West Monroe man arrested after paying only $4.88 for plasma TV

**TXCharlie** · 06-27-07, 04:09 PM

http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs...29/1002/NEWS01
By Stacy Temple
stemple@thenewsstar.com

While Wal-Mart is known for dropping its prices, one West Monroe man took the ad campaign seriously when he dropped the price of a plasma television from $984 to $4.88.

Monroe police arrested the man Tuesday evening at Wal-Mart, 2701 Louisville Ave.

Chandon L. Simms, 23, 109 Lenard Drive, was charged with one count of felony theft.

According to police reports, Simms carried a 42-inch Sanyo Plasma TV to a self-checkout aisle after switching the original price tag of $984 with one for only $4.88.

Wal-Mart Loss Prevention officers witnessed the transaction and called police.

When Loss Prevention officers stopped Simms on his way out the door, he produced a receipt for a television purchased at the West Monroe Wal-Mart.

Reports stated he was detained until Monroe police arrived.

Simms told officers that he purchased a TV from the West Monroe store and planned to take that TV back and keep the one he purchased for only $4.88 from the Monroe store.

He was arrested and booked into Ouachita Correctional Center.

**countybear** · 06-27-07, 04:18 PM

**cajunguy** · 06-27-07, 04:37 PM

Damn good deal - - - IF you can get away with it.

(Wonder if he'll get to watch TV in jail.)

.

**TXCharlie** · 06-27-07, 04:50 PM

Yeah, Wal-Mart of all places - I guess Dumbass never heard of Wal-Mart's famous Loss Prevention.

**BigDawg** · 06-27-07, 05:02 PM

When I saw these self-checkout isles that is what I thought of, price switching. Plus how many people will pack a suitcase or something full of items, then just checkout and pay for the suitcase??

Sorry I dont think that these self checkout isles are a good idea.

**kjlaw** · 06-27-07, 05:10 PM

Bigdawg I totally agree that they are a pain in the ass while on duty.

Of course walmart can't figure why they lose so much money.

**TXCharlie** · 06-27-07, 08:53 PM

I've wondered that myself - And now even the grocery stores around here have them.

Sometimes you go in the grocery stores, and there's only one human cashier on duty with a long line, and several of those automatic checkouts.

I always have problems getting the automatic checkouts to sense I've put something in the bag, or the bag shifts around and it thinks I put something in there without scanning it - At that point it's a pain in the ass.

**Rhino** · 06-27-07, 10:11 PM

We get crap like that all the time in my city. Hardly news worthy.

**jmur5074** · 06-27-07, 11:22 PM

I never use the self scanning checkouts.

If I wanted to work at a grocery store....I'd work at a grocery store.

But I don't, so I have the squeaky voice 15 yr old boy do it for me.

**Buttercup** · 06-27-07, 11:31 PM

Originally Posted by jmur5074

I never use the self scanning checkouts.

If I wanted to work at a grocery store....I'd work at a grocery store.

But I don't, so I have the squeaky voice 15 yr old boy do it for me.

I feel the same way about them. My groceries don't cost less if I use the self-scanner, and from what I see of the lines they don't save any time.

**OffDuty** · 06-27-07, 11:40 PM

Around here at the WM (when there is LP on duty since they dont like to pay them to work much) when they were stopped the suspect would then have punched the WM employee, grabbed the TV, fled into the parking lot left in unknown direction and then they would call for an assault report to boot.

WM is USELESS around here.

**TXCharlie** · 06-28-07, 08:30 AM

Originally Posted by jmur5074

I never use the self scanning checkouts.

If I wanted to work at a grocery store....I'd work at a grocery store.

But I don't, so I have the squeaky voice 15 yr old boy do it for me.

I'm with you all the way there.

I really can't see how the figure they're gonna recoop their investment - I'm guessing, but I bet those things cost at least $25,000 each, maybe double that - That's 3500 hours (over a year @ 8hrs per day) for a cashier who makes $7/hr with no benifits. Plus a service contract for the machines probably costs $10,000 per year for each store. Plus the cost of one cashier to oversee the machines, Plus the loss of merchandise.

If they'd offer a 10% discount or something for using the automatic checkouts, my attitude might change.

But... I had a similar attitude about self-service gas stations, and now I like them.

**armygrnt502** · 06-28-07, 04:47 PM

Now if they would do this with say...automobiles, I might seriously think of buying another one.

I dont like self check outs...the things wont scan, it constantly asks me to put my items in a bag and then it chides me for not leaving things in the bag long enough.