Removing security devices from clothes

**provence** · November 1st, 2005, 06:55 PM

So I purchased a sweater at a store today and the guy didn't remove the electronic security device thingamajig. I even set off the alarm as I left the store. Another guy came over and went through my bag but when he noticed that I had also purchased underwear he didn't want to rifle through my bag any longer and said he didn't know what set it off. The guy who rang me up yells out that I'm good to go. Well, hours later, I am at home and want to wash my new stuff and I realize the damn security thing is still on the sweater.

I didn't even realize the sweater had a security device or I would have made sure it had been removed.

I yanked at it but only damaged the plastic. At the moment, I'm just being lazy and don't feel like driving back to the store for this nonsense.

Anyone know how to remove these things? If not, that's okay- just tell me to drive my butt back to the loser mall.

**NoDayButToday** · November 1st, 2005, 06:58 PM

Drive your butt back

I mean, you could attempt to pry it off with a small knife, or saw off the metal part, but that's more work than it's worth. There also isn't a guarantee that there is no ink pack in there, so you run the risk of damaging the item.

**muchlove** · November 1st, 2005, 07:00 PM

Drive your butt back... I wouldn't risk damaging the sweater.

But I love your icon!! It makes me say "aww!" every time.

**provence** · November 1st, 2005, 07:02 PM

Ahhhhh, an ink pack! I never thought about that!!!! Thanks for responding. Driving my butt back is the wisest thing to do. I'm not even a lazy person but for some reason I'm not motivated at the moment. I'll head back to the store tomorrow. Thanks!

**provence** · November 1st, 2005, 07:05 PM

Originally Posted by muchlove

Drive your butt back... I wouldn't risk damaging the sweater.

But I love your icon!! It makes me say "aww!" every time.

Thanks about the icon. I don't even remember where that picture came from but I said "Awww " too. I love PUPPIES!!!!!!!!! Thanks for your response too. Butt heading to the mall tomorrow.

**provence** · November 1st, 2005, 08:59 PM

I just went to the store and they took the device off. Thanks for motivating me.

**NoDayButToday** · November 1st, 2005, 09:02 PM

Good! No store should give you a problem about it, especially if you have a receipt. It's just a pain in the ass to go back.

**moocow** · November 1st, 2005, 10:16 PM

It's happened to me twice. Funny enough, it didn't set off the detector either time. In one case, I actually moved before I found it out - I'd packed it before wearing it the first time. Because that store wasn't local to the new town, I took it to a different store. I made sure someone saw me walk in with it.

What I found out after the second time, and my bitching about it pretty vehemently, was that the security devices only work about 25% of the time. The store is gambling on people not willing to risk it going off when they take items. I said gee, then I get to deal with the holes put in the fabric and the inconvenience when someone forgets, and they're not even worth it!

**NoDayButToday** · November 1st, 2005, 10:30 PM

Ours do work 100% of the time-when there is a single item. The system is not foolproof. If it is an item in the middle of a large bag, there are too many layers to go through, and the alarm won't go off. Also, cell phones can be a phony trigger, and on top of it, people who intentionally shoplift have discovered things like lining their bag in aluminum foil interferes and won't set off the system.

It is also possible to buy handheld sensor removers online on places like Ebay.

**SVZ** · November 1st, 2005, 11:12 PM

silly ndbt, ebay isn't a place...or is it? *cocks eyebrow*

**NoDayButToday** · November 1st, 2005, 11:19 PM

Oops, that I and O are too close to each other on the keyboard

Fixed, lol

**provence** · November 2nd, 2005, 09:30 AM

The girl at the store was really nice. I had my receipt so I knew I wouldn't have a problem. I did set off the alarm when I went back into the store but no one tackled me.

I worked in retail (not clothing though) for many years so I know that when you get busy it's easy to overlook tags/devices etc... so I wasn't mad at the guy who forgot to remove it. I was just being lazy about the drive back to the mall.

It's just so sad that shoplifting is as bad as it is. When I managed a store (ten years ago) there were so many people who stole items only to return a day or so later (or for the bold...hours later) and try to get cash back for the items they had stolen. The holidays were an absolute nightmare! For the most part, people were honest but on somedays it seemed like every other person was up to some type of scam.

**NoDayButToday** · November 2nd, 2005, 09:37 AM

There was one day that every store that was part of my chain in the area was on high alert for 2 women. They hit about 3 stores before the word got out, but they came in with huge amounts of clothes and no receipt attempting to return them. Our policy is if there is no receipt we give a merchandise credit for the current price. For the first 3 stores they got a little over $1000 in merchandise credits. For the rest of the day the employees were concentrated in the front part of the store, eyes wide open looking for these 2 women. We suspected that they would grab more clothes on their way out to take to the next store. From what I heard, they hit a fourth store and realized we were on to them because of all the "personal attention" (hi, how are you doing? can I help you find anything? oh, I love that shirt, here's a pair of pants that match. You know what else I love? etc.) they were receiving from employees and decided to stop.