Hypothetically.....

Hypothetically, let's say you are mystery shopping a store and you decided to shoplift. And let's say you were caught and the store decides to press charges on you, should you include this information in the report? This thought just popped in my mind in the middle of last night and I just had to write a thread about it.

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I would think that's rather like acting as a witness against yourself, which is deemed unconstitutional by the Fifth Amendment.

"The future ain't what it used to be." --Yogi Berra

If someone is dishonest enough to shoplift, they probably wouldn't worry about submitting an accurate report.

That said, it's most definitely not a constitutional issue. Criminals are free to incriminate themselves all they want (and do so all the time). They just cannot be COMPELLED to incriminate themselves, i.e. forced or coerced to testify against themselves in court or during an interrogation.

In the context of the hypothetical offered by DavePi I think that would be an appropriate time to not write a report and take the hit with the MSC for not performing the shop properly.

In a slightly different context... I wonder if a shopper has ever been accused of shoplifting and/or arrested (during a shop) through no fault of their own. In that case, should that go into a report of a mystery shop?

Well, hypothetically, if one decided to shop lift while mystery shopping, what does submitting a report matter? One obviously is not focused on mystery shopping and completing the shop with a report is moot. I would feel that having committed a crime while mystery shopping, one should concentrate on the big trouble he/she is in than on the measly fee one would receive because it would not amount to a free pass. Saving one's record with the MSC by completing a report would not save one's criminal record. If the focus was on shoplifting, why bother with the report?

This would never enter my mind. What would even make you think of it?

i dont think this is hypothetical. read other op posts.

QuoteReply!
DavePi 3m January 29, 2016 05:54PM
I always lie on my reports, don't worry too much about it.

And let's not forget this "hypothetical" situation.

DavePi 3m January 26, 2016 07:00PM
Hypothetically, let's say you need a job fast for extra income and the best opportunity is to work at a grocery that you once or twice mystery shopped. Hypothetically, if I were to stop mystery shopping that store but continue to shop my other stores, is there any way for the MSC to find out?

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

I'm just following an imaginary string here; as others have noted, it's a silly question, and I know that my line of reasoning wouldn't hold up in court or anything. Hypothetically, in my above post, I was answering the question that's often asked of "SHOULD this go in the report?" My hypothetical answer is no, because if the MSC rejected the report due to you not reporting that you had shoplifted, then that's a little bit like them expecting you to testify against yourself. I hope to God this ridiculous situation never comes up.

"The future ain't what it used to be." --Yogi Berra

I think a much more interesting question would be: When I was doing the crazy things I was required to do for a shop, Security pulled me into the office and accused me of shoplifting. They searched my purse and pockets, found nothing and let me go with only a perfunctory apology. Should I put this in my report?

In a situation like this, I would touch base with the MSC I was performing the shop for and inform them of the situation. I would allow them to advise me if I should include the situation in the shop report or not.

@Flash wrote:

I think a much more interesting question would be: When I was doing the crazy things I was required to do for a shop, Security pulled me into the office and accused me of shoplifting. They searched my purse and pockets, found nothing and let me go with only a perfunctory apology. Should I put this in my report?

Arguing with fools is like playing chess with a pigeon...
...No matter how good you are, the pigeon will s@^t on the board and strut around like it won anyway.

Not scheduling for ANY company.

DavePi you stated in one of your past post that you always lie in your reports. If this is true, why are you a Mystery Shopper? Now your speaking "hypothetically" about shoplifting. What is your reasoning? I don't get it.

Dante, It is still a hypothetical. In reality I think that should that ever happen to me I would bail on it being a shop, ask for some proof of their accusations before allowing them to search anything and sue the heck out of them for detaining me and searching my property when they found nothing.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/2016 09:54PM by Flash.

Despite the mention of a hypothetical mystery shop, a silly thread like this belongs in general chat. It is obviously one meant to either stir the pot or have us addressing a non-existent ethical issue. It is no different than another thread created by the OP as himself. I would bet he also created the thread pretending to be shopper who had kept the money when a cashier gave him back 10 or 20 times more change than he was due.

Hypothetically OP is a bridge dweller. Hypothetically he craves attention. Hypothetically he is laughing his ass off while admiring his work here. Realistically a moderator should close this thread.

I've done a grocery shop where I had to "steal" something on the bottom of my cart to see if the cashier noticed. That got my heart rate going for sure. So yeah, I've wondered what would happen.

There are some shops that are to test the associates' care and observation. The bottom of the cart shops are just that and are to be treated as an 'oops' and paid for on the ones I have done to get a second receipt. I have done one where I was to put an item inside an item I was purchasing to see if the cashier would find it. I then was to return both items. I was provided with a letter of authorization for the 'heist' if I got caught.

@Sybil2 wrote:

Hypothetically OP is a bridge dweller. Hypothetically he craves attention. Hypothetically he is laughing his ass off while admiring his work here. Realistically a moderator should close this thread.

Agreed. This is just stupid.

I once almost accidentally shoplifted during a grocery store shop. These shops involve making multiple purchases at the cashier, so I've become accustomed to making a purchase, slipping the item into my bag, and walking back in for another purchase. This works out great most of the time, until I got so comfortable in my habit that I put a product in my bag in the aisle and almost walked out with it!! Fortunately, I caught myself before the store noticed or I walked out, and purchased it without incident.

Reminds me of the grocery store shop in which the cashier neglected to ring up one item. After I got to my car and looked at the receipt and realized it, I went back in, to the same cashier, and had her ring it. Luckily the original receipt had enough items on it for the reimbursement amount.

@Flash wrote:

Dante, It is still a hypothetical. In reality I think that should that ever happen to me I would bail on it being a shop, ask for some proof of their accusations before allowing them to search anything and sue the heck out of them for detaining me and searching my property when they found nothing.

Yes, I agree. In fact, I do know of a person that has been accused of being a shoplifter except the police were called before he was confronted by the store manager. He got some alot of money out of it.

Me I would probably say that you want to search me get a warrant!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/2016 11:17AM by 2stepps.

Hypothetically. I'm trying to figure out how many shops I will have to conduct to pay a speeding ticket I got on my way home from conducting a shop? Hum. I wasn't thrilled. The police officer said if I was going 10 miles over the speed limit he would not have given me the ticket. So I got the ticket for going 11 miles over the limit.

First ticket in my life! Ugh

Yes, 10 mph over the speed limit is usually the magic number for many police officers. Technically, NOT hypothetically, they could give you a ticket for going 1 mph. Most cops do not want to deal with the paperwork for 1 mph. What color is your vehicle?

@WillShopForFood wrote:

I've done a grocery shop where I had to "steal" something on the bottom of my cart to see if the cashier noticed. That got my heart rate going for sure. So yeah, I've wondered what would happen.

I've done these shops and the cashier did not catch the item so I had to walk out of the store and report it. For this shop, you are not to let them know if they don't catch it. The whole time I walked to my car I was sure someone might come out and tell me to come back inside.

Red, of course. haha

I think that OP is really a plant by an MSC, the MSPA or maybe even the FBI who is checking to see which among us is honest.

@pinchers81 wrote:

I would think that's rather like acting as a witness against yourself, which is deemed unconstitutional by the Fifth Amendment.

Being *required* to act as a witness against yourself is unconstitutional. Choosing to is not.

My legal question would be: were the charges dropped when you told them you "passed them?"

@TeriW wrote:

I think that OP is really a plant by an MSC, the MSPA or maybe even the FBI who is checking to see which among us is honest.

(Personal attack removed by Mod)

D-bag is not a personal attack. FBI is more of a personal attack. Geesh!

Mulder & Scully have better things to do like checking on that Crazy neighbor of yours down the street that claims there's a mutant in your sewers. Jokes on you there is a mutant and the government knew about it, doo doo doo doo doo doo!

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