How to Return Stolen Merchandise

[BlueCrystal]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Indiana

Today I did something really stupid, obviously. I shoplifted 2 perfumes from kohls, which prob totaled around a 90$ value. However, now I feel horrible and want to return the items. Would doing this prevent police from being able to come to my door and arrest me? I did it by taking them out of the boxes in the fitting room and leaving the boxes behind in the cart. I feel absolutely humiliated and ashamed and I don't want to feel this guilt anymore nor risk getting caught by police having survelliance and my license plate number from parking lot cameras.

Please let me know how to go about returning these items or what I should do asap. Should I just mail hem with no return address, or with a note saying i'm sorry and returning the items?

Take the merchindise back into the store ask the speak to someone in loss prevention and explain what you did and give them the perfumes.

[Mouser]

BlueCrystal, that's really bad advice! Do you want this person to be arrested on the spot when returning the merchandise and confessing to theft?? Once again, do not return the merchandise. You have nothing really to beat yourself up about. Just never do this again--and don't listen to bad advice given here!

[BlueCrystal]

It's a matter of doing what is right. Most likely they will just be banned from the store and have to pay a civil demand. Ignoring the fact that they stole and promising themself that they will never do it again is a weak cop out.

[CAPTAINJACK0162]

Sorry115, DO NOT RETURN PERFUMES TO THE STORE!!!! You have obviously paid more than enough for your mistake, with all the worry, and beating yourself up. You do not need the chance of a possible criminal record, to be banned from a store, and to pay a civil demand, and worse be laughed at by store detectives, for being stupid enough to turn yourself in. Like I said before, you didn't kill anyone. You did something stupid, you got away with it, you feel horrible about what you did, and chances are you will never do such a thing again. Build a bridge, get over it, and move on.

[CourtClerk]

I sure hope none of you have children, none of you have your things stolen from you or your homes broken into. By your rationale, you should never have your things returned to you, no one should apologize and heck... they should get off and just "build a bridge and get over it."

[CAPTAINJACK0162]

I do have children, and have had my old apartment years ago broken into, as well as my car, and person. I have also worked in loss prevention for several years, until I became a LEO,as well have done more than my share of off duty retail security details. I am now a soon to be retired police captain. I have been spit at,scatched,assaulted, called every name in the book, and have had myself, as well family threatened by just about every skell I locked up. I have seen more than the average person in my 26 plus years of duty.

I do not condone shoplifting, but when looked at in the whole scheme of things, one cannot logistically clump it together with burgulary, or personal theft, which is how I believe you feel, based on your reply. The person who posted this did not steal a highly valued item from an individual, but rather did something foolish,which they regret, and took two items out of their packages, from a large retailer, who based on my experience may, or may not even come across those empty boxes, depending on if the floor clerk brings it to LP attention.

Realistically, if that person were to either send those perfume bottles back, or even worse bring them into the store, nothing good will come out of either.

Scenerio one..sending back unboxed mechandise. LP will recieve this unmarked package, with two perfume bottles, out of their boxes, with or without a note. In either case the merchandise will not be able to be resold, being that the item is no longer sealed, and in original box. Even if they recover the boxes, which at this point were probably thrown out, either by sales clerk, or maintence. They cannot be fully sure that item has not been tampered with, so it will thrown into the store shrink inventory..ie garbage pile.If this person had been caught, chances are she would have been made to pay for these items, and allowed to keep them, since they are no longer worthy of selling.In addition to any store, or court fines.
I have made many people pay for shirts, and pants..ect with holes in them, caused by them ripping the sensor tags off.
If I were this person, I would donate the items to a battered womans, or homeless shelter.

Scenerio 2..this person, who did this stupid thing, and obviously feels very bad about it, goes into the store, with perfume bottles, and asks for LP, security..whatever. For starters..most store detectives do not liked to be called, or seen, by people they do not know. This is for many obivious reasons, and you can ask any Store detectives you know why, or better yet, go into any department store, and ask a sales clerk to call security, or where the security office is, because you just want to talk to them.
Now you can ask any store LP guy/gal, if they ever had someone walk in with merchandise that they stole asking to talk them. I bet you will get some laughs from them.
I have yet to have any criminals,traffic violators, or law breakers come knocking on my door, asking to be charged. Mice do not gift wrap themselves for cats. If they did, I would be very suspicious.
I also believe that these LPS would be as well. I am not sure what they then will do with, or to this person, because I am not them. I can tell you though, that chances are the outcome would not be nice.
Store security guards, like LEO do not like to be reminded of all the activity they missed, they realize it happens, but out of sight out of mind, and chances are it didn't happen on their shift.

I really believe this person has suffered enough over their mistake, and will probably never do this again, so I stand behind what I wrote.

Courclerk, you seem very angry. I am sorry that you have things stolen from you, your home broken into, that you have children, and no one has returned your things, or apologized. I do believe that people should apologize,that justice should be served, and the punishment should suit the crime. I also believe that you took my reply to this post the wrong way.

[socialistic]

You can't argue the "she didn't kill anyone, so what's the big deal...", a crime is a crime and that's all there is to it. Telling her to pretend it never happened because she has "paid" for it with guilt, isn't very good advice at all.

I don't think the point of this forum is to help criminals dodge the legal system, and to tell them to ignore the crimes they have committed because their guilt was payment enough.

sorry115, if you are honestly sorry for what you've done, if you are honestly aware of the mistake you made, if you honestly want to make things right...return to the store with the perfume and speak to the manager in private(since it's really no one else's business). Be honest with him, and be understanding to the fact that his final decision could result you receiving a fine/a charge/a store ban. Don't beg, don't plead, etc...just be honest and understanding. Offer to cover the cost of the items, since chances are they can't be resold for various reasons. You may not even be punished at all, you just have to find out on your own. Do the right thing!

[CAPTAINJACK0162]

I understand that a crime is a crime, and I am not for dodging the legal system. However, if you were speeding, and you passed a police cruiser, and for whatever reason he did not catch you, would you turn around, because you felt guilty, and ask him to write you a ticket, because you were breaking the law?
I never said to pretend it never happened, I told them to never forget the way they were feeling sick with worry, and guilt. I previously suggested they do as they wish with the items, and I still maintain that returning them in person, would not be wise, but hey if that makes them feel better, so be it.

[Mouser]

All you folks telling this person to return the merchandise to the store are not thinking in terms of the real world. Maybe you're even playing a bit of moral keyboard commando. Returning the perfume to the store would be totally pointless: the merchandise could never be resold as is. The point of the justice system (ideally) is to learn from criminal mistakes, and it seems this person has done so already. What's the point of exacerbating the situation by doing something foolish like going back into the store and either getting a criminal record or having bemused LPs send you on your way because they can't be sure you're not pulling a joke on them? Seriously, get real people. The world is not an episode of Leave It To Beaver.

[rb271]

If sorry115 wants to do the ethically correct thing, she should mail
the $90. purchase price to the store, along with a note. Then she can use the perfume with a clear conscience, and not risk suffering the extortion of a civil demand letter.