titanium screws and wires fitted into my spine. So every now and then when I go through security detectors I set them off, it’s usually if I am too close to one I trigger it.
Fortunately most of the shops I go in know me as I am regular and it causes no hassle other than its “Oh it’s you” from which ever staff member comes over. But I still get the occasional case where I am stopped by someone who doesn’t know me and although I explain to them that I have screws in my spine and show them the blinking scar running down my back they still insist on checking my bag and emptying my pockets.
What’s more annoying is that before I had the surgery I asked the surgeon if having these screws and wires fitted would trigger the detectors and they said they shouldn’t because Titanium has low magneticity (if that’s a proper word) and it would only be a rare occasion when it may happen.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
13 Jul 10
I am so sorry you have to deal with this, it must be very frustrating for you, especially when you are searched after showing someone your scar. How bl**dy ignorant of them! I think some people like humiliating others in this way...the same thing happens at airports. I just hate walking through those magnetic thingys and being treated like a terrorist. I know the security has to be tight these days but it takes the joy out of flying. I used to love airports!
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
13 Jul 10
That must've been really embarrassing! I think it's embarrassing even when I KNOW the alarm will go off (especially in Walmart when I buy electronics...it happens every time!).
Once when I worked at Kmart we bought my husband shoes there and then we kept setting the alarms off every time we left the store and it was really embarrassing because we never had any bags with us. We finally realized that the shoes themselves had tags built into them and they weren't deactivated when we bought them, so his shoe was setting the alarm off! I was so glad when we figured it out and we never made the alarm go off after that. xD But I think it's just kind of embarrassing to have everyone suspecting you of shoplifting! Especially when you work there!
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
13 Jul 10
Oh dear, I can imagine how embarrassing that must've been for you...I mean, the barcode tag thingy stuck on my shoe activated the alarm only a couple of times...then it was discovered and dealt with lol. What a nightmare for you not knowing what was setting the alarm off..at first. What a relief to find out what it was!
@MagicalBubbles (5103)
• Canada
13 Jul 10
Sounds like you had a lot of excitement for one day hehe.
It doesnt bother me when it happens, I worked in a store before and I know it can happen for just about anything.
I dont shoplift so if it goes off, I tell them something's wrong with their machines......but it never happened to me as of yet!!
@MagicalBubbles (5103)
• Canada
13 Jul 10
Sounds like you had a lot of excitement for one day hehe.
It doesnt bother me when it happens, I worked in a store before and I know it can happen for just about anything.
I dont shoplift so if it were to go off, I'd tell them something's wrong with their machines......but it never happened to me as of yet!!
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
13 Jul 10
It's horrible because, for a split second I couldn't help thinking, "what have I done now?" as if I'm guilty or something. It's like I can't walk past a policeman without blushing even though I haven't done anything lol.
@katiesueg (257)
• Italy
13 Jul 10
I once set off the alarm system at Ross Dress for Less. I had bought some clothes and also some CDs that were on sale. When I walked out of the store the alarm went off. I was mortified. Evidently it was impossible to demagnify the CDs and they had caused the alarm to go off. The sales people were very decent about it since evidently it was not the first time it had happened. I used to look at people with disdain when I saw them stopped because of an alarm going off, but after it happened to me I stopped jumping to conclusions.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
13 Jul 10
Yes, CDs are a pain that way aren't they? I've heard them go off in HMV a lot, it must be frustrating for the staff as well...it would drive me mad that's for sure.
