Formula thieves!

[1Dawn]

People are stealing formula! (http://abcnews.go.com/US/baby-formula-targeted-organized-retail-theft-rings/story?id=13293485)"Grocery chains will tell you that formula is targeted so often that in some cases they have locked it up, moved it behind the cash register, strategically put it on the floor and in some cases, they put a limited supply on the shelves," said Joe LaRocca of the National Retail Federation.

This can only increase the prices for everyone. :(

[justrose]

i feel bad for people who steal formula. that's really sad to think there are people who can't afford to feed their baby. :(

[traxster]

i feel bad for people who steal formula. that's really sad to think there are people who can't afford to feed their baby. :(

If that is the case. I used to by ds and dd's formula on Ebay because it was so expensive and I always wondered where these people got these cases of formula and selling them for atleast $20-$30 off the price I would have to pay in the stores.

[Liz-at-home]

I guess I am somewhat jaded because it didn't even occur to me people would steal it to feed their baby, I immediately assumed people stole it to resell it. I noticed in the less expensive/lower income sort of store in my area the formula is kept behind the office on shelves with the cigarettes but I never thought of why.

My kids needed the hypoallergenic formulas Nutramigen and Alimentum. My one ds in particular required the ready to feed variety because it is thicker than the powder variety. That stuff cost about $5-6 per day to feed one child! And that was 6+ years ago. We called it the gold plated formula.

[SonyaN]

This was an issue 20 years ago when I worked in retail. We used to have people who would steal the formula and then try to return it without a receipt because "their doctor changed the formula". Of course they didn't want the "right" formula, they wanted the money back. We had to enforce a "no receipt, no refund" policy.

[Melanie]

The more expensive formulas are always locked up in just about every store here. I assumed that was the norm. WIC pays for formula, so I would assume most people who sell it aren't doing so out of desperation.

[Stacie]

I've seen Craigslist postings for "extra cans left over" after baby turned 1 and it never occurred to me that it could be stolen formula. That is really crappy.

[1Dawn]

I don't think these people are stealing it to feed their babies, they are stealing it because it is easy to resell and make some extra cash. Like an Ipod or something.

[KimberlyAnn]

The grocery store I go to has the big cans locked up. I have heard of people stealing it before. It sucks. :(

[missing]

I work at Babies R Us.

Most formula theft is for one of two reasons :
- to make money on reselling / returning it
- to cut cocaine with, because formula is cheaper than cocaine.

[1Dawn]

cocaine! That is the freakiest thing to hear! The fact that someone obviously with a baby decided to cut cocaine with baby formula is SICK!

[Harmony]

I've seen Craigslist postings for "extra cans left over" after baby turned 1 and it never occurred to me that it could be stolen formula. That is really crappy.
I always flag formula posts on CL unless they are giving it away (which is what I did with a bunch of sample cans I had). :o I think there are people who get WIC then turn around and sell it. I didn't even think about people stealing it. It's all locked up in our stores anyway.

[Jelly-Anne]

I work at Babies R Us.

Most formula theft is for one of two reasons :
- to make money on reselling / returning it
- to cut cocaine with, because formula is cheaper than cocaine.

:faint: :eek: Never in my life would have thought of something like that!

[missing]

:faint: :eek: Never in my life would have thought of something like that!

Stunned me too when it was told to us at work.

And it was out of a police report, not just "talk", if that makes sense.

There was some talk about why they used formula instead of something cheap like flour or sugar or whatever - but I cannot remember what it was now at all !