Wal-Mart DVD's under lock and key (1 Viewer)

[Kevin J Willis]

The Wal-Mart that i've worked for use to have the DVD's inside a glass case about 2 years ago. Now they've got them displayed out in the open.

 

[Adam_S]

We have two supercenters here, and both used to have the lock and key system you're speaking of, and sometime in the last six months, both have converted to open shelves instead. I was in there this morning grabbing a Harry Potter off the shelf (from one of five, the other four were full screen, which is the first time this walmart has had more full screen than wide on a major release), no problem. It seems odd that some are converting to open shelves, while others are going to lock boxes, maybe the various walmart's sell the old lockboxes to other walmart's that have big problems with thievery. Don't blame Walmart for making it difficult to get your dvds, blame the freaking thieves that have caused this ontop of thre security stickers.

Adam

 

[John Bryant]

All the Wal-Marts around here have had dvd's and games under lock and key for as long as I can remember. I vaguely remember one of them at one time just had them on the shelves, but I can't confirm. I did once find an empty Gran Turismo 3 case in sporting goods. I was going to turn it in to someone but I figured they would try and blame me.

 

[Mike Frezon]

My closest W-M has DVDs on open shelves AND behind glass! All of the brand new DVD releases and their titles listed for $14.44 and $9.44 are on the shelf ready to be picked up. All of their other DVDs (mostly in the $20 range) are locked behind glass.
I had an interesting thing happen Sunday at my local BestBuy. Went to check out with a copy of Terminator. I had noticed the plastic was ripped but didn't think much of it--only that maybe whoever opened the carton went a little nuts with his boxcutter. The check-out guy, however, really started giving the case a good once-over and pried it open and discovered the disc missing! I never even thought to check. Glad he did though, because something tells me they might have doubted my story of buying an empty case.

 

[Matt Wallace]

You guys have "NO" idea how bad theft is with DVD. Take what you think CD theft is, and multiply by a factor of 100. I sh#t you not! My job and bonuses weigh on those exact numbers. What we do, as a better solution, is put them in individual cases. Best Buy uses a similar (inferior) case for all of their video games now. If you guys have shopped their sections there, you can tell that it's really easy to see through the acrylic and you can still handle it to look at all the specs, etc. It's been a win/win for us.
Meanwhile, we also buy and sell Used DVD and I get stolen Wal Mart DVD's by the dozens! I can't prove it LEGALLY, but I used to work for Wally World and have been in retail for a long time - I know where they come from. One guy got busted at their store stealing and he dropped 12 or 13 DVD's compared to only about 3 CD's! Their store is just too damn big and being open 24 hours doesn't help... Where there is a thief, there is a way. No retailer is safe, but there are some ways that are better than others...

Matt

 

[Jorge Montes]

Since there seems to be evidence that Wal-Mart is favoring sales of MAR P&S titles, I guess we should be glad of anything that reduces their share of the market.

First thought that ran through my head upon reading this post.

 

[Paul D G]

My local WM (which I despise going to but I had to get Harry Potter price matched) still has the DVDs out in the open. However, the DVDs, CDs and small electronics are in a special, claustrophobic, closed off section with one enterance with a counter right there. They ask that you buy your DVDs within this section.

I thought this was great, it's too cramped and busy with people all over to try and steal something without someone noticing. However, when the clerk wouldn't price match and I went to Customer Service (who agreed) I went to grab the disc and take it there. I fully expected an alarm to sound when I left the electronics area but none did, which defeats the purpose of the special section in my eyes.

BTW, regarding shoplifting, the talk radio station I listened to had an hour devoted to taking calls from people who shoplift. We're not talking 15 year olds, we're talking adults with high incomes. One guy who called said that he lines his wife's purse with aluminum foil and this defeats the detectors. He was a bit more specific but I won't divulge. If you try it and get busted it's your own damn fault!

-paul

 

[Richard cash]

here in the UK all the shops take the dvd out of the cases and put the cases on display and keep the dvds behind the counter. it gives good security but the staff dont usually handle the discs with care and ther eare usually always a few minor scratches on them. This is why i always buy online now.

 

[Patrick Larkin]

Please. Let's not shed a tear for Walmart. Maybe you should shed tears for the family run stores in rural America and in other countries that are trounced by WM with little remorse.

 

[Patrick Scott]

You guys have "NO" idea how bad theft is with DVD.

Yep, take what was said above and multiply that ten fold. What these folks are doing is nothing short of amazing. About six months ago a lady took over sixty CD's that were tagged with eas sensors, they did not set the door off because she new a trick on defeating them, (no I will not post it) Little did she know she was being watched, she got caught and sent to jail. Back in December a ring was shut down that was stealing from the store I work at. They had 60 Tomb Raider DVD's, 23 Sopranos season 2 box sets, 17 Final Fantasy DVD's as well as a few other single titles, this was done in one night! They got caught as well.
I have seen two guys working together stripping DVD's out of cases, they can do about 10 DVD's in 30 seconds.
I am in what you would call a high shrink area and do not lock up my product. If you don't like the product locked up call Wal-Mart, Target or whom ever is locking up this product and express your concerns. I know most of these retailers are trying to get away from locking product up as it hurts the honest shopper. If you are the honest shopper they need to hear from you. This forum is great for venting , however if you want to make a change YOU need to call the home offices of these companies and express your concerns, whether it be OAR, locked cases or the lack of toilet paper in the bathroom. Only then will you see change begin to happen. If you think it won't happen look at what is being said about OAR being affected by people calling in and complaining.
Scott
Just a guick edit, I am not saying that the folks who started this thread or are replying to it are dishonest, by my statement of "if you are the honest shopper" sorry if that is what it sounds like.

 

[JasonKrol]

I noticed something odd when I was browsing DVDs at Best Buy. I actually was asked many, many times if I was doing ok and If I needed help with anything.

Well, this doesnt sound that bizarre except that it was at Best Buy! And, as I was browsing, there were many blue shirt peeps walking around the DVD aisles. I actually felt guilty carrying the 2 DVDs that I was gonna purchase!! Im assuming that BB is suffering the same problem as WalMart etc, and their solution at least for the time being is to guard the DVDs with their lives.

Although, a store like Best Buy must really really get hit hard with theft, since absolutely everything in the store is accessible, even all of the console games!

---

another point real quick, someone mentioned earlier that it sucks that DVDs are locked up now cause you cant see the back to see if its Widescreen, Anamorphic, etc. The other thing I hate is the combo packs, where 2 DVDs are attached (backs facing each other), so on one side is the front of movie A and the other side is the front of movie B. That really sucks too. I just rely on the fact that I can return if one of the movies isnt widesreen etc.

 

[Brian W.]

Well, at the Best Buy in Burbank, CA, they don't have the DVDs locked up, but they have employees standing at the exit doors who compare you receipt to what's in your bag and make a check mark on the receipt. Course, that won't do much good if a person's got a DVD stuffed down their pants or in their purse, so I don't know what good they think it'll do.

I have never and would never shoplift, but many stores flat out deserve to be ripped off because they are so incompetant. I can't tell you how many times I've been in a store when someone is walking out and trips the alarm. The employees NEVER DO ANYTHING. This happens at Virgin Megastore in Burbank ALL THE FRIGGIN' TIME. Part of the reason is that the cash registers are on the opposite side of the store from the exit doors. Dumb move! Occasionally I have set off the sensor if they haven't scanned my item correctly. We've all had that happen. I stop, try to wave down a cashier and say, "I'm setting off the alarm," and I can't even get anybody's friggin' attention.

I remember seeing this at Borders in Seattle. Some old man was walking out of the store. He had no merchandise with him that I could see, certainly no Borders shopping bag. The alarm went off and he kept right on walking, unfazed, like he'd never even heard it. The doors were right near the cash registers, but the cashiers didn't even blink. They glanced at the door, then went back to work. They really did not seem to care that someone had probably just helped themselves to a book. And they have the nerve to complain about shoplifting.

When that alarm goes off, you can always tell when someone's stolen something or if there's some kind of mistake -- the guilty ones NEVER stop, they just keep walking -- strolling, slowly -- as if nothing has happened. Innocent people act surprised when they've set off the alarm.

But guilty or innocent, it makes no difference, because I have rarely if ever seen an employee stop a patron that has set off the alarm. Why do they have the alarm system if they're going to ignore it?

 

[JJR512]

I'd like to take a small exception to the previous reply. "Innocent people act surprised when they've set off the alarm." This is not always true. I sometimes innocently set off the alarms, as I'm sure has happened to most of us. But I just keep on walking, just like the guilty guy you've described. I'm not surprised because I saw that I was about to walk through the sensors and know it is a possibility that they will go off. I just keep walking for two reasons. The first is that I know I'm not likely to be stopped, as you discussed, so I figure, why bother to stop? If an employee wants to stop me, let him come get me. The other reason I keep on walking is that I know that by law in this state, they cannot stop me if I don't want to be stopped; they cannot touch me, cannot grab me, cannot take my bag from me, cannot search it without my consent, and damn straight I'm not going to give my consent. I know I haven't stolen anything, and I'm not going to stand there with people staring at me like I'm a common criminal while they search my bag just because the cashier didn't deactivate all the tags.

On the issue of DVD theft itself, I work at CompUSA, and the DVD area is primarily my responsiblity. We use the plastic boxes that someone else (forget who) described earlier in this thread, the clear hard plastic boxes that require a special key to open. I hate those boxes, I really do, partly because they waste space and time, and partly because it means that oversized titles have to go on a different shelf. However, I recognize that they are a good theft deterrant; certainly, they are better than nothing. Nothing will stop a determined and smart thief, I think we all know that. But, they're better than nothing, and in my opinion, are better than the locked glass doors. As was mentioned earlier, once the clerk hands you the title you've requested, after getting it out of the lockup, you can still steal that DVD. You can steal DVDs from the plastic boxes, too, if you have one of the special keys, which many people in retail could easily get ahold of. The plastic box may or may not stop more theft than the glass case; but, the difference is that to the honest customer, the plastic box is better, because they can pick up the title and look it completely over.

 

[Brian W.]

Well, I think you're the exception to the rule, Justin. I think most people would stop if they tripped the alarm, or would at least have a reaction to it. You may have a different reaction to it since you work in retail.
I don't know what the law is in Maryland, but in most states it is absolutely legal to detain suspected shoplifters. This is from http://www.security-expert.org/shoplift.html

In almost all jurisdictions in the United States, merchants are legally empowered to detain shoplifting suspects for investigation and possible arrest and prosecution in the criminal justice system. This power is called “merchant’s privilege.”

And that same website recommends that store employees should confront the suspect OUTSIDE the store.
Anyway, my point was that I don't know why stores have these security devices if they're not going to use them.

 

[JJR512]

I think that I was partially incorrect to say that they can't stop a suspected shoplifter. They can. However, some of the stores I have worked for in the past have instructed the employees to not be too aggressive in stopping suspects. They are afraid of lawsuits, plain and simple. And they wouldn't be afraid of lawsuits if suspected shoplifters who were detained in the past hadn't sued, and won. And that's ridiculous.

 

[Malcolm R]

Well, I think you're the exception to the rule, Justin. I think most people would stop if they tripped the alarm, or would at least have a reaction to it. You may have a different reaction to it since you work in retail.

I don't think many people have any reaction to these alarms. They go off so often that most don't even notice it anymore, they just keep walking.

I have much the same feelings as Justin. The first few times I set off alarms, I turned around and tried to get someone to help me. Generally I could find no one to help me, or I was just waved out the door without even a cursory check of my merchandise. After a while, it happened so often that I don't even bother to stop anymore. As Justin said, I know I didn't steal anything and if the cashiers are too incompentent to deactivate the tags I'm not going waste my time by re-entering the store and trying to get someone to deal with it. I just keep going right out the door.

While in Kmart one christmas season, the sensor was going off for about every third customer. You know they're not all shoplifters. Either the sensor is defective or the cashiers are not doing their jobs. The staff on duty was totally ignoring all the alarms, so I guess it had been doing it all day long.

Odd semi-related story. At one mall, I went to Circuit City and made a purchase. All my tags were deactivated as the CC sensor did not go off when I left. However, upon entering Waldenbooks, these tags set off their sensor. I thought it was hilarious. I kept hanging around the doors and kept tripping the sensor until one of the guys at the counter called me over. I handed him my CC bag and let him re-deactivate my DVD sensor tags. The alarm did not sound again when I left the store.

My Best Buy has the "entry sentry," but they do not check your receipt unless it's a big box item. A small bag with CD's or DVD's can walk right out the door without a check.

Also, does the "entry sentry" at the warehouse clubs do any good? They never seem to do any sort of real comparison of my merchandise to my receipt. They generally just look at the receipt, glance into my cart, then send me on my way. They can't actually be making a comparison that quickly, especially if the cart is full.

 

[Vic_T]

I for one don't shed a tear for Wally-World. They opened up in my small town and shut down all other retail stores. They are now the ONLY place in town you can buy anything except groceries. Not that I endorse theft in any way, I just don't like Wal-Mart. Anyway, my Wal_mart is too small to afford those fancy glass cases.

 

[Craig S]

I noticed something odd when I was browsing DVDs at Best Buy. I actually was asked many, many times if I was doing ok and If I needed help with anything.

I've noticed this as well just in the past few weeks at my local BB. I was wondering why the blue shirts were suddenly so attentive/annoying.

 

[PhilipG]

I hate those alarm gates. One time I bought a bunch of CDs from HMV, and passed through the gates without a problem. Then I went to Our Price, and the CDs I'd bought from HMV set off the Our Price security gates! According to the staff there this happens a lot due to using a similar tagging system or somesuch. These days I buy from shops using the hard outer cases for their DVDs, or those which keep the discs behind the counter.

 

[Tomoko Noguchi]

George Kaplan,

Check again at the airport area Walmart in San Antonio. I was in San Antonio for a educators conference and dvds are now under lock and key there.