bought something at a garage sale...has an explosive ink tag!

[mrsklamc]

My friend bought a jacket at a garage sale for $1...Got it home and it has an explosive ink tag on it! Is it just garbage?

 

[Mom23Disneybelievers]

I would guess so.....someone probably clipped it from a store, otherwise they would have returned it to the store with the receipt and the store would have taken it off. I would guess that the ink is going to ruin it anyway..........

 

[PinkRhombus]

The store might have not taken it off. One time I bought a swimsuit at KMart and they didn't take the sensor off. It did not set the alarm off when I left. A month later I went to put it on and noticed it. I didn't have the receipt and I took it back to the store. It set the alarm off going INTO the store. They didn't believe me. The girl at the service desk DID see me come into the store and right to the service desk, so I said that I was going to keep it and see if I could find the receipt or bring some transaction information where they could look it up. I mean, they were nasty towards me about it all. So when it, again, did not set the alarm off going out of the store, they believed me.

 

[Nie0214]

I once bought a skirt two states over from me while on a Girl's shopping trip. When I got home, the skirt still had the tag on it. I called the store to ask what I should do since I wasn't going to drive 4 hours there and 4 hours back to get it fixed. They were completely unsympathetic, didn't apologize, and just told me to find another of that store in my area and show my receipt (which I did have). (The store wasn't in my area at all.)

Anyway, I found a guide on youtube on how to remove it. The one on my skirt didn't have ink in it. If yours has ink it will be a little more difficult, but I'm sure you can find instructions online. Needless to say, I now check all clothes for tags before I leave the area.

I also worked at JCPenney during my last semester of college and every now and then people would come in with receipts and jeans with the ink tag still on them. I always apologized and made sure whenever I was training someone new that they HAD to be very thorough in making sure those tags are taken off.

(Since you got this at a garage sale for $1, it seems stolen more than likely. I just wanted to share that sometimes those things are left on by cashiers who aren't paying attention because they're gabbing with their coworkers.)

 

[phins_jazy]

Don't throw it away!! With purchasing it at a garage sale you don't know if it was stolen or not. But you've purchased it and it's now yours. From working in retail let me tell you those ink tags get put on incorrectly all the time!!! There are many times that our tag guns can't get them off. Is it a big round ink tag? Those can be taken off with a high powered magnet on one flat end. If it's not, get yourself a plastic bag and cover the ink tag completely! All the way around it to the pin part. Then get a wire snips and proceed to snip the pin on the other side. You might shatter the glass in the ink tag but with the bag wrapped around it you should be ok. Been there done that numerous times!!! Now please, don't go to the store and do this. I only posted this to try to help the OP out. Hope it helps!!!

 

[Mrsdennison]

I purchased a baby hat for my nephew at Six Flags. When I took it home I realized it still have the ink tag.

We put the plastic bag around it and then were able to just cut it off becuase of its location.

I always check my clothes now. Of course I realize that would not seem to be a problem at a yard sale.

Mrsdennison

 

[mjhd]

Search online for steps to removing it. I had one from a church garage sale - brand new Ralph Lauren sundress for .50. I read the directions and then sawed through the plastic with a kitchen knife, removed the ball bearings, cut some more and it just pulled apart. BE CAREFUL though and make sure you find the steps to remove your specific size/shape!

 

[HelenePA]

About a month ago I was at the childrens place outlet which is a good hour and a half from me got home and noticed a tag. The nearest store is at least an hour away. I was wondering what I was gonna do with this hoodie I bought! Seems like I found an answer! I will try to get it off tomorrow.

 

[*BTMRR*]

Not too long ago, I bought a dress for about $5 on clearance at a store an hour's drive away. When I got home I saw it still had the ink tag. I wasn't going back to that store anytime soon and the dress wasn't worth the gas money and time to me so I gave it to someone who was having a garage sale. Maybe that's how the jacket your friend bought ended up at the garage sale. I wish I had thought to look online for ways to get the tag off!

 

[maddiesmom0116]

Hi-
You can knock it off with a hammer just put your item in the freezer first to freeze the ink. I worked LP for several years and we heard of this all the time. My company had the hidden tags that caused and alarm instead because of this easy work around.

 

[Eeyore's-tail-tack]

Who is going to risk going to jail for a dollar. Seriously, someone didn't want to take the thing back to the store to have the tag removed. Counted it as a loss and probably figured the dollar some how paid for the gas or something.

 

[Nie0214]

Who is going to risk going to jail for a dollar. Seriously, someone didn't want to take the thing back to the store to have the tag removed. Counted it as a loss and probably figured the dollar some how paid for the gas or something.

Well technically they'd go to jail for the price of the coat, not a dollar.

 

[mrsklamc]

Thanks so much for all the suggestions.

It was a charity sale, with items donated both by individuals and stores with unsold inventory, so it's hard to say if it was bought and the tag wasn't removed, truly stolen, or if it was donated by a store and the clerk handling the donation missed it.

Thanks again!

 

[jla_doc]

at the store. I'm sure they'll understand your situation

 

[pilesoflaundry]

I bought winter coats for my kids on clearance off season and put them away. A year later I pulled them out when it got cold and there was an ink tag still in one of the sleeves. I no longer had the receipt and figured the store would give me a hard time with something that old so I took it off myself.

I froze the jacket first and then put a ziploc around the ink tag. With wire cutters we eventually got it off but there is a tiny tear on the inside of the sleeve. It's nothing major but it would have been nice not to have it! What bugs me is I knew there was one on there and asked the clerk if she got them all and she said yes.

 

[SandrA9810]

Wouldn't one of those magnetic rocks be strong enough to get it off?? They seem to be anywhere kids stuff is. And might not be the cheapest way to do it, but you'll have it for next time, and the amusement of throwing it in the air in between.

 

[HelenePA]

you guys rock! I'm gonna go freeze my hoodie..

 

[disneymarie]

If you do have a receipt from a store a distance away, do you think a local Kmart or Walmart would kindly remove the device?

I have one on a College pull over, the clerk did not notice it and the store is not closed. I wonder if they would do it locally before I try it myself?
di

 

[missj1975]

Even Disney is bad about removing tags. I bought an expensive bag at one of the Gift shops at Epcot and didn't notice the tag still attached until I got back to my room. Luckily I noticed before my vacation was over and just took it down to my hotel gift shop to have them remove the tag.

 

[cats mom]

If you do have a receipt from a store a distance away, do you think a local Kmart or Walmart would kindly remove the device?

I have one on a College pull over, the clerk did not notice it and the store is not closed. I wonder if they would do it locally before I try it myself?
di

I bought my DD an Easter dress from Nordstrom one year. Late Saturday night as I was setting all the kids' stuff out I noticed the stupid theft sensor still on it. It wasn't one of the ink ones, and it certainly didn't set off the alarm when we left the store, go figure.

Anyway, Nordstrom was already closed for the day and they opened late on Sunday, so I took the dress and the receipt to Walmart. They had no problem removing the sensor for me.

I didn't know whether they had the same type of theft devices, and even if they did, I knew they didn't have to help me, but I figured it was worth a shot. Thankfully it all worked out.

I say give it a try.