Home Depot plans to foil shoplifters with power tools that won't work if they're stolen

submitted by thefirststone from businessinsider.com

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[–]AnarchySpeach 7 insightful - 2 fun7 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 2 fun -  (22 children)

power tools that won't work unless they're properly scanned and activated at the register via Bluetooth technology. If a thief managed to smuggle a power drill out of the store without paying, the drill simply wouldn't turn on.

Effort and Cost.

While this will stop most shop lifters it won't stop them from selling them online at a discount to people smart enough to bypass the on/off switch.

I do find it a little funny how they say this is their best solution that avoids hurting their brand.

Defects will happen. A tired a employee won't scan it right. Now there's a person on the job trying to use a tool that won't turn on. He makes a post online about it. Other people chime in with similar experiences. Other brands are recommended. Then somebody will post a youtube tutorial about which wire to disconnect to bypass the bluetooth. That video gets removed for "piracy" or some made up reason.

Sounds more and more like John Dear hell every day.

Can't wait for the anti-right-to-repair people to start screaming when customers start taking their broken power tools to someone like Louis Rossmann who can "fix" their tools for $5, instead of going back to the store to have it be turned on.

I'd rather pay $5 to have the bluetooth safeguard removed at a small tech shop than disabled at the store who couldn't do it right the first time.

And all of this because the store doesn't want to hurt their brand image by tying things down ffs.

[–]JasonCarswellMental Orgy 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (6 children)

While this will stop most shop lifters it won't stop them from selling them online at a discount to people smart enough to bypass the on/off switch.

Creating another black market hierarchy. I wonder it that's part of their plan.

[–]AnarchySpeach 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (5 children)

Reminds me a little of how some communist countries make everything illegal, and then only enforce the law to remove competitors.

It's ridiculous that they think simply adding a wire or rope around the product will scare away customers. The dude buying a chainsaw, that deals with the idea of being crushed to death on a daily basis as a lumberjack, will not care in the slightest if they have to ask an employee to take a rope off. The target customer for Home Depot are people buying construction equipment, hammers, nails, balancing on a ladder to paint, and lots of stuff that could cause injury. I highly doubt their light bulb department is the thing keeping them afloat.

There's no way installing bluetooth is the cheaper option compared simply tying stuff down. This feels like somebody high up in the company has a brother that works in a chip factory making bluetooth and saw an opportunity to make some extra bucks.

[–]HiddenFox 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

Bingo! That it, "Opportunity". Like the smart fridge it's pointless but people see and it and somehow think it will be better. Your bluetooth enabled drill will not be cheaper I can assure you of that.

But we are all thinking if this in the wrong context. Everyone else is talking about hacking passed the bluetooth. I propose this scenario.

It's a hot August day, as you walk down the street you see the despair on the faces of you local tradesmen. Sweltering in the heat you approach the youngest teamsters with a proposal. For a mear $20 you have the ability to temporarily "disable" the equipment, presenting an opportunity for an impromptu beach day! A little free time.e for them, a quick $20 for you. Win win! Ransomeware 2.0

[–]AnarchySpeach 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

Hadn't even thought of that.

There's really nothing to stop trolls from driving past workers and shutting down equipment. Because the bluetooth is intended to be a security feature there's no physical way of enabling or disabling it externally. They would need an in-store device to wireless fix the problem.

[–]HiddenFox 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I can see it going beyond this. 1st gen for the stores, 2nd generation will link the tools to your phone so that no one can steal them on you.

All along they will be collecting you usage data and selling it off to say....IRS. IRS will be like "hey, Joe carpenter here sure is using his tools alot on the weekend but it says here he only work mon to Friday.... better check to see if he's got a little something going on on the side...

[–]AnarchySpeach 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

That's why you've got your State Issued Tools for work and the jailbroken ones you have to keep hidden in the floorboards with the illegal books./s

It's crazy how the world is slowly inching its way towards this and so few people are willing to consider the damage this will cause tomorrow.

[–]JasonCarswellMental Orgy 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

make everything illegal, and then only enforce the law to remove competitors.

[–]yetanotherone_sigh 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (8 children)

This would be relatively easy to bypass, except that the BT authorization might be located on a board along with the battery management and other "smart" (integrated) technologies. If the BT device was separate and inline, you just clip a couple of wires and put in a wire nut to hotwire it.

Much simpler just to lock the tools up in the store. If you want one, they take it to the register and you buy it.

[–]JasonCarswellMental Orgy 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Much simpler just to lock the tools up in the store.

[–]thefirststone[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

They already do usher tools from locked cages to the register in some locations, I've read. That requires employees, which are expensive and scarce when construction is booming from low interest rates.

Basically, this is automation of their manual security systems. I don't blame them for replacing those tattooed idiots with robots.

[–]skeeter 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

when shoplifting becomes more profitable than being a carpenter or plumber.

when a basic hammer or screwdriver costs more than a used car.

when the economy breaks.

when nobody can afford to sit around and spend time in a forum.

[–]AnarchySpeach 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

It will be interesting to see how one of the fattest counties on earth, that slowly eats itself to death as a competitive pastime, reacts to a food shortage.

Game wardens are going to live like kings when the farms slow down.

[–]skeeter 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Cannibalism will become popular again.

[–]yetanotherone_sigh 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

It is said (by stores) that a lot of the problem is employee theft. I don't know if I believe that or not.

[–]thefirststone[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I do, and this activation scheme can track that, which supports that idea.

Sad as it is, I bet they'll notice an improvement on their bottom line. Yet it will likely inconvenience customers as much as their employees.

[–]yetanotherone_sigh 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Could be. If they do that, I'll opt out of buying them and shop somewhere else. Better yet, get a 25 year old drill instead of a new one. I have one that is as old as I am (50) and it runs great. They'll fight over it when I die. The old machines are much better quality and longer lasting than the new ones. They are designed to wear out and break, with no spare parts available.

[–]Zapped 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (5 children)

Amen, brother.

I knew someone who could program the timing on a drag bike with a Gameboy. They'd have those tools jailbroken in a day.

[–]skeeter 3 insightful - 3 fun3 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 3 fun -  (4 children)

i have a friend that used to work part time at the phone company.

[–]Zapped 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

Why part-time and not full-time?

[–]skeeter 3 insightful - 3 fun3 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 3 fun -  (2 children)

cuz its the phone company?

[–]Zapped 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

-----.

[–]chadwickofwv 6 insightful - 2 fun6 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Sounds like they are degrading the tools to prevent theft. I will not buy degraded tools. In fact, I will not buy a power tool that has bluetooth built in.

[–]IkeConn 4 insightful - 3 fun4 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

IT people in Atlanta refuse to work for Home Depot. They have really bad reputation for expecting IT people to put in 65 or more hours a week or they are considered slackers.

[–]skeeter 3 insightful - 3 fun3 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 3 fun -  (3 children)

smart criminals dont steal from home depot, their products are way too heavy and bulky.

i prefer diamond heists, fuck the power drills.

[–]thefirststone[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Good point. Their employees walking away with power tools aren't the sharpest tools. But the company still blames the customer.

This shit will probably work well unless the employees can activate their stolen tools themselves. But then the store will be able to see more are activated than sold.

Meanwhile, I can still get non-playskool tools from Ace, DoItBest, and niche tool shops (which can also repair tools, and keep their shit in stock).

[–]eh-non-plus 0 insightful - 2 fun0 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

What is a heisty? Sounds rather feisty..

[–]skeeter 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

heist is just another word for robbery.. you must not be a native english speaker..

[–][deleted] 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

This is a shrinkage issue, they pay shit wages and get shit employees

[–]filbs111 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

That's a nasty solution. Why not do it like they do with CDs, etc? Take the box (possibly containing a deactivated item) to the till, someone brings the real functioning item from the back room.

[–]yetanotherone_sigh 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

They already do this at some locations. In my location, the actual item is located in a locker below the display. If you want it, you get an employee, he gets it out of the locker and carries it up to the register for you. You are not allowed to touch it until you paid for it.

This isn't rocket science and it does not require bluetooth. This whole premise is silly.

[–]filbs111 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It has some sense in that it could be a little faster at the checkout.

[–]JasonCarswellMental Orgy 2 insightful - 3 fun2 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

The thieves worked hard to steal them so they won't want to break the tools open to jailbreak them because it might ruin the warranty. /s