Recipes for Disaster: an anarchist cookbook

To apply the same principle on a smaller scale, carry an expensive item in your left hand or grip it under your left arm while you pay for a cheap item with your right hand. Incredibly, employees will not notice the other item, I had to do this by accident before I could believe that it works, but it does. The best part is that you have not concealed anything?if the cashier notices, it looks like an honest mistake, and you can purchase the item, assuming you have the money to. If not, you had it separate from the other items because you needed to get a price check. SiUy you. One tip: when you use this technique, have the correct amount of money ready before you get in line; you don't want to be fumbling for your cash one-handed.

Of course, if you can use or consume the item inside the store, you needn't worry about getting it out in the first place.

Scams and Tricks

Shoplifiing 482

If you need cash or an item that is too difficult to shoplift, you can take a stolen item to the returns desk, claiming to have bought it; fewer and fewer stores will give you a refiand or exchange unless you present a receipt, but there are ways to get those, too. I've found that with return scams, it is less suspicious to place the item in some sort of

bag or in your backpack, get in a normal line, and ask, "Can 1 make a return here?" They will send you over to the return desk; this looks better than just walking up to the return desk from inside the store. Even better, get the item out of the store altogether and have a friend go in and return it, or come back another day That way the most you can get busted for is shoplifting, which is usually less serious than "obtaining property or cash under false pretense."

Women's underwear and accessories are perfect items for men to return. The stereotypical man always screws up when buying stuff for his girlfriend, wife, or mother. When it comes to lingerie, it's easy for a guy with a rueful look to get sympathy and a quick exchange or refund, like most exchanges, this works particularly well around Christmastime.

You can slightly damage or scratch an item you need and sneak it up to the front desk. Attempt to return the item, and let the employee find that it is damaged and refuse to take it back. Act like an irritated customer and leave the store with the item. If the employee doesn't notice and gives you store credit or cash, you can go back and get an unscratched one, if you're so inclined. Alternatively, just damage an item or throw it into the trash inside the store and wait for it to show up in the dumpster.

You can remove an expensive item from its box and place it in a box with a cheaper price on it. Be prepared to play the irritated customer if the cashier notices this. Don't do this with shoes?employees sometimes check inside; instead, you might be able to try them on, leave your old shoes in the box, and just walk right out. It also might be possible to conceal one small, expensive item in another big, cheap one before purchasing the latter.

At many stores, you can go to the stocking areas in the back and ask for boxes for moving. Have a few people ready to carry lots of empty boxes, except for one or two that you will quickly fill up before walking out the door. Don't make them too heavy?they have to look light as air as you carry them away.

You can write to companies informing them that you really enjoy their product, or that you were shocked to find you had purchased a defective item, or that your son has become a vegetarian and you want to give him soymilk coupons for his birthday?they'll probably send you free coupons.

If you need expensive equipment to film a documentary or record an album or just watch a movie with your friends, you can purchase it from a place with a return policy that gives you enough time before the trial period is over to take care of your needs before returning it for your money back.

Shoplifting 4^3

Two people can work together, one gathering items, removing their tags, and stashing them somewhere, the other coming in afterwards and taking the prepared items out swiftly.

Dressing rooms are a great place to cut off security tags. You can sew up the holes later. If a salesperson counted your items on your way in, make sure you still have the item you want in your hand as you walk out.

Finally, if you are a computer hacker or graphic designer, you could print your own barcode stickers. To obtain items at cheaper prices, substitute the barcode for a similar item; to wreck a store's checkout system, distribute the stickers randomly on products throughout the store.