False Accusation of Changing Prices

My question involves criminal law for the state of: California

Today I went to go shopping at Home Depot for one particular item. When I entered the store I went to the back and then around and finally found an employee. I asked that employee wear a specific item was. He told me it was on the opposite side of the store. I will start to walk that way, walking in the main sections of the store. The item I was looking for was a security motion sensor light. Before finding the light I stopped by the bathroom and then carried on my way to the products. I look at the items for maybe three minutes, I didn't pick up the item and walked to the checkout. At the checkout I was thinking if I needed to purchase more than one. At that time I decided I would just install one and see how it went. I went to the self checkout and I proceeded check myself out, as I swipe my card and received my receipt and start a walk outside the front door security stopped me. The gentleman grabbed my arm and told me he knew what I was doing and he wanted me to come with him. Me having no recollection of the situation I walked with them to the register and he stated "LED light like this for a 1.99" I myself had no clue the situation and explain to him that I had picked up the item off the shelf and scanned it on the register.

Long story short they took me to the back room and kept me for three hours waiting for the police using bad language and trying to make me admit of changing the product price. One major thing I told him was that I was never near the product that was wrongly used to sticker this item. He himself had nothing to say to that, at that time I thought it would be a good idea to let them know I'm gonna start recording the conversation after that him and the manager never stated anything or spoke about the case. The loss prevention that had brought me in there asked me prior to search me. I myself felt that I was being targeted so I told him no he then said he was going to call the police and for me to fess up. I told him clearly that I had nothing to do with it and he could not understand how I did not see the item that was for $139 dollars rung up for a 1.99. I am told him I never looked at the receipt and had to swipe my card for the purchase. Three hours later the police came in the report and gave me a court date. I'm 24 years old and do not have anything like this on my record. I would like to know what steps to take regarding this matter and who I should talk to about being wrongly accused.I asked the loss prevention gentlemen if you can give me any evidence of me doing what he had stated. He told me that he was watching me the whole time, again I was nowhere near the item that had rung up instead of the item I purchased.

So now I would like to know what steps I should take regarding this matter and possibly Who I should speak to. They kept me for three hours, and in handcuffs for 30 minutes when I say to them that I was going to leave if I was not charge for anything or if no evidence was shown to me for said accusation.

Thanks for the help and looking forward to you guys responses.

It's real simple: You need an attorney. Nothing you said is particularly exculpatory and you're not going to get any satisfaction by "talking to" anybody. It's not Home Depot that's prosecuting you, it's the State of California. The LP and the Police are not required to give you any "evidence" at the time. You understanding of the law is deficient.

But Home Depot was the one that accused me of the theft and they are the one that called the police and gave them the report?

But this is still the state of CA is the one?

So I need to now pay for a attorney to have the charges possibly dropped?

A case of the wrong place at the wrong time.

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Quoting Khoda

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But Home Depot was the one that accused me of the theft and they are the one that called the police and gave them the report?

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Yeah, so what? They had STRONG reason to expect you fradulently stole from them.

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But this is still the state of CA is the one?

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Absolutely. It is society that is harmed by your CRIMINAL behavior. This is not a civil action.

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So I need to now pay for a attorney to have the charges possibly dropped?

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If you are indigent, you can ask for a public defender, but yes you NEED an attorney. You've demonstrated by EVERYTHING you've said you have ZERO understanding of the law.
The chances this will be "dropped" is minimal. You're going to court, young man.

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A case of the wrong place at the wrong time.

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Tell me when the RIGHT time it is to commit price fraud? Your story defies belief.

It would be interesting to see how the item was packaged. At Home Depot everything is bar coded (as in many other retailers) and the bar code is generally right on the packaging and cannot be switched. On those few items where a sticker bar code is used, the stickers simply cannot be easily removed and placed on something else.

However, it is possible for an employee to make a mistake and put the wrong bar code sticker on an item. I personally think that the trip to the bathroom is what makes this guys story "smell", but its not outside of the realm of possibility that he did not switch the sticker. I do however, think that he knew that he got something for a very incorrect price.

The OP is full of poop. Home Depot does not barcode any of their products. That is done at the manufacturer whether it is printed on the packaging or on a label.

Then there is the self-checkout. There is no way OP didn't know that what he was being charged for the $139 item because it is on the LCD in front of him when he taps checkout and pay. Now what got LP is the alert that what was scanned did not weigh what the computer said it should weigh. You scan an item and place it in a bag. The bag is continuously weighed as you place items in it. If the weight doesn't match the item an alert is sent.

What I suspect OP did is to scan some small item that cost $1.99 held it in his hand and then placed the security device in the bag. I don't believe a word of the post.

Yep. It's also not plausible that an employee mis-ticketed the merchandise. No retailer out there in the year 2015 allows loss prevention to make a detention without actually SEEING the SUBJECT switch the tickets. No one is stopping people because "they wrong price rang up and they should have known that was wrong."

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Quoting DeputyDog

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No retailer out there in the year 2015 allows loss prevention to make a detention without actually SEEING the SUBJECT switch the tickets.

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I know of at least one major retailer who does allow it based off fitting room ear surveillance, backed up by checking the fitting room after so they don't actually see the subject switch the tickets.

Let me clarify that a bit: Every one of that retailer's stores I worked in, management allowed such stops so it may not be policy but it is allowed.

That being said, I don't really believe OP either.

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Quoting Khoda

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When I entered the store I went to the back and then around and finally found an employee. I asked that employee wear a specific item was. He told me it was on the opposite side of the store. I will start to walk that way, walking in the main sections of the store. The item I was looking for was a security motion sensor light. Before finding the light I stopped by the bathroom and then carried on my way to the products....

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Did you share that information so that we would have a better sense of why the store found your behavior to be suspicious?

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Quoting Khoda

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One major thing I told him was that I was never near the product that was wrongly used to sticker this item.

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What was the item that came up on the scanner instead of the light? If you are so unfamiliar with the store that you wandered around and had to be directed to the light, how is it that you know exactly where the other item can be found within the store?

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Quoting Khoda

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I'm 24 years old and do not have anything like this on my record.

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Your choice of words raises the question, what sort of stuff do you have on your record?

Okay you guys are not getting it. The items tag that was put on this was from some pencil sharpener. I was nowhere near it nor did I touch any other item in the store that was around it. I'm saying someone els had changed the price or put this tag on the item. Even the lost prevention team was wondering how I so called changed the price if I was not by the item at all. They were assuming that I was but I walked only in the main sections of the store to find the product I was looking for. Even going to the bathroom I didn't touch any product before hand at all! So someone has got this tag and placed it on the light and didn't buy it.... I went around got it scanned it didn't think twice and now in your guys terms smell like poop.


There is nothing on my record at all.

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Quoting DeputyDog

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Yep. It's also not plausible that an employee mis-ticketed the merchandise. No retailer out there in the year 2015 allows loss prevention to make a detention without actually SEEING the SUBJECT switch the tickets. No one is stopping people because "they wrong price rang up and they should have known that was wrong."

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This is the thing, he said to me multiple times you should know this is the wrong price even if you did not change the tag. I said I clearly didn't look at it. Even when the officer came he stated that I should have known even if I didn't chnage the tag..... I'm telling you I never touched any other item in the store. How els would I get a tag to place on this item. Was in the store for 5 min if that.

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Quoting Khoda

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Okay you guys are not getting it. The items tag that was put on this was from some pencil sharpener. I was nowhere near it nor did I touch any other item in the store that was around it.

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And you were asked how you knew that. Now you are adding details to your story that the loss prevention personnel supposedly confirmed that you didn't go near the pencil sharpeners, so if anybody is to blame for people not "getting it", it would be you.

The easy answer for a prosecutor, though, is that you obtained the sticker on a prior visit.

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Quoting Mr. Knowitall

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And you were asked how you knew that. Now you are adding details to your story that the loss prevention personnel supposedly confirmed that you didn't go near the pencil sharpeners, so if anybody is to blame for people not "getting it", it would be you.

The easy answer for a prosecutor, though, is that you obtained the sticker on a prior visit.

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I didn't even think of that.... So now I'm going to have to take these charges?

Anyone have an idea what they will be? Getting a lawyer is going to be more then the charges themself. And it was 139.99 so it's not a feloney... Any info would be great.

Thanks

Chortle. I'm familiar with those $1.99 carpenter's pencil sharpeners. They have them right at the checkout. Yeah, I don't believe any of this ever changing fabrication. You scanned the convenient $2 item and walked out the store with a significantly more expensive item. LP saw you do it. That's all they need to relate the story. I doubt any "tags" were switched, you just carried out a different item than was scanned.

Your lies on this forum won't get you off (and just obfuscate any useful advice we could give you).

You need an attorney who you can be truthful with and who can unemotionally discover what is actually going on if you have any chance of beating this or even mitigating the sanctions sure to be imposed on you.

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Quoting flyingron

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Chortle. I'm familiar with those $1.99 carpenter's pencil sharpeners. They have them right at the checkout. Yeah, I don't believe any of this ever changing fabrication. You scanned the convenient $2 item and walked out the store with a significantly more expensive item. LP saw you do it. That's all they need to relate the story. I doubt any "tags" were switched, you just carried out a different item than was scanned.

Your lies on this forum won't get you off (and just obfuscate any useful advice we could give you).

You need an attorney who you can be truthful with and who can unemotionally discover what is actually going on if you have any chance of beating this or even mitigating the sanctions sure to be imposed on you.

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The tag was found on the package sir. Someone had taken it off and placed it on the box. I have no reason to make things up for you guys. In that case if I were to make this kind of problem for myself I would ask what was the punishment rather then look for what my rights were

Yep they were selling security lights that range in price from 12.99 to $160 for $1.99 and you thought the price was correct. Were you in the middle of a flashback to the 1960's? That seems to be your only defense.

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Quoting Disagreeable

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Yep they were selling security lights that range in price from 12.99 to $160 for $1.99 and you thought the price was correct. Were you in the middle of a flashback to the 1960's? That seems to be your only defense.

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I didn't notice I just swipped my card and got the recipet I didn't look since it was just one item and it scanned since I heard it beap..

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Quoting Disagreeable

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Yep they were selling security lights that range in price from 12.99 to $160 for $1.99 and you thought the price was correct. Were you in the middle of a flashback to the 1960's? That seems to be your only defense.

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Why is it the customer's job to notice a mistake made by the store?

And why is the customer supposed to be knowledgeable about the prices of these products?

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Quoting Khoda

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I didn't notice I just swipped my card and got the recipet I didn't look since it was just one item and it scanned since I heard it beap..

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I just want to check if you are sight impaired. You were at a self-checkout. The screen in front of you shows the total in pretty big font. Then you have to touch the screen just below the total to checkout. So you had to see what the total of the purchase was. Do you get that?

If you want to come here to see if your fabricated story will fly you got your answer. It will not. You stole from HD and you will be prosecuted for it. You are not as clever or smart as you thing you are.

Next time you are in that HD look up at the ceiling by the self-checkout aisles. Do you see all those CCTV's looking at what you are doing?

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Why is it the customer's job to notice a mistake made by the store?

And why is the customer supposed to be knowledgeable about the prices of these products?

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John, it's time for your napypoo. If you can ask these questions you are a moron or a troll. Either way, go away..

You're arguing that the customer should not have to know the correct price, and using as backup a story where you did know the correct price. Had you been paying attention back in fifth grade when you were taught how to provide supporting statements, you would know that you can't support apples by using oranges.

what reason would a person have to lie on an internet forum about what happened, plenty of people come on here and flat out say they stole stuff, so shouldn't the advice given be based on the facts that the OP provided to us?

im sure there are people who have been charged with shoplifting who are innocent.

this kind of thing is the reason I never go to those self checkouts, I let a real person ring up my items, that way it their fault if something goes wrong.

Tony, I'm sure I don't know why people think they can get valid legal opinions on a message forum when they lie about the facts. But nonetheless, they do it all the time.

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Quoting cbg

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Tony, I'm sure I don't know why people think they can get valid legal opinions on a message forum when they lie about the facts. But nonetheless, they do it all the time.

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maybe they do,, I just don't understand the reasoning why someone would anonymously sign up to a forum and lie about the facts when asking for legal advice,, seems very counterproductive. it just does not make any sense.

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Quoting cbg

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You're arguing that the customer should not have to know the correct price, and using as backup a story where you did know the correct price. Had you been paying attention back in fifth grade when you were taught how to provide supporting statements, you would know that you can't support apples by using oranges.

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I knew the correct price, but some store employees did not. If you arrest a customer for not knowing the correct price, you should also arrest store employees for the same reason.

In the OP's case, the customer was told that he should have known that the correct price was higher than what was rung up. He was accused of trying to scam the store and was therefore arrested.

In my case, some store employees did not know that the correct price was lower. But, in my case, instead of calling the cops and accusing the store employees of scamming me, I simply paid the correct price and went on my way.

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Quoting tonynewman

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maybe they do,, I just don't understand the reasoning why someone would anonymously sign up to a forum and lie about the facts when asking for legal advice,, seems very counterproductive. it just does not make any sense.

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Tony, I agree with you completely. (I sure never thought I'd be saying that when I got up this morning.) It doesn't make any sense to me either. But they do it; I know they do it; and there have been some situations when I could prove they did it.

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Quoting tonynewman

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maybe they do,, I just don't understand the reasoning why someone would anonymously sign up to a forum and lie about the facts when asking for legal advice,, seems very counterproductive. it just does not make any sense.

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Either they are A) trolls with nothing to do or B) trying out their story on a segment of strangers to see how believable it is before they tell it to a judge or jury - or both or some combination of those.

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Quoting free9man

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I know of at least one major retailer who does allow it based off fitting room ear surveillance, backed up by checking the fitting room after so they don't actually see the subject switch the tickets.

Let me clarify that a bit: Every one of that retailer's stores I worked in, management allowed such stops so it may not be policy but it is allowed.

That being said, I don't really believe OP either.

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You are correct; I should have been more clear. When I said "SEEING" I meant either directly actually witnessing it or "seeing" in the same sense that one "sees" fitting room theft. I have made price switching cases that happened in the fitting room, although the way we do it involves a bit more than what you said here.

Anyhow, just as in the case of fitting room theft, fitting room price switching comes down to either the subject did it or something supernatural (and thus not believable) happened to the merchandise (or price tag) in the fitting room.

My point was - with the possible exception of some mom and pop store out there with one location or maybe two - no one is basing a ticket switching case on "well the subject presented a ticket switched item" without seeing selection, etc. Certainly no chain that is a household name and is discussed on this forum would do so.

Okay guys... I really have no reason to make things up. I myself am just getting into opening my own business. I am not out there to hurt another even a large chain like HD. I am 24 years old I do get that's young and I do get you guys see cases like this that people bring on here to see if you agree with them or not. But simply said, I have nothing to hide. I walked into the store did not touch many things, went to the light put it in my cart. Walked to the check out thought about getting another, decided not went to self check out scanned it and i even talked to the person next to me. It was a lady and her daughter...the daughter wanted the cart I had, and her mom said no. So i put the cart back got the light and walked to the door and was stopped.


Sorry for you non believes out there but that's the true story. Now I feel like I'm getting taken by HD and 3 hours of my day and the stress of this all was not needed. I told them many times to look at the camera and pull it up. They of course refused.

Ultimately, if this matter goes to court, the state has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed the crime. If Home Depot cannot satisfy the prosecutor or any officers that do further investigation (if any) that a crime can be proven at trial, then it won't be charged. That being said, the story is weak ... but, the defense doesn't have to say anything. Chances are that a defense attorney is not going to let you get on the stand and give this tale because, if true, it makes you look a little dense and clueless. The defense's best bet is to simply take down the state's case (i.e. the observations and the video) by providing alternatives to what is seen or getting the employees to admit that they really did not see you switch tags or doing anything else untoward.

We don't know what the store does or what they can prove, or what the police have uncovered. They may have enough to hang you ... they may not. Your attorney will be able to get a copy of all the reports and review their evidence before any trial. He or she can then tell you what your best options might be.

If charged, hire an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, request appointed counsel.

M

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Quoting cdwjava

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Ultimately, if this matter goes to court, the state has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed the crime. If Home Depot cannot satisfy the prosecutor or any officers that do further investigation (if any) that a crime can be proven at trial, then it won't be charged. That being said, the story is weak ... but, the defense doesn't have to say anything. Chances are that a defense attorney is not going to let you get on the stand and give this tale because, if true, it makes you look a little dense and clueless. The defense's best bet is to simply take down the state's case (i.e. the observations and the video) by providing alternatives to what is seen or getting the employees to admit that they really did not see you switch tags or doing anything else untoward.

We don't know what the store does or what they can prove, or what the police have uncovered. They may have enough to hang you ... they may not. Your attorney will be able to get a copy of all the reports and review their evidence before any trial. He or she can then tell you what your best options might be.

If charged, hire an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, request appointed counsel.

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Thank you this is what I was looking for. So if I cant afford one get one appointed to me? Then they can submit to get all the evidence they have.... Now what is all they have is just inequality that States he saw it? Does that work or do they need more? This whole thing for me really sucks again wrong place at the wrong time.

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A side note, after this was all said and done and I was free to go, I said that I wanted to buy the item they said they wouldn't sell it to me. I then asked the wrong item that had came up if I can be refunded for it. He said okay and called and had that transaction voided out. When I read on line they aren't supposed to do that? Or is that something I am just reading into and is wrong? The security was really trying the whole time to have me admit to it. He said you know what you did I saw it and you just need to admit it I said no Multiple times gave him the really story. He said I was watching you I said okay well where did I go he had nothing to say. I fell like he was just trying to get some points for catching something that went wrong that day.

I really hope that it's not just his word against mine. These guys seem to get a thrill on getting someone charged for something no matter what. The language he used towards me before I started to record them was crazy. Treated me like I had killed someone. I know they see theft but again it's not what you know it's what you can prove and I don't see any proof other then me being a unlucky customer. I'll never use self check out again.

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Quoting Khoda

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M

Thank you this is what I was looking for. So if I cant afford one get one appointed to me?

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Yes. If you cannot afford legal counsel, the court should appoint counsel for you.

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Then they can submit to get all the evidence they have.

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Your attorney is allowed to receive what is referred to as "discovery." That is, he will get copies of the reports and lists of evidence and witnesses that may be used against you, and any avidence that might be exculpatory (i.e. it might benefit you).

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Now what is all they have is just inequality that States he saw it? Does that work or do they need more? This whole thing for me really sucks again wrong place at the wrong time.

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We do not know what evidence they have or think they have, or what an employee did or did not see. It should be in the reports when your attorney gets them.

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Quoting cdwjava

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Yes. If you cannot afford legal counsel, the court should appoint counsel for you.


Your attorney is allowed to receive what is referred to as "discovery." That is, he will get copies of the reports and lists of evidence and witnesses that may be used against you, and any avidence that might be exculpatory (i.e. it might benefit you).

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Okay great. Thank you for giving me that knowledge. Now if the security tries to pull out of nowhere they he did see me stick a tag on there then does that mean that they believe that? Or is that his word against mine? Just don't get that part since this guy really didn't seem to like me since I didn't cave in like he wanted me to. Also should I go to the court house before hand to talk to a legal counsel regarding this or should I go on the appointed court date? Also anything more I can do on my own? Thanks again for all your guys help. I will keep this updated and if I do get any other info I will share it.



Not everyone on here is wrong and trying to just pull info or give you guys A story to see if it sticks.. Some just have bad luck. Just got amspeeding ticket 410 bucks with traffic school. I get I did something wrong and now I have to step up and pay for it.

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Not everyone on here is wrong and trying to just pull info or give you guys A story to see if it sticks.. Some just have bad luck.

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Do you know what logic is? You keep adding extraneous details as if you are a magician practicing slight of hand to misdirect attention and make this entire story seem plausible.

You say you did not look at the receipt but you had to see the price on the self-checkout screen when you paid.

You say that someone had to have switched the barcode tags before you scanned the light and you were ignorant of that fact. However, the light was in a box with either a printed barcode or a stuck on label. The pencil sharpener is a bulk item (not in a box) and has a printed barcode on it or a tag attached to it. Two very different types of labeling.

I suppose that when you looked at the box the light was in for the barcode to scan you only saw What exactly? A label printed on the box and a tag stuck on with chewing gum and decided to scan the tag and when the price came up $1.99 you thought hey I must be a very important customer for them to sell me a $139 item for 2 bucks. My lucky day.

Like I said before, they saw more than you just scanning the item. They have some idea where the wrong price sticker came from and that it's from you. No way a national company like Home Depot would even be TALKING to you if someone else had changed the tickets and you had just happened to pick up that item.

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Quoting Khoda

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The tag was found on the package sir. Someone had taken it off and placed it on the box. I have no reason to make things up for you guys. In that case if I were to make this kind of problem for myself I would ask what was the punishment rather then look for what my rights were

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It doesn't matter whether or not you are making up your story. What matters is whether the LP's, police and prosecutor will believe your version of events. What you should understand from the response you are receiving here is that even if your version of events is completely true, you're still going to have great difficulty convincing people that your story is true.

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Quoting Khoda

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I didn't notice I just swipped my card and got the recipet I didn't look since it was just one item and it scanned since I heard it beap..

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I'm at a bit of a loss as to how you managed to complete the transaction, given that if you placed the item on the scale the mismatch in weight would have caused the transaction to be flagged. Did you also hit an "I don't want to bag this item" option so that the item was never placed on the scale?

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Quoting tonynewman

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what reason would a person have to lie on an internet forum about what happened, plenty of people come on here and flat out say they stole stuff, so shouldn't the advice given be based on the facts that the OP provided to us?

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People lie. When they do, they have their own reasons for lying.

It does, however, matter whether a story comes across as credible. A true story that does not come across as credible is going to leave you behind the proverbial eight ball.

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Quoting tonynewman

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im sure there are people who have been charged with shoplifting who are innocent.

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Of course.

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Quoting Khoda

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Okay great. Thank you for giving me that knowledge. Now if the security tries to pull out of nowhere they he did see me stick a tag on there then does that mean that they believe that?

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There should already be an incident report, and there may be video surveillance of you -- you indicate that they flagged you early in your visit to the store, so it's possible that most or all of your visit is tracked on video. Your lawyer can help you obtain surveillance tapes, assuming video was taken. If the LP didn't mention seeing you switch tags in his initial report, and made no such statement to the police, it becomes more difficult for him to add that allegation at a later time, and any surveillance video could contradict a later-added detail.

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Quoting tonynewman

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Just don't get that part since this guy really didn't seem to like me since I didn't cave in like he wanted me to.

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You will find that very few people detained for shoplifting are left with the impression that the LP staff liked them.

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Quoting tonynewman

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Also should I go to the court house before hand to talk to a legal counsel regarding this or should I go on the appointed court date?

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You can retain your own lawyer, or you can go to the court and ask for a petition for a court-appointed lawyer. If you petition for a court-appointed lawyer, the court will determine your eligibility based on the charge and your reported income and assets.

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Quoting DeputyDog

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No way a national company like Home Depot would even be TALKING to you if someone else had changed the tickets and you had just happened to pick up that item.

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One difficulty with the story is that somebody would have had to remove some sort of pricing information from a $1.99 pencil sharpener, take it to a completely different part of the store, affix it to a single light in a manner that left it both firmly attached and unrecognizable to a typical consumer as an alteration of the packaging, and then leave that single item on the shelf. People do pull odd 'pranks', but that one would be a doozy.

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Quoting budwad

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Do you know what logic is? You keep adding extraneous details as if you are a magician practicing slight of hand to misdirect attention and make this entire story seem plausible.

You say you did not look at the receipt but you had to see the price on the self-checkout screen when you paid.

You say that someone had to have switched the barcode tags before you scanned the light and you were ignorant of that fact. However, the light was in a box with either a printed barcode or a stuck on label. The pencil sharpener is a bulk item (not in a box) and has a printed barcode on it or a tag attached to it. Two very different types of labeling.

I suppose that when you looked at the box the light was in for the barcode to scan you only saw What exactly? A label printed on the box and a tag stuck on with chewing gum and decided to scan the tag and when the price came up $1.99 you thought hey I must be a very important customer for them to sell me a $139 item for 2 bucks. My lucky day.

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Having spent a total of about 8 hours in front of a HD self-check machine in the last three years (and thousands of dollars), I call horse####. No way anybody scans an item without seeing that "good deal" come up on the screen. No way.

Yes, indeed that is hard to believe, although not outside the realm of possibility. It DOES sometimes happen that someone switches tickets, then gets scared and ditches the item - which gets put back in the correct place with the now altered ticket. I'm not saying that this is so common as to make his story believable, but it IS possible.

However, from my (extensive) experience, what just is NOT very likely at all is loss prevention making a detention based on nothing more than him scanning the item and it ringing incorrectly. I just don't believe that it happened that way - and thus, practically speaking, while it might be possible to pick up an item with the wrong price on it, it's not possible (realistically) to get detained for it.

Thanks for all the responses.

The reason I think they stopped me is because I stopped at self check out thinking if I should go back and get another light. ( just had my brothers car broken into at our house... Was using this as my parents told me to go get it) so I thought about getting two for one on each side then I said oh we'll I'll see how one light will work and then if needed I'll come back. They took that as I waited for a register lead or something to leave when I clearly saw the lady there.

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Also to add, I didn't click I didn't want to bag it. I simply scanned it and put it to the bagging area. Then I clicked finish and pay and got my wallet out and clicked I don't want any bags since we need to pay .10 to bag things. Reason I didn't look at the screen is I also use self check out a lot everywhere and it's all the same layout. Scan my stuff then finish and pay and no bags and swipe and sign that's all.

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Quoting Khoda

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Thanks for all the responses.

The reason I think they stopped me is because I stopped at self check out thinking if I should go back and get another light. ( just had my brothers car broken into at our house... Was using this as my parents told me to go get it) so I thought about getting two for one on each side then I said oh we'll I'll see how one light will work and then if needed I'll come back. They took that as I waited for a register lead or something to leave when I clearly saw the lady there.

- - - Updated - - -

Also to add, I didn't click I didn't want to bag it. I simply scanned it and put it to the bagging area. Then I clicked finish and pay and got my wallet out and clicked I don't want any bags since we need to pay .10 to bag things. Reason I didn't look at the screen is I also use self check out a lot everywhere and it's all the same layout. Scan my stuff then finish and pay and no bags and swipe and sign that's all.

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Assuming everything you say is true, and the others are right that the sticker came from a sharpener that was sitting at the checkout, and the extra time you spent at the checkout was indeed the cause of suspicion, then you may be in luck as the checkout area is typically well covered in cameras, and these should show that you didn't do anything suspicious. Get a lawyer, and get them to review the evidence.

Your story is a bit of a perfect storm, which makes posters skeptical. For this to happen, Some one else would have had to swap the stickers, then you would have had to have picked up that item, then brought it to the register, apparently do something there that causes suspicion, then scanned the item while apparently not noticing the second barcode, then paid without noticing the cost.

Everything step is plausible, I have not realized I was charged a very wrong price (though in the other direction in my case) until I had left the store, and I have attracted the attention of LP while wondering around a Home Depot trying to get Cell service. However for all of these situations to stack up on one day is quite odd, however even if the chances are 1 in a million, Home Depot has millions of customers yearly, so strange stuff can happen.

How did you complete the purchase when the item you were buying would have triggered a weight discrepancy error when you placed it on the scale?

OK Houdini, more misdirection. I don't know, not being from Texas, if Horse sh## is bigger then bull sh## But your sh## could fill a freight car. Have it your way. You are just a victim of circumstances. I'll go with the bull sh##.