# Slot Car Thief's



## usacarguy (Oct 6, 2005)

I saw an Auto World Legends slot car track set at a custom car show in my area a few weeks ago, was set up for the kids, thought it was cool. I'm not a slot car guy but this set up got me interested, what with its retro drag racing Camaro and Mustang. I check around and found a set at Hobby Lobby, figured I'd use the 40% off coupon and get a good deal. Upon inspection the box appeared to be less than new, some stains, shelf wear and the tongue-in-groove tab at the opening flap was well worn. I became suspicious. I asked a female employee if it was possible for them to open it and inspect the contents just to be sure that all of it was there, I'd hate to buy it, find out at home that something was missing, and have to return it, I explained. She didn't say a word, took the box and proceeded to open it. As I suspected the 2 slot cars were gone. There was a small empty opened top box that we assumed once contained the Camaro & Mustang. They were nowhere to be found anywhere inside the box. Needless to say I was no longer interested in purchasing it. What I'd like to know is who is the loser moron that feels the need to steal 2 slot cars, and thats what it is, stealing. I do not believe that these are kids doing this crap, this was no doubt done by an adult. I've seen this countless of times through the years with Hot Wheels, and lately with M2 Machines diecast vehicles. With these, they buy, replace the original vehicle with an inferior common vehicle, and return them to store for a full refund. Apparently no inspection of returned item nor are there any questions asked.
Then the store just blindly returns them to the shelf. I've pointed out these swapped and altered items to store managers and other employees, the next day, back on the shelf. Two wrong's here, the theft, as well as the store management for failing to inspect returned items and just returning them to the shelves for sale to an unsuspecting consumer. It will be interesting to see if the AW Legends set is returned to the shelf tomorrow. I hate when this happens. Just need to vent here, be careful out there.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

If they wind up on the shelf again, I would threaten to go over their heads, call corporate and report them. This isn't a first, it won't be the last. Whoever took the return is responsible for checking the contents. The manager may have done it him/herself. It may also be employee theft, so that can't be ruled out too.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

There's a lot of 'set only' cars on [email protected]


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## leonus (Dec 17, 2013)

I worked for almost 20 years in retail. Please don't blame store employees. Corporate America is a cold and unforgiving master. Across the board in retail there is an ever increasing trend to weed out any long term employees and replace them with minimum wage workers. These workers are then given part time shifts at odd hours with no benefits,etc....
If you do survive long enough to be in management, you face a never ending onslaught of ruthless upper managers who care about nothing but making their numbers, and impressing their bosses, and would sell their granny's heart valves to do it...

Stealing is wrong. Period.

But blame the thieves, blame the overall degradation of our moral standards...

"Calling corporate" accomplishes nothing. It might get you some personal "satisfaction", but in the end the blame and headache will just fall on some overworked person who deserves neither.The corporate office of any retail store could not care one tiny bit less about you, they only care about your money, and making it theirs.

I'm not excusing any wrongdoing. 

If you want to make a difference, than don't buy "set only" cars and things like that that create a market for the thieves. Teach your children well, and pray for others to do the same. 

My two cents


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Good word Leonus!

I cleared out my PM box.


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

I had a similarly unpleasant experience at Hobby Lobby a couple years ago...

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=376562

--rick


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

I'm not blaming all store employees leonus. It only takes one to not do their job properly for this to happen. Someone buys a product like this one, uses it, repacks it without the cars and returns it. It should have been checked for everything before it was accepted. It may have been busy (after Christmas rush) and someone took a short cut and didn't bother checking due to time constraints. It could have been a temporary employee assisting. Heck, the cars could have been so busted up, the return person tossed them. Needless to say, it never should have been put back on the shelf in it's present condition. If it was missing parts and someone knew it, it should have been marked as so and marked down for clearance. If it was brought to the attention of the service desk, and was returned back to the shelf "as is", it clearly is the fault of the store. 

I've had my share of returns of items that clearly had been used before I bought them and instead of being marked defective and returned to the manufacturer, were put back on the shelf for me to buy them. Heck, I can think of two right off the top of my head in the local Walmart appliance aisle. Things happen...


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

leonus said:


> I worked for almost 20 years in retail. Please don't blame store employees. Corporate America is a cold and unforgiving master. Across the board in retail there is an ever increasing trend to weed out any long term employees and replace them with minimum wage workers. These workers are then given part time shifts at odd hours with no benefits,etc....
> If you do survive long enough to be in management, you face a never ending onslaught of ruthless upper managers who care about nothing but making their numbers, and impressing their bosses, and would sell their granny's heart valves to do it...
> 
> Stealing is wrong. Period.
> ...


Sounds exactly like Home Depot, thats why I left.


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## Iphitsgotwheels (Feb 25, 2004)

"But blame the thieves, blame the overall degradation of our moral standards..."

Stealing cars from sets is nothing new.

When I was a kid, [68-71] I'd go to the big department stores on Dec. 26 and buy as many carless sets as I could with my Christmas money. I'd fill up shopping bags with everything but power supplies, drag it all home & go back for more. I got a lot of track for next to nothing.


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## leonus (Dec 17, 2013)

I agree that the store employees should never return defective merch to the shelves. 

I suppose I just still cringe when I hear the words "call corporate"


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