Should I Return Shoplifted Items

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Illinois

I walked out the apple store the other day with a hard drive under my arm. I held it there for the hour that I was there looking around, got used to it, and walked out. When I got down the block and realized, I stupidly got nervous and kept walking.

How likely is it that they will go through the surveillance footage? If they do, I was initially there on a genius bar appointment, so they have my info.

Let's say that they are likely to look through it. My first inclination is to go and talk to a manager about returning it. Good idea? Bad idea?

Should I just go in and put it back on the shelf?

Should I just wait to see if something happens?

Thank you for any input.

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Quoting interestingoption

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My question involves criminal law for the state of: Illinois

I walked out the apple store the other day with a hard drive under my arm. I held it there for the hour that I was there looking around, got used to it, and walked out. When I got down the block and realized, I stupidly got nervous and kept walking.

How likely is it that they will go through the surveillance footage? If they do, I was initially there on a genius bar appointment, so they have my info.

Let's say that they are likely to look through it. My first inclination is to go and talk to a manager about returning it. Good idea? Bad idea?

Should I just go in and put it back on the shelf?

Should I just wait to see if something happens?

Thank you for any input.

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If you got a consult with an attorney they would tell you to do absolutely nothing and stay out of that store for a very long time.

This is an example of shoplifter remorse. Thought it was a good idea at the time but now wonders if you will get caught.

Please don't try to tell me that you walked out of the store not knowing that you had a hard drive under your arm that you did not pay for. It just doesn't happen that way.

And llworking, your post is somewhat condoning the crime. OP should bring it back and pay for it and take whatever consequences are associated with it. You should not be telling posters how to steal and get away with it.

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Quoting budwad

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This is an example of shoplifter remorse. Thought it was a good idea at the time but now wonders if you will get caught.

Please don't try to tell me that you walked out of the store not knowing that you had a hard drive under your arm that you did not pay for. It just doesn't happen that way.

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About 20 years ago I walked out of a store with something on the bottom of my shopping cart that I completely forgot about. I even loaded it in the car and unloaded it at home and never gave it a second thought. It wasn't until hours later that I realized that I might not have paid for it and checked my receipt. Stranger things have happened.

I also walked out of a restaurant (not an expensive one) about 30 years ago, without paying once because the waitress was so slow that we completely forgot that we hadn't dealt with the check. It was literally a week later, when we were talking to someone else about how bad the service at that restaurant was, that we realized we had never paid.

Honestly, strange things happen. I really doubt that someone who was known by name and particulars at an establishment would do anything so stupid as to deliberately shoplift at that store.

If you in fact took it by accident, I expect that they will be more than happy for you to return with the item and either pay for it or return it. If you're nervous, buy a money order, mail them the payment with an anonymous explanation, and keep the receipt from the money order and a copy of your letter for your records.

Why did you title this thread in the plural, if you took only one item?

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Quoting Mr. Knowitall

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If you in fact took it by accident, I expect that they will be more than happy for you to return with the item and either pay for it or return it. If you're nervous, buy a money order, mail them the payment with an anonymous explanation, and keep the receipt from the money order and a copy of your letter for your records.

Why did you title this thread in the plural, if you took only one item?

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The admin here changes thread titles fairly frequently...I am not sure why but it does happen and has been commented on by quite a few posters. Therefore, the title of this thread may be different than what the OP originally wrote.

It happens principally when people post unintelligible thread titles. It did not happen with this thread.

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Quoting aaron

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It happens principally when people post unintelligible thread titles. It did not happen with this thread.

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Thank you for that information.

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Quoting llworking

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About 20 years ago I walked out of a store with something on the bottom of my shopping cart that I completely forgot about. I even loaded it in the car and unloaded it at home and never gave it a second thought. It wasn't until hours later that I realized that I might not have paid for it and checked my receipt. Stranger things have happened.

I also walked out of a restaurant (not an expensive one) about 30 years ago, without paying once because the waitress was so slow that we completely forgot that we hadn't dealt with the check. It was literally a week later, when we were talking to someone else about how bad the service at that restaurant was, that we realized we had never paid.

Honestly, strange things happen. I really doubt that someone who was known by name and particulars at an establishment would do anything so stupid as to deliberately shoplift at that store.

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I had this happen at Wal Mart. Purchased a lot of groceries and an approximately 4 ounce can of beans was wedged in the cart. I had completely missed them when I unloaded my cart. I realized what had happened in the parking lot when I was putting my bags into my trunk, but I was scared to walk back into the store with the hot beans. I could hear the LP in my mind, "sure lady, sure you say you were distracted by your kids and missed the 90 cent can of beans wedged in the back of the cart. We all have heard that story before...." Mailing it back just seemed easier. So that is what I did. Paid about 4 dollars in postage but my conscious is clean.

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Quoting drthyrd

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I had this happen at Wal Mart. Purchased a lot of groceries and an approximately 4 ounce can of beans was wedged in the cart. I had completely missed them when I unloaded my cart. I realized what had happened in the parking lot when I was putting my bags into my trunk, but I was scared to walk back into the store with the hot beans. I could hear the LP in my mind, "sure lady, sure you say you were distracted by your kids and missed the 90 cent can of beans wedged in the back of the cart. We all have heard that story before...." Mailing it back just seemed easier. So that is what I did. Paid about 4 dollars in postage but my conscious is clean.

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The sad thing is that Walmart probably threw away that can of beans because they would have no idea if it had somehow been tampered with or not.