S/O: What have you accidentally stolen?

A picture frame from Walmart.

I bought and unloaded a cart load of groceries, then remembered I forgot to buy a picture frame. Went back in, put the frame in my cart, then realized I left my purse in the car. So I waltzed out the garden center with my frame in the cart to get my purse. Totally spaced I had the frame until I was walking back in the store with my stolen frame.

I can say lots of little things over the years. We walked out of Kmart with my daughter ( 5 or so) carrying a new outfit. The power went out in the store and they rushed us out.

I also accidentally stole a pair of readers. I was waiting in line to buy tickets for a performance. The woman in front of me left hers sitting on the counter. I did not notice it when I got to the window. I bought my tickets and then picked up the readers thinking they were mine. I put them in my purse. A few days later I took them out, put them on and realized they were not mine. She had much worse eyesight than me. 

Many years ago, I accidentally stole a VHS video from the $5 bin at Walmart. One of the kids dropped it in the shopping cart and I set my purse down on top of it. Didn't notice until I got out to the car three miles from the store, buckled two preschoolers into the van, and then unloaded my cart. I totally kept it. Lock me up! 😂

Once several years ago at Target I unloaded my cart and found a Hamtaro house under my son (a little home for the little Hamtaro characters that were popular at the time). He was about five and had been sitting on it, in the back of the cart. I didn't want to set a bad example but the store was closing while we were checking out and I couldn't go back in. So we kept it...and we still have it. It was one of their very favorite toys.

Once when I was shopping at Victoria's Secret, I had four bras, but they only rang up two. I was in a hurry, and wasn't paying attention when she told me the total, use my Victoria's secret credit card and was out the door.

When I got home and looked at the receipt, I realized the mistake. I was actually part of the old board, and posted about it there. I was thinking about taking it back, but wanted to get opinions. Most people said to take them back, and since that's what I had planned on doing anyway, I did.

It was a super weird experience, the first cashier I spoke to basically accused me of stealing them. She got the manager, and the manager was over the top thanking me for bringing them back and showing their mistake. She gave me the bras for free, as a thank you for being honest, but she took down the information from the receipt and was going to talk to the sales girl about it. I did feel bad, and I hope that the sales girl didn't get in trouble for the mistake!

Summer of 2010 I lost my job. I hadn't been job hunting in 10 years, had lost a bunch of weight, and didn't have any good clothes for interviews (I was interviewing at law firms). I went to various stores and found a simple skirt, blouse, and blazer that was within my budget. The sales clerk rang up the purchase, I paid, and left. At the time, I remember thinking that something must have been on sale, because the total price was much less than I was expecting. When I got home, I tried everything on again and realized that I really didn't like the blazer, so put it back in the bag to return the next day. When I then looked at the receipt, I realized that the clerk didn't ring it up--which then explained why it was so much less than I was expecting. Everyone told me that it was my good fortune and that I should keep it. Well, since I was on the hunt for a new job, I just couldn't do it. I just kept thinking about karma and all that stuff, so I went to the store the next day and explained what happened. The clerk was so surprised, and happy, that I actually returned it!! Later that day, I got a call from their corporate office, thanking me for my "unusual return", and sending me a coupon for 50% off one item in their store. And to top it off, 3 days later, I got a new job, where I've been ever since!

We went to Home Depot to buy a new grass catcher for the lawn mower. I told SO, oh look, there is one in a box, get that one. We got home and there were 6 of them in the box. Oops! Took the other 5 back, it was a little hard to explain. Lol!

my son, as a toddler, stole one sneaker from payless. it wasn't even his size - lol!!

i found it in his stroller when i got home, called them, and told them i would bring it back later that week.

they thanked me very much, saying it happens but people rarely return the shoe and they have to throw away the other shoe! 

i stole padded envelopes from shoppers drug mart once inadvertantly. was with all my stuff to be cashed out but because it was open, they assumed it was already mine (post office at the back of the store so i opened it to use one much like people open cookies to give their kids at the grocery store before paying). 

i also walked out of loblaws (grocery store) with a box of macarons from the bakery counter one time. i made it across the street and almost got on the streetcar before i realized i walked out without paying for them.  i panicked, looked all around and RAN back into the grocery store.  i am not going down for a 4 cookies!!! 

About 20 years ago, I unintentionally left a wholesale club without paying for a large George Foreman grill I was buying my MIL. The cashier scanned the items in my cart, including the grill I thought. I paid by credit card and wasn’t paying attention to the amount because DS (ttoddler at the time) was fussing. Handed the guy at the door my receipt and he looked it over and marked my receipt and we left. I got home and actually looked at the receipt and saw the grill was never scanned. So much for the loss prevention at the door. I didn’t have that many things in my cart but one was a floor size grill. I called the store manager to let him know what happened. I don’t remember what the resolution was.

Back when we had cats, over the course of years, DH repeated left the grocery store without paying for cat litter the he had put the on the bottom of the shopping cart and forget about at checkout. We joked that he was Even Steven because when he’d remember it at the cash to pay for it, he’d forget it in the bottom of the cart in the parking lot and realize it when he got home. I love him but he’d forget his head every morning if it wasn’t attached. I noticed that same supermarket chain now has cameras and a monitor so the cashier can view the bottom of the cart.

A pair of tool belt suspenders. We had put them on the new toolbelt we were buying for SO so he could try them on (the man is tiny and not everything that is one size fits him lol). It was at Lowes and we bought a lot of lumber etc. at the same time. Didn't realize until we got home that the cashier didn't ring up the suspenders only the belt. I did not go back. Not my fault she ignored the big tag on the suspenders.

Just the other day I was in Homegoods and my phone rang and I got distracted and went outside to take my call with a bottle of olive oil in my hand. I did go pay for it after my call though. Nobody noticed and I didn’t confessed.

My huge crime was a toothbrush at Target. Got to the car and realized it hadn't been wrung up. The kids were babies and I was suddenly panicked that Target wouldn't believe me and would have me arrested w/CPS involved, all because of a toothbrush. So, I left it in the cart and saved myself from a lifetime of inmates named Moose.