Christmas Shopping Scam

I was in Best Buy today and had the opportunity to watch a couple of semi-pros almost get away with a couple of unpaid-for items. They were a man and woman in their 50s, well-dressed and well-spoken. They were directly ahead of me at the checkout nearest the door, right next to the security guy who checks your packages. When I arrived, they were in a deep discussion with the cashier, about whether one of the items they were purchasing would work for them. They had multiple bags which were swished around, things removed and returned to one bag or another. After deciding that the item in question would not work for them they headed for the door... with the unpaid-for item in the bag. "Wait," says the clerk, "that needs to be scanned." "Oh, silly me. Of course it does," says she. The security guard and I are both watching closely by now. She returns to the register, lets the clerk scan the item, and heads for the door again. This time the security guy is blocking the door, as the clerk, now not about to be distracted, says "You haven't paid for that." "I'm such a goose," she says as her disappointed partner pulls out a credit card and pays. I didn't see the first couple of minutes of the operation, so I don't know for sure if there were other items unpaid-for, but it sure seems possible , maybe likely, that all their distractions and sleight of hand earned them some stocking stuffers. Ho, ho, ho.