Man attempts LCD TV theft using water bottle UPC, fails
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted April 26th 2008 5:48AM
posted April 26th 2008 5:48AM
[Via Fark]
posted April 26th 2008 5:48AM
A look back on popular stories from today in a specific year.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
LOL what an idiot
if it took four swipe attempts, a replaced paper spool, and one PA announcement for a store manager to come to register 14, I would say they WERE fooled for some time.
Dude if you can't afford it, steal it! At least this way you'll have less chance of looking like a cnut.
What the hell is a cnut? :p
Keeping it work safe!
HAHA... okay I get it now, Steve... That's actually one of my favourite of names to call someone, as long as it isn't a lady... save for a very few. :D
It's so British, :D.
I believe he was an exceptionally tall and handsome King of England, Denmark, Norway, and some of Sweden, that is, except for his nose.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canute_the_Great
@ happy
You can say that again.
Hey wouldn't it be funny if someone else switched the stickers as a prank and this guy took the fall.
Unless this guy kept insisting that the TV was only $3.16 and that's all he was willing to pay, I have a hard time seeing how they're going to prosecute him. If I show up at the checkout and the clerk starts scanning prices and it seems wrong, and they call over the manager for a look and find the UPC is switched, I sure hope they don't carry me away in cuffs. I'm not saying this guy is not guilty, but based on what is written above, I think this guy is going to walk. Actually, it reminds me of a time at a grocery store when I was buying a six-pack of some fancy italian soda. The price scanned was around a dollar. I pointed out to the cashier that the price scanned was probably only for one bottle, not all six, and that she should try a different bar code. She tried another one and it came up the same. She said not to worry about it but I was worried and asked her to have the manager come over. I try to be honest at all times and didn't want to walk out of their not paying what I should. The manager came over, tried scanning it, and came with the same price. I explained the probably error, that it was only scanning the price of one bottle, not six, but she said not to worry about it. I figured if the manager says it's the right price, even if the you're not convinced, you're safe.
Brett - people like you give me reason to have faith in humanity. Good for you sir. +1
Limeys can't be good looking, it's against their genetic code.
@Steve: yeah, steal it! instead of looking like one, you'll be one! it's a television, not a loaf of bread. stealing tech things for personal profit doesn't make you robin hood or jean valjean, it makes you scum.
E71, limey is a derogotary term for an Englishman. You fail.
@ Brett
Perhaps they caught him on camera?
other-wise, i completely agree with you.
HA! Great Smiths reference there. :D
Good work!
For the un-win!
Otherwise known all loss
Otherwise known as loss
Otherwise known as double post :)
Oooh how about "FTF". For The Fail.
New Internet meme, anyone?
Also... did you know there is a conference called ROFLCon? How classic.
It's not like the 1,378 people around the country who WERE able to get past brain dead cashiers with this old ass move want the publicity.
Don't you mean 1,337 people?
I would not call that a very 1,337 maneuver. ;-)
who pays $3.16 for a bottle of water?
The French? Evian rofl...
I think it was a 'water bottle' (think Nalgene) rather than a 'bottle of water'
Ever notice how Evian, when spelled backwards, is Naive?
That's no coincidence.
I read that in a book about microsoft. Netscape always used it as an example on microsoft...
On a note related to this story, how stupider can America get (not that I'm not American.)
"stupider" eh? You fail.
And on a side-side note, since when is one man in f'ing small-ass-town Kirksville, MO the end-all-be-all depiction of Americans?
BTW, I live near there -- Kansas City, MO. It's trash.
I live in KCMO as well... You and I should try date-rape.
Ever notice Macs spelled backwards is scam?
believe me,the french don't pay three bucks for an evian. its much cheaper in europe.
Is that actually stealing is it? Putting a different sticker on it?
I think it's known as 'deception' and is regarded as a method of stealing.
He could have just witched stickers with a cheaper lcd.
Yes
i think its more along the lines of attempted fraud.
Ask your mother or your pastor.
OMG! Dude at least use something thats around $300. Keep it at the "half price" point. Or not i guess.
i wonk in retail so i know that these boxes have more then one UPC, so unless he was smart enough to cover all of them why didn't the cashier just try and scan a different one. also if the guy had a feeling that what he was attempting to do was going down in the wrong direction he should have pointed one out.
i mean i work not i wonk*
also this kind of stuff happens all the time, usually are smaller ticket items though
You wonk at work?
'R' and 'N' are like… right next to each other!
Actually, the R is directly above the N!
At least it is on my keyboard ;)
I think he was joking. =)
If you work in retail then you should know that not all companies register every UPC on the box in their system. Some are for manufacturer tracking when it ships out of the plant, some are for distributor tracking, etc.
People coming onto Engadget and claiming that they do X or Y and we should listen to them doesn't automatically give them anything in terms of credibility. Statements determine cred....and your statement results in a FAIL in the cred department.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
– John 3:16 (KJV)
The bottle of water was a sign, clearly this guy wasn't a believer. ;)