So, is this stealing?

[mom to minnie&mickey]

I was in wal mart today when I remembered i needed lemons. As I approached them i noticed a woman about 5 feet away open several clear plastic containers of strawberries and proceed to pick and choose the best ones, remove them and place them in another container she was holding making sure to overfill hers. She then walked away leaving them open and one in particular unsaleable as she had taken more than half! She noticed me staring at her in disbelief and cheekily said "don't buy it if you don't want it". She then proceeded to take her cart with 2 kids inside and walk away.

For the record i say it is stealing.

 

[minnie mum]

Were they being sold by the container or by the pound? If it was by the container, she probably got what she deserved when the cashier closed the container and squased them all.

 

[MichiganScott]

Depends, was it Honey or Boo Boo.

 

[Allison]

My question is also about how they were being sold.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

They were selling by individual container but you know how they don't always fill them to the top. She made sure hers was full by taking from other containers, thereby leaving them with less berries for the next customer.

 

[mnrose]

I'd say wrong. If they are in a container already, you are buying the container. Period. You are not free to pick and choose from various containers and make your own.

 

[Minniesgal]

It's not something I would do personally but as for others i tend to live and let live

 

[Disneylover99]

It depends. I've seen containers with half rotten strawberries. I have no problem with people picking off the rotten ones, for fresher ones.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

If i cared to, I'd probably weigh the container to make sure it matched the oz. Marked on the package. If it was underfilled, I would see nothing wrong with adding enough to match the stated weight. I'm in too big a hurry to typically worry about it though

 

[megster1123]

If she was taking from another package to put into hers, without removing any original ones first, yes that is stealing. Especially since she was leaving opened and un-sellable product behind.
What's even more shameful is that she did it in front of her children.

 

[mom2rtk]

If she was taking from another package to put into hers, without removing any original ones first, yes that is stealing. Especially since she was leaving opened and un-sellable product behind.
What's even more shameful is that she did it in front of her children.

She probably learned it from her mom.

I wouldn't do it, but if she was trading bad strawberries for decent ones, I wouldn't consider it stealing. Tasteless, but not stealing.

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

I look at it this way: if she had a fruit stand on the side of the road and there were containers of strawberries for sale just like you mentioned they were in Walmart would she have a problem with me doing exactly what she did? If yes then there is something wrong with it.

 

[LinderInWonderland]

It depends. I've seen containers with half rotten strawberries. I have no problem with people picking off the rotten ones, for fresher ones.

This.

I won't buy strawberries in packages anymore because no matter how carefully I look, there are always several with mold on them.

I never thought of going through the cartons to pick out the healthy ones (nor would I - I don't want to waste the time), but I also don't think people should have to pay for inedible food.

 

[RedAngie]

Depends, was it Honey or Boo Boo.

My first thought: the customer was a stereotypical "People of Walmart."

At a Walmart in Florida this past week, I noticed a woman letting her kids eat the grapes from a package. I'm pretty sure they were sold by the pound, so yes, I consider that stealing. The strawberries in the above example? Tacky, but not necessarily stealing.

By the way, this was Sunday May 1 at about 1130pm. The place was packed, many people with small kids. Shouldn't they be asleep at that hour? DH pointed out that it was most likely the day EBT cards were refilled.

 

[mom2rtk]

My first thought: the customer was a stereotypical "People of Walmart."

At a Walmart in Florida this past week, I noticed a woman letting her kids eat the grapes from a package. I'm pretty sure they were sold by the pound, so yes, I consider that stealing. The strawberries in the above example? Tacky, but not necessarily stealing.

By the way, this was Sunday May 1 at about 1130pm. The place was packed, many people with small kids. Shouldn't they be asleep at that hour? DH pointed out that it was most likely the day EBT cards were refilled.

Wait a minute. You're admitting on the DIS that you shop at Wal-mart?

 

[lovin'fl]

Well I am tired of buying rotten fruit at the market. Can never get decent fruit anymore and they don't keep the bins full but only have a few to choose from. We get apples every week and there are only a couple handfuls and most have brown spots on them and gray moldy areas near the stems. Give us decent product. We are certainly paying for it as produce is very pricey anymore. Now...I never open strawberries and switch out. I don't, though, have a problem with other folks taking the rotten ones and putting in nice ones but it should be 1:1 ratio not take out 1 rotten and put in 2-3 nice. I usually look at the strawberries carefully and if they look icky I don't buy them.

 

[RedAngie]

Wait a minute. You're admitting on the DIS that you shop at Wal-mart?

Sure, and I'll share that I went bathing suit shopping at Walmart at 1130pm last Sunday night and bought one.

I thought I left my bathing suit at the hotel we checked out of that morning 50 miles away. I found it when I was going through the laundry bags this morning.

 

[momtosam]

Gotta love Walmart.

 

[low-key]

I might not go as far as to say its steeling but I will say I dont like her

 

[Rhie]

I'd say it was rude, definitely. But if she paid for the ones she walked out with, that's not stealing. If people were charged with stealing for leaving items in a store in unsaleable conditions everyone would be in jail.