lovebombanarchy
21st July 2006, 22:09
Recently, a group of friends and I embarked on a campaign of charitable shoplifting somewhere in the Southern United States. We decided to share the ideas and principles which inspired our campaign, in hopes that they would inspire others across the world to begin their own campaigns of charitable shoplifting. While these ideas certainly aren’t original, we hope that they will be useful.
(the information posted here can also be found at www.myspace.com/charitableshoplifters )
Charitable Shoplifting Front
why shoplift?
Shoplifting from large corporations is easiest means of organically redistributing wealth from the rich to the poor. Shoplifting is both an easy way of punishing corporations that deliberately destroy the environment, exploit and abuse laborers, and destroy communities and local culture, and an effective way of acquiring resources to give to the impoverished victims of capitalist oppression.
If you don’t think that it is fair that billions of people live in crippling poverty so that a tiny elite can live in unimaginable luxury; if you’re tired of waiting for government bureaucracy to solve the problem; if you want to wage class warfare and don’t want to wait for your fellow humans to wake up and “join the revolution” to start doing the right thing; you can make a concrete difference today at very low risk to your personal freedom, by taking from the rich and giving to the poor!
But doesn’t shoplifting just hurt workers?
No. Workers are almost always paid by the hour that they work, not by the number of their products that are sold. By the time a product reaches a store, the workers who created it have, in all likelihood, has already been paid. The vast majority of workers are already being paid the minimum wage anyway, so there’s no way that the corporation could legally transfer the cost of stolen merchandise to workers. The only people who really stand to lose much money are the multibillionaire corporate elites.
(for more, read Why I love Shoplifting From Big Corporations by CrimethInc.) http://www.crimethinc.com/library/english/shoplifting.html
how?
While the simple technique of just putting desired merchandise in your pocket or shoe and walking out of the store is usually very successful, some shoplifters prefer more complex schemes. Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoplifting#Common_Shoplifting_Scams ) has a list of various techniques which have proved effective. Some highlights include:
"Accidental" Stealing is when a thief takes their place in the queue with the items they intend to steal, and pay for only one of those items while holding what they want to steal in full view to cause confusion (or place said items into their pockets) but avoid suspicion due to their apparent intention of payment. If the unlikely event of being caught, the thief could simply pass off the attempt at stealing as accidental.
Self-checkout Scam: At some larger retailers, such as Wal-Mart, customers have the option of using self-checkout lanes, in which customers do not interact with employees at all when making purchases but check themselves out at a computer. Customers are expected to scan the items that they wish to purchase, insert payment for the scanned items, then bag the items and leave the store. Shoplifters have been known to purchase small items with these machines, and place additional items in their bags without paying for them. Many shoplifters intentionally act slightly confused when using these machines, and act as if they are attempting to scan the item which they wish to steal, so that, if confronted, they can claim that they took the additional items by mistake.
Grab and Run: A common shoplifting technique is known by the Loss Prevention community as a "grab and run." Simply put, a shoplifter enters a retail establishment usually with prior knowledge of what they are looking for. The shoplifter moves very quickly toward the merchandise they wish to steal. Once the shoplifter has found the merchandise they proceed to the nearest store exit, usually running. Due to the short time that shoplifter is inside the store persons who attempt this scam are rarely caught, or in some cases even detected. Less common is for a group of people to rush a store and grab as much merchandise as possible and then rush out. The speed with which this happens and the large numbers of people involved make it difficult to stop.
requirements
For an action to be endorsed by the CSLF, it must conform to a certain set of guidelines:
1. Items shoplifted must be taken from corporate chains ONLY. NEVER shoplift from independently owned businesses.
2. Items must be given to poor and disadvantaged individuals. If you yourself are poor, then we support your effort to shoplift items necessary to your own wellbeing (however, it’s always good to share!) If you’re rich, then you need to give your loot back to people who are poor and really need it.
3. Don’t be violent. There’s no absolutely no need to be.
4. Items shoplifted must be either life necessities—food, clothes, medicine, water, material to build shelter, etc—or items related to promoting political, artistic, or scientific progress (for instance, we support efforts to shoplift book from Barnes & Nobles to give to local libraries). There is an exception to this rule. If you take an expensive luxury item, sell it, and use the money for charitable purposes, we will endorse your action.
safety
Some suggestions on how to avoid getting caught.
1. Know your escape. When you shoplift, you should always have a plan for action if you are caught, whether that plan is to run, or to laugh and claim that don’t know how to use the automatic checkout machines and you’re sorry for your mistake.
2. Make sure that you are knowledgeable about applicable laws regarding “theft” and shoplifting in your state, as well as the policies of specific retailers. You can probably find this by searching google. It should be noted that Wal-Mart, the biggest corporation in the world, has a policy of NOT taking legal action against shoplifters caught with merchandise worth less than $25, provided the shoplifter does not threaten violence and is carrying ID. (http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20060716140827194 )
3. NEVER shoplift in front of surveillance cameras or other shoppers. These other shoppers may snitch on you, or, they could be undercover employees known as “loss prevention agents” whose job it is to find and punish shoplifters.
4. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Make sure that you are not carrying illegal substances or evidence of other criminal activity when you shoplift. There is some degree of legal risk involved in shoplifting, and a slightly larger than normal chance that you may get into trouble with law enforcement, so it is not wise to risk conviction for additional “crimes” in addition to that of shoplifting.
5. Don’t keep large stores of stolen goods for longer than necessary. Redistribute goods as quickly as possible.
(the information posted here can also be found at www.myspace.com/charitableshoplifters )
Charitable Shoplifting Front
why shoplift?
Shoplifting from large corporations is easiest means of organically redistributing wealth from the rich to the poor. Shoplifting is both an easy way of punishing corporations that deliberately destroy the environment, exploit and abuse laborers, and destroy communities and local culture, and an effective way of acquiring resources to give to the impoverished victims of capitalist oppression.
If you don’t think that it is fair that billions of people live in crippling poverty so that a tiny elite can live in unimaginable luxury; if you’re tired of waiting for government bureaucracy to solve the problem; if you want to wage class warfare and don’t want to wait for your fellow humans to wake up and “join the revolution” to start doing the right thing; you can make a concrete difference today at very low risk to your personal freedom, by taking from the rich and giving to the poor!
But doesn’t shoplifting just hurt workers?
No. Workers are almost always paid by the hour that they work, not by the number of their products that are sold. By the time a product reaches a store, the workers who created it have, in all likelihood, has already been paid. The vast majority of workers are already being paid the minimum wage anyway, so there’s no way that the corporation could legally transfer the cost of stolen merchandise to workers. The only people who really stand to lose much money are the multibillionaire corporate elites.
(for more, read Why I love Shoplifting From Big Corporations by CrimethInc.) http://www.crimethinc.com/library/english/shoplifting.html
how?
While the simple technique of just putting desired merchandise in your pocket or shoe and walking out of the store is usually very successful, some shoplifters prefer more complex schemes. Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoplifting#Common_Shoplifting_Scams ) has a list of various techniques which have proved effective. Some highlights include:
"Accidental" Stealing is when a thief takes their place in the queue with the items they intend to steal, and pay for only one of those items while holding what they want to steal in full view to cause confusion (or place said items into their pockets) but avoid suspicion due to their apparent intention of payment. If the unlikely event of being caught, the thief could simply pass off the attempt at stealing as accidental.
Self-checkout Scam: At some larger retailers, such as Wal-Mart, customers have the option of using self-checkout lanes, in which customers do not interact with employees at all when making purchases but check themselves out at a computer. Customers are expected to scan the items that they wish to purchase, insert payment for the scanned items, then bag the items and leave the store. Shoplifters have been known to purchase small items with these machines, and place additional items in their bags without paying for them. Many shoplifters intentionally act slightly confused when using these machines, and act as if they are attempting to scan the item which they wish to steal, so that, if confronted, they can claim that they took the additional items by mistake.
Grab and Run: A common shoplifting technique is known by the Loss Prevention community as a "grab and run." Simply put, a shoplifter enters a retail establishment usually with prior knowledge of what they are looking for. The shoplifter moves very quickly toward the merchandise they wish to steal. Once the shoplifter has found the merchandise they proceed to the nearest store exit, usually running. Due to the short time that shoplifter is inside the store persons who attempt this scam are rarely caught, or in some cases even detected. Less common is for a group of people to rush a store and grab as much merchandise as possible and then rush out. The speed with which this happens and the large numbers of people involved make it difficult to stop.
requirements
For an action to be endorsed by the CSLF, it must conform to a certain set of guidelines:
1. Items shoplifted must be taken from corporate chains ONLY. NEVER shoplift from independently owned businesses.
2. Items must be given to poor and disadvantaged individuals. If you yourself are poor, then we support your effort to shoplift items necessary to your own wellbeing (however, it’s always good to share!) If you’re rich, then you need to give your loot back to people who are poor and really need it.
3. Don’t be violent. There’s no absolutely no need to be.
4. Items shoplifted must be either life necessities—food, clothes, medicine, water, material to build shelter, etc—or items related to promoting political, artistic, or scientific progress (for instance, we support efforts to shoplift book from Barnes & Nobles to give to local libraries). There is an exception to this rule. If you take an expensive luxury item, sell it, and use the money for charitable purposes, we will endorse your action.
safety
Some suggestions on how to avoid getting caught.
1. Know your escape. When you shoplift, you should always have a plan for action if you are caught, whether that plan is to run, or to laugh and claim that don’t know how to use the automatic checkout machines and you’re sorry for your mistake.
2. Make sure that you are knowledgeable about applicable laws regarding “theft” and shoplifting in your state, as well as the policies of specific retailers. You can probably find this by searching google. It should be noted that Wal-Mart, the biggest corporation in the world, has a policy of NOT taking legal action against shoplifters caught with merchandise worth less than $25, provided the shoplifter does not threaten violence and is carrying ID. (http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20060716140827194 )
3. NEVER shoplift in front of surveillance cameras or other shoppers. These other shoppers may snitch on you, or, they could be undercover employees known as “loss prevention agents” whose job it is to find and punish shoplifters.
4. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Make sure that you are not carrying illegal substances or evidence of other criminal activity when you shoplift. There is some degree of legal risk involved in shoplifting, and a slightly larger than normal chance that you may get into trouble with law enforcement, so it is not wise to risk conviction for additional “crimes” in addition to that of shoplifting.
5. Don’t keep large stores of stolen goods for longer than necessary. Redistribute goods as quickly as possible.