Can bar codes set off a stores security alarm?

Question

I was in a Barnes and nobles and i was going to put some comic books back. I had them in my hands on the way over and i thought
"gee i should go look at the front to see if there are hiring signs"
anyway the sensors beeped and i had a stack of comics in my hands and it looked really bad and nobody believed me i wasn't stealing.

I mean what idiot just trys to walk out with all that crap.
But anyway i was wondering what set off the books I thought that only happened with electronics

Is it possible that the bar code on the book set it off?

Answer 1

No, that is a misconceception that alot of people (and nearly Everyone who gets caught stealing from the store where i work) have.

Regular bar codes are not magnetized; the security alarms in stores are set off by magnetic strips.

If what you had had a dust jacket of some kind, there Could have been a sensor stuck to the inside of that. Or if it had a price tag that you could peel off, it could have been that. There are also sensor tags that Look kind of like bar codes (they are flat and flexible with a "bar code" printed on them). As an FYI there are also ones that are sewn into new clothing, that look like a washing instruction tag.



Seriously though, it could have been Anything. Sometimes the damn things go off when no one is even around, sometimes people set them off going into one store but not another. If you weren't stealing, i wouldn't worry about it :)

Answer 2

A typical barcode does not set off a security alarm. There are some barcodes however that are specifically made to set off security alarms. In these instances the checkout/store clerk will scan the item over a special pad to demagnitize the barcode so as to deactivate it. These security barcode are usually thicker than a normal bar code seen on most packages. As you stated, there are also special security devices on some products, i.e. electronics, clothing, etc. that need to be removed prior to leaving a store.

Answer 3

Yeah I guess, I mean what else could have done it? But yeah that does look really bad.