this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2024
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Did you see someone shoplifting? No you fucking didn't, narc.
EDIT: Okay, so just grabbing a top level comment to dispell some misinfo.
Stealing baby formula to onsell online does happen: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/05/02/magazine/money-issue-baby-formula-crime-ring.html
Parents stealing baby formula out of desperation also happens: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/the-desperate-reality-of-stealing-baby-formula-because-you-cant-afford-it_uk_64635704e4b09eef8308cfc6
The problem here is that baby formula is something people need to feed their babies, and our society has decided that if you don't have enough made up arbitrary tokens, you don't get to feed your baby.
If I don't know 100% that the person I saw stealing baby formula is doing it as part of a crime ring, then I'm not going to ruin a parent's life because they did what they needed to feed their baby. Even then if the crime ring is selling it at a discount then I don't particularly care to stop them either.
If you want to tell people that shoplifting is such a problem and you want to focus on the crime rings and ignore the poor people, your priorities are messed up. Also none of you know how to source your claims. Also, don't start with some BS about how nobody ever does it to feed their baby, that's just false.
In conclusion:
Did you see someone shoplifting? No you fucking didn't, narc.
No one shoplifts formula to feed their own baby, they steal it to literally scalp it to those who actually do need it, at a fat markup, after conveniently draining the store's supply so they're the only source.
They're not Robin Hoods sticking it to the Big Bad Corporation. They're profiteering scumbags.
No, this can't just be an edit, this needs a whole new comment.
I just want to add that this comment makes the bizarre claim that a shoplifter drained the store's supply so that they're the only source. Now, even presuming this is literally the only store in town that sells baby formula, in which case there will be another town half an hour down the road, how did they get all of the baby formula out of the door? How do you shoplift the kind of volume you need for a scheme like this without getting caught?
And further, how in the everliving fuck do you sell it? You have to be visible enough to sell the formula, to people you're ripping off, in a small town where the only grocery store just got all of its baby formula lifted. They're going to fucking expose you.
This would be a scandal. It would be a news story. Please, give a link to a single time this has ever happened, because of all the things that never happened, this happened the least.
25 people thought this story was good enough to upvote. Where the shit are you getting this garbage? What the fuck is happening?
Edit: is there a "shit conservatives say" community? This is such rank bullshit I need somewhere to process it.
Holy naivete, my sweet summer child. This has nothing to do with conservatives. This is a well-known scheme that is problematic in many areas.
"Well-known scheme"?
So I must have something seriously wrong with my understanding of what's being said here, because I made it pretty clear how absolutely balls to the wall insane it sounds. Just the concept falls apart the moment you think about it.
Maybe you can explain it? Or again, just show me where it's happened, even one fucking time.
There's really not much to it. I don't understand why you're so dumbfounded such a thing is possible. People steal or buy up formula. Those who steal it make a profit no matter what price they sell it at. Those who live in an area where it sells out have the ability to mark it up big time. Paying 10 extra bucks is better than driving hours away with the hope they have it in stock there. People will sell it on offerup, craigslist, facebook, etc. Search for "formula" offerup if you're in the US and you'll likely see it. This was especially a problem during Covid and we saw the same scheme extend to many other products. In 2022, there was a massive shortage for the better part of a year. Any that came around got bought up immediately - by some that were lucky enough to get it at the right time and the rest by scalpers. This is not a new thing and I find it surprising that you're so surprised. I often see them locked up and purchase limits at the store because of this.
Huh.
https://7news.com.au/news/court-justice/woman-who-made-thousands-onselling-stolen-baby-formula-to-chinese-buyers-learns-fate-c-1123762
Whelp, nothing to do but admit I was wrong about this.