Patf Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Today I was (sort of) accused of shoplifting in Carrefour. I was at the till, the cashier was passing things through, then suddenly said something to me in french then in english "new clothes?"From her eyemovements I saw she was looking at the cashier on the next till who had just passed a jumper through the scanner, and it bleeped. It dawned on me what had happened, from the bleep she thought I was wearing a stolen garment.It happened a few weeks ago too, when daughter was staying, she was very puzzled, thought the cashier was admiring her very ordinary outfit, now I understand.It rather bothered me she asked in english - do they suspect the english more than the french?Another cashier always asks to see my shopping bag (?empty?) I must look suspicious.I might ask the manageress about it next time I'm in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindal1000 Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Checking empty shopping bags is common here. All supermarkets seem to do it as routine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroTrash Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 I always put my empty shopping bag on the conveyor belt on top of the shopping. It saves the cashier the embarrassment of having to ask to look inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 You are being paranoid, you should be flattered that she spoke to you in English, I'm sure that she did it so as to avoid any misunderstanding but it was in vain. She didnt think you had stolen anything, she heard the alarm go off and could not see what you had seen, she knows that many new clothes have a security chip sewn into the washing tag and that if the shop that sold it was not diligent in deactivating it then that item will set off the alarm in the first shop that the wearer wears it. When I buy small electrical Appliances in Tescos the cashier searches through the box to find and remove the tag, ofen she cannot find it and warns me that I may set off the alarm on leaving the shop and to show my reciept to the security guard, when I have leter on found the still active chip in the box I use it to play a trick on the next person that I go shopping with, I hide it in their coat Pocket [:D] Having called you paranoid I admit that I am as well given the mistrust that abounds where I live, every time I return somethng faulty I am treated like I am a thief, my French pal says that (here) the moment that you walk into a shop or business it is assumed that you are their to steal from them, it comes from judging others by their own morality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted November 11, 2015 Author Share Posted November 11, 2015 Yes I think Iwas being slightly paranoid - have to watch it!Someone pointed out that sometimes if you buy a new item of clothing from another shop and forget to take the label out it could cause a bleep on the scanner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Is there some sort of annoying thing in France where the security code is on the fabric label inside the garment? I assume so, as I've seen people turned away when trying to return garments when they've cut it off, and I have a feeling (obvs I didn't feel persecuted as it's such a vague memory) that I might have set off an alarm somewhere and it was suggested to me that I should have removed a security tag. All well and good, if you know that in the first place. I'm sure the whole bar code thingy is a universal system, and nothing similar happens to people in the UK, so hat is happening in French stores that means you can still set off a security beeper months after you first bought the jumper you happen to be wearing that day?As a rule, I do,cut out the tags, especially since some shops make them six inches long and crispy, but I don't always remove them, if they're not bringing me out in hives..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 The problem is that shops are not deactivating the tags when they are sold or the same clothes sold through other channels, say at a market or on EBay will have the same security tags in the label from the factory and not be deactivated.I'm postulating for a job as a security guard, I am well practiced in what to do, Je m'excuse madame mais je suis obligé d'enlever votre soutien gorge............... [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 FILTH [:-))] [:-))] [:$] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Yes, you put him in his place Norman.He might as well say he needs to enlever their pantalons, or strings or culottes or whatever other French word is used for knickers[6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WJT Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Patf, this has happened to me on a few occasions, when entering the supermarket and once when leaving.It was because I was wearing a new garment that had one of those sewn in security tags. They are huge so I now always check and cut them out. They say to do this on the label, I wasn't aware that it was possible to deactivate but thought you had to cut them out in order not to bleep.So in my opinion the cashier was being normal and suspecting you were wearing something new versus had something hidden when she heard the bleep. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted November 11, 2015 Author Share Posted November 11, 2015 Yes that's what I think now WJT. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre ZFP Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 These near-field RF tags are used in loads of places these days.My Uber geek son bought a load for pennies to do some experiments with (no, I don't know why either). It seems he stuffed the envelope full of them in his jacket pocket just as we were going out shopping.Couldn't work out why we were setting off so many alarms until the penny dropped !Odd thing is that these tags were brand new and unused, not even initialised but dumb alarm systems were still triggered Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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