Shopping
SecurityShopping
Security
Christmas and other holiday shopping times are not the only times you should
be cautious when you’re in the mall, department store or just shopping in the
neighborhood. These tips should be followed at all times.
Mall Shopping
Malls are extremely popular for people who like to shop. For those of us who do not, and who purchase everything except groceries online, malls are foreign lands…vast concrete buildings of nothingness. But if you like malls, there are lots of things to be careful about. First, please remember where you parked your car. If you intend to be in the mall for an entire afternoon, for instance, write down what aisle your car is parked in. Wandering aimlessly around the parking lot with bags full of stuff trying to find your car makes an attractive target for thieves.
Kids hang out in malls, and they may appear obnoxious or
unruly to you. They’re just kids. It’s what they do. Don’t bother them,
they sure aren’t going to bother you. Teenage gangs, on the other hand, do
pose a problem. If you see such a group, avoid them at all costs. If you are
concerned, find a security officer and have him or her escort you to your car.
One nice thing about malls in major cities today: They are well patrolled and
usually quite secure. The town I live in, though mostly residential, has one
mall in it. Crime statistics in my town are a bit high. It’s not because of
muggings, robberies, car theft or worse. Most of the crime reports concern
shoplifting in the mall’s stores. That’s the major crime in most malls
today.
It’s not a good idea to be wandering around the mall
while trying to juggle the 20 packages you just purchased. And if you are a
woman who has managed to connive her husband or boyfriend into going shopping
with you (how I don’t want to know), do not expect him to carry everything for
you. He won’t like it, and it’s not much safer for him than for you.
Carrying lots of packages leaves you vulnerable to purse snatchers, for
instance. It also makes it easier for a thief to snatch a package and run away
with it. You sure aren’t going to chase him. Instead, take your packages to
the car and store them out of sight!
This is okay if you have a sedan or coupe with a trunk. But if you have a
hatchback, SUV, pickup truck or similar vehicle, you may not have secure
storage. Be careful.
When you’re shopping and present a credit card for
payment, don’t set your wallet down on the counter after you’ve removed your
card from it. Someone will grab it and run, and that’s the last thing you
want. Also don’t allow your credit card out of your sight. Most transactions
are done right at the cashier, and he or she will process your card and return
it to you immediately. Be sure to take your receipt with you. Store policy
varies greatly as to what information is printed on that receipt, but some
stores will print your account number, name and even more information. This is
not something you want anyone else to see. [The same goes with ATM receipts.
NEVER throw them away. The last thing you want to do is give someone access to
your checking account.] The latest scam is for a cashier to take your card (the
best opportunity for this is in a restaurant), process the sale and then return
the card to you. But while the card is being processed, it’s quite easy for
someone to take a photo of both sides of the card with their cell phone and send
it to a confederate. If you’ve gone out for Sunday brunch and pay with a
credit card and this happens to you, it could be days or weeks before you know
about charges credited to your account. Though you aren’t liable, it still
means canceling the account and getting a new credit card, it defrauds retailers
and the bank, and some blasted crook could run off with thousands of dollars of
goods and never be caught.
Grocery Shopping
This is the one place blackdog loves to shop. They have
food there! But I see people do some incredibly dumb things. The worst sin in
the grocery store is to leave your purse in your shopping cart. The moment you
take your eye off that bag, such as to reach for an item on a high shelf or to
order deli meats, someone can grab it without your even knowing it. By the time
you realize your purse is gone, so is the thief. It’s just flatout not smart.
When you check out, check your receipt before you leave the
store or watch as the cashier rings up your purchases to ensure you are being
charged the correct price. Scanning failures (e.g., incorrect prices) are more
frequent than they should be. One thing to carefully watch are prices on sale
items. Something that has a shelf tag that says “3 for $5” for instance may
not be reflected when the item is scanned. Fortunately, modern scanning
technology is beginning to eliminate such errors, but the human factor is still
involved to some extent—and that means mistakes can be made. Also make sure
you have all your groceries. I returned home from the supermarket one day to
find an entire bag missing. I called the store, and they were holding the bag in
the manager’s office. But it meant a fairly long and tiresome trip back to the
store.
When you leave the store, be sure to place all your bags
into your trunk and be real sure to check the bottom of your cart. I actually
have seen people push the cart into the cart collection area unaware that there
was a case of soda pop on the bottom shelf of their cart.
Store Shopping
This simply refers to freestanding stores that are not supermarkets. The usual rules apply. Watch your purse at all times. Be sure you know where your credit card is when your pay for any purchases. Don’t flash large sums of cash that will make you an easy target after you leave the store.
Online Shopping
Buying online has become an increasingly popular way to shop. I would much rather pay for shipping than find a store that has the same product, drive there, park, find the product in the store, pay for it and lug it home. That will easily take you one or two hours, even for the simplest trip. It just isn’t worth it. Shopping online is quite secure today. To ensure the safety of your purchase, check the URL at the top of your online screen when you check out and pay for your purchase. It should begin with the letters https://. The “s” after the standard “http” designation indicates built-in security. All sites take MasterCard and Visa, and most sites take other major credit cards as well. It’s simple, safe and oh so convenient.
Happy Shopping!
Blackdog 