Apple Store Customer Arrested for Shoplifting Says He Was Trying to Use EasyPay Self-Checkout

[theanimaster]

SUE THE (APPLE)STORE.


Step it up a bit. Whether he did intend steal it or not, that sounds like a really retarded system. They should add something like a buzzer that overrides all other iPhone settings and continuously buzzes the crap out of your pocket and makes a noise like "THIEF! THIEF! THIEF!" if you close the screen without completing the purchase...

 

[Egnat69]

"Stealing" requires the element of dishonesty.

I'm not 100% certain but i believe here in austria it actually can be counted as intended shoplifting if you put goods in a bag you brought with you... that might be because it's always easy to say "i meant to pay for it later on" when you get caught...

however... stealing is defined as not paying for a good or service (i.e. eating a grape in store) - you don't differentiate between stealing on purpose or stealing unintentionally - if you can prove to the court you didn't do it on purpose (good luck with that) you have a chance on reduced charges...

 

[Xiroteus]

I'm not sure about the laws in the USA but here in AUS doing this would be a big mistake. I work in retail and falsely accusing someone of theft and bring major lawsuits against the company. At my work we are instructed that if we find someone shoplifting to ask if they were planing on buying the items, then give them the chance to buy them.

This kids even offered the pay for the headphones after being accused of stealing. So I don't see why Apple had a problem if he was happy to pay for them before leaving.

I saw something like that at a store once, someone was trying to go out the security exit fire gate and he said he was just trying to get back inside and we all knew he was trying to steal everything for a few reasons, however they accepted that and allowed him to go on his way and he left the store again.

The guy did appear he was on something, they did allow for him to go pay for the goods which is better then outright saying he was stealing, now taking the cart out the store doors heading to your car would be another story.

 

[thatoneguy82]

Oh wow...I'm definitely tardy to the party on this whole Easy Pay feature. I don't think I'd ever use it though, unless I was in a rush. I enjoy retail store interaction. If I did use it, it would be for something small and definitely just for the novelty of it.

 

[SqueaksJob]

"Last year, the 'Apple Store' iPhone app was updated with a new 'EasyPay' feature that allowed users to purchase products in the retail store without interacting with any salespeople. This benefits both customers and the store by freeing up store employees to deal with customers that need one-on-one attention."

Anyone else see whats wrong with this? Lets take our already lack of quality one on one customer service and reduce the amount of customers we actually have to deal with. Because thats how we sell computers and offer support for our products and images and thats a great way to get repeat customers(sarcasm, of course)...Horrible thinking there.

Special Note to Apple: Every customer needs one-on-one attention. PERIOD. They come to your store for more than the product. The repeat customer is the most powerful customer.

 

[Four oF NINE]

The customer is always right

If you're stealing, you're not a customer; you're a thief. Not saying this person was, but it's not automatic that he's a customer either.

 

[ANinjaPeanut]

A teenager going to the Apple store trying to buy a pair of expensive Bose headphones and accidentally "failed" the payment. Suspicious.

Why does the fact that he is a teenager change the situation whatsoever?
That is an unbelievably ageist statement & presumption to make! I'm sure that if the customer was older then the employee's reactions would have been very different.
What a sad world we live in.

 

[Blackberryroid]

Why does the fact that he is a teenager change the situation whatsoever?
That is an unbelievably ageist statement & presumption to make! I'm sure that if the customer was older then the employee's reactions would have been very different.
What a sad world we live in.

No, it's the fact that it's an expensive bose earphone and it failed. And you people were assuming I was blaming it on the age. Prejudice Hypocrites.

 

[BvizioN]

It should be dead simple!! You don't get out of the store with a product if you have not received confirmation receipt. It's a bloody common sense, use it.

 

[Dangerous Theory]

EasyPay has been popular with Apple's more tech-savvy customers, but the risk of misunderstandings like this are easy to foresee.

This article should leave out bias. None of us know whether he tried to steal them or not.

 

[davegutz]

They don't. The problem is, we're supposed live to in a society that is "innocent until proven guilty." In this case, it's guilty, until proven innocent. Ridiculous. Could he be guilty? Sure. But at least hear him out, don't just assume. The saddest fact is, in my mind, if it was an older man or lady, I'm sure their reactions may not have been to immediately assume guilt on his part.

I'd rather we live in a world that is too trusting, and be hurt by that, than live in one where we doubt everyone and everything.

I am compelled to answer a misconception I see lots of places by what your post implies. Some of us would like to apply courtroom laws to society. They are separate. We are entitled to have and express our own opinions in society not be muzzled by some notion that we have to assume somebody is innocent until proven. Nay, I say "required" to have and express our own opinions. How else do we arrive at the societal truth unless by unrestrained debate?

 

[thewitt]

I know nothing about easy checkout or whatever, but how does that happen with more major purchases that don't have a barcode in plain site?

I don't believe you can purchase systems this way, only accessories....

 

[AnonMac50]

If he's never used the system before, he may not know about the confirmation screen, or maybe he pressed the button but it didn't register. I found that that often happens when I use apps on my iPad.

 

[wrkactjob]

Samsung also tried to use the Easypay system apparently, it's surprisingly easy to take something you don't have the right to and end up finding yourself in court.

 

[AnonMac50]

That's what happened with me and a 27" iMac.

I thought you can't use EasyPay for Apple products.

 

[chairguru22]

This is exactly why I think EasyPay is a bad idea, it too easy to have major misunderstandings.

Too easy? You use the app until it says "Purchase Complete" and you get emailed a receipt which shows up instantly. How hard is that?

 

[Ryan John]

All those trial lawyers with a bit of time on their hands now need something to do, perhaps they can rail-road this kid and fleece his parents for everything they've got.

Absolute lunacy this, if his iPhone transaction was nearly complete and they even gave the kid a bag, surely that proves he had no intention of stealing.

 

[ubersoldat]

one day of community service and attending a class on larceny

this is totally disproportionate for some headphones

 

[Johnny London]

What is the possible penalty?
I once found myself in a similar situation and although the store manager decided not to take me to court, he denied me access to Apple Stores "across the world and for life time"! Is a store manager allowed to do this?

 

[ubersoldat]

What is the possible penalty?
I once found myself in a similar situation and although the store manager decided not to take me to court, he denied me access to Apple Stores "across the world and for life time"! Is a store manager allowed to do this?

maybe but how can they enforce it? this is not practical so it won't happen. unless they have face recognition in their shops!

 

[Marcus-k]

A teenager going to the Apple store trying to buy a pair of expensive Bose headphones and accidentally "failed" the payment. Suspicious.

Why is it suspicious to buy expensive headphones at the age of 18? I myself am 17 and i've bought things like a Macbook Pro, a custom 1 000$ desktop PC and tons of sound equipment for money i've earned myself, for working in the summer. He even asked to get a bag for it, something they normally need a receipt for, doesn't that indicate that he wasn't trying to steal? And that he was willing to pay when they found out, and of course that he pleeded innocent.

 

[Johnny London]

maybe but how can they enforce it? this is not practical so it won't happen. unless they have face recognition in their shops!

Thanks for your reply! Who knows if they have facial recognition? The store manager demanded my ID and a co-worker went away with it, before I received it back. I don't know what they did with it. Who knows if they indeed have facial recognition? Even if they don't, I would be immediately identified if I used my credit card. I use Apple products a lot and would like to continue shopping at an Apple Store. The penalty bewilders me and don't know what to do.

 

[VulchR]

That's what happened with me and a 27" iMac.

Felon.

 

[Misaki]

As with supermarkets, I prefer not to use self-checkout systems for the reasons that:

a) a component of the price goes towards paying for someone to do the check-out work for me. If I check myself out, I should get a discount, but I don't. Which leads to...

b) the more people that use self-checkout, the fewer employees they need.

I prefer to think of it this way:
1. Fragile stuff doesn't get mishandled by bored/pissed-off employees
2. A properly setup store will have enough u-scan type systems so that there is no line.

However in practice
- If I have a coupon, I go to the staffed checkout lanes, not the u-scans. Since you have to hand them to the checkout staff anyway, may as well save the time of having to wait for the one person that handles the 9 u-scan stations
- If I have produce, I go to the staffed checkout lanes, because I never write down the numbers and the uscan's aren't smart enough to recognize one fruit from another.
- I've somewhat intentionally did an exchange in the store without going to the customer service counter by exchanging one item for a like item on the shelf. This of course messes with their inventory control since they probably had different bar codes, but the item was the same.

With the Apple store, I have yet to try the self-checkout system. I think there's only two real issues, the one in this story and the self-initiated return.

To solve the first problem, the iphone/ipad should generate a barcode (or future NFC) indicating that the process is has completed, and at the exit to the store, wave it to a exit scanner, or wave the printed reciept if they got one, or their email with the barcode, however way they paid. The exit scanner will simply tell the security guard that everything checks out. If it doesn't check out, have them exit the exit line go back in and talk to someone again. You don't call them a thief and detain them until they've walked away from the store without scanning the receipt barcode.

The second problem is a bit more troublesome, and really needs to be setup as a self-initiated return by having someone in the store take control of the product being returned and sign off on it. Otherwise you get people who buy something, exit the store, swap it for the worn-broken item, come back and return it the following day.

 

[Arran]

The easy pay app should be rewritten so that as soon as you scan an item it is charged to the credit card on file. There should be no further steps required of the customer. It would truly be, "scan and go". Simple.

So, if your charge is approved, you're done: You're not obliged to do anything further.

However, if your card is denied then your phone immediately goes into a loud facetime session with a scowling apple genius wagging his finger at you. Maybe Siri could pop up some credit counseling services as a helpful touch.