Macy's Violates Privacy With Peek-A-Boo Dressing Rooms (VIDEO)

While most dressing rooms seem to be going in a high-tech direction (digital Ass Cams, kinetic motion sensors), Macy's is apparently going low-tech with simple prying eyes.

News stations in both Orlando and Tampa Bay are reporting that local Macy's stores have been installing dressing room doors upside down so that horizontal slat openings allow outsiders to get a full view inside.

The "dirty little secret of Macy's fitting rooms," as Orlando's Local 6 News called it, was revealed by a former employee who specializes in "loss prevention," meaning customer theft. He told reporters that he has never seen this kind of invasion of privacy before.

While there are signs that read "Fitting Rooms are monitored by Loss Prevention Personnel to prevent shortage" hung around the dressing room, there is no explicit warning to customers that anyone outside their dressing room door can completely see them changing.

In case we didn't believe them, Local 6 News sent its employees into the dressing rooms, filmed them from the outside while they undressed then repeatedly showed the pictures on loop with racy music in the background. Way to prove a point, guys.

Below is WTSP 10's video reel, which includes a more serious examination into whether this level of peeping in the name of "loss prevention" is legal.

Hint: it is.

WATCH:

(Via Gawker)

Comments

[lexim116]

12:51 PM on 08/09/2011

I worked at Macy's for a year. Believe me, whether or not those door slats go up or down, no one's trying to look inside. People poop, pee, and do all sorts of nasty things in those fitting room. I've had to clean it up. Not only that, some women leave the door open while they change and others have no shame asking associated questions while standing in their bra and underwear. Spend a day working there and you'll realize the employees need to shield themselves from the customers more than anything....oh, and as far as the cameras? There's cameras pointed towards the fitting room entrance, none whatsoever in the fitting rooms. People just misinterpret the signs.

[bnyb]

02:52 PM on 08/09/2011

WHO'S POOPING AND PEEING IN THE FITTING ROOMS?!!!

[sillybilly]

09:57 PM on 08/09/2011

You would be surprised! I co-sign what lexim116 stated: I worked at Saks for a few years and the so-called "high-end" customers are the nastiest, in many ways. (I think it is a power thing: I shop here, am well-to-do (allegedly), and you are here to take care of me--and taking a dump in a dressing room really drives that point home.) Their attitudes, treatment of staff, etc.....No surprise here. The general public has no idea what sales staff put up with.

[stephv]

10:53 PM on 08/09/2011

Joyce Leslie does something similar, except they've removed all the doors to the stalls so everyone's just out in the open. Having customers try to make the "door" work or just completely walk out everyday never fails. Speaking of dirty customers, one time a woman had her child pee in the corner of one stall because they couldn't hold it, and women walk around all the time just completely topless. It's as if they think that just because we're all girls, all respect goes out the window.

[mPowerServices]

11:22 PM on 08/08/2011

Look folks, just buy your porno and stop trying to watch folks who don't want to be watched. This is an invasion of privacy and shopping in your store does not give you permission to watch folks undress. This is pathetic.

[evilchihuahua]

07:45 PM on 08/08/2011

What I want to know is,
how does Macy's expect its loss prevention team to apprehend a shoplifter with only one hand? ;)

[mggwa]

07:56 PM on 08/09/2011

"how does Macy's expect its loss prevention team to apprehend a shoplifter with only one hand"

It does not matter how many hands a shoplifter has; but you do raise an interesting point about what the police may do when they arrive. Anyway, here's some answers:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090809003722AA1GxcJ

[MexDiva]

08:36 PM on 08/09/2011

mggwa you provided a very interesting answer to evilchihuahua, but I think he/she tried to make another point ;-)

[Squiriferous]

07:43 PM on 08/08/2011

Outrageous but not all that surprising. Best Buy has been stopping pretty much every customer on their way out and DEMANDING to see their receipts. I can't wait until all of these giant criminal organizations are put out of business forever.

[mggwa]

07:59 PM on 08/09/2011

"I can't wait until"

Why not? What happens since you cannot wait?

[Squiriferous]

08:40 PM on 08/09/2011

I can't be happy that they are out of business until they are out of business. What happens until then? I don't shop there and I tell others not to shop there, that's what.

[westwingpotus]

07:42 PM on 08/08/2011

I know Huffington just creates news out of non-news in order to create pages to put ad on. I get that.

But jesus mary and joseph, this is SO not even remotely news. "Never seen this before" Really? I've worked in Retail since the early 70's and having the slats on the door so you can see in was common in 1972 and it's common today. The only "story" here is a "loss prevention" employee who is so bad at their job that they are somehow unaware of this common practice in ALL department stores. Of course, that's probably why he's a "former" employee.

[dball]

09:15 AM on 08/10/2011

all stores?
hmmm...not true...and one store, Ann Taylor, actually admitted they were wrong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTSDnZLhbbw&feature=channel_video_title

and it may be news because of incidents like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Uwh1h4dmbU&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipjJElElMYQ&feature=channel_video_title

why make it easier for these guys by installing the doors like this? how many victims are out there that may never know since the guy can simply stand instead of kneeling down to get
his video. As the father says in the video" just google department store peeping tom"..and edecate yourself

[dball]

09:18 AM on 08/10/2011

or "ejimicate your learnin'" as we used to say

[westwingpotus]

03:53 PM on 08/11/2011

I didn't say "all stores", I said all deparment stores. Ann Taylor is not a department store. And its my opinoni that anyone who is even remotely self-aware can tell if someone is standing outside the door.

Oh and yeah, I'll work to "ededate" myself, if you'll work on your reading skills.

[Richcrafter]

07:33 PM on 08/08/2011

Macy's has been doing this for YEARS!

[kikidee1]

07:17 PM on 08/08/2011

A far more egregious stumble by Macy's was changing the name of Marshall Fields.

[dm042662]

06:52 PM on 08/08/2011

So for the most part, gathered from what I read on page one of the comments, is that people don't mind being spied on in the changing room of a department store. Yet this country is up in arms over body scanners at an airport.

[mggwa]

08:01 PM on 08/09/2011

Your comment might be significant if you could determine that a few people who don't mind being spied on are actually the same people that DO mind being x-rayed at the airport. THEN make some hay out of it.

If someone sees me in underwear, well that's still a lot more than I was wearing in my Navy induction processing! It is also a lot more than you'll be wearing in a full body naked scanner.

[dm042662]

05:47 PM on 08/10/2011

Do YOU know that they are NOT.

[FeralForever]

06:46 PM on 08/08/2011

This is just another bunch of guys who are trying to see women undressed. They must be punished. Anyone who wants to disagree, meet me in Macy's window and pucker up.

[falconp51]

06:45 PM on 08/08/2011

(Part4) In conclusion; get all the facts and be informed before you come to a final conclusion. Also remember LPs have more limits and restrictions placed upon them because we are the good guys, while the thieves have none. Take a moment to imagine what the stores would be like if they didn't have Loss Prevention staff? If you think prices and service are bad now, they you are in for a very rude awakening. Nothing is perfect in this world and retailers are lilke humans. They do make mistakes some small and some big. I oppose any village and lynch mob mentality towards retailers who are doing what is necessary to protect their assets. However, I do agree to those who clearly break the law and privacy of customers well beyond reseaonable expection of privacy and protecting assets. Thank you for taking the time to read my post.

[falconp51]

06:45 PM on 08/08/2011

(part3)Let me give you an LP 101 overview. Florida, as well as various other states, have "Merchant's Privilage" statues which basically means a merchant can use reasonable force to detain a shoplifter. They also can hold a shoplifter for a reasaonable amount of time until Law Enforcement arrives. Basically, state law states that anytime someone conceals merchandise, the merchant has the right to make efforts to recover that merchandise. In addition, the retail community takes it a step further and has established intent using "5 Steps" that we all follow to help establish and prove theft. Fitting room apprehensions are a bear and are strictly governed, but the "5 Steps" are also used. For every one that I do catch at least four I attempt to deter or cause them to dump the merchandise for a recovery. It is a cat and mouse game that LPs plays against theives everyday of the year.

[falconp51]

06:44 PM on 08/08/2011

(Part2) There is no expectation of privacy on the sales floor. However, there is an expectation of privacy in the restroom and fitting rooms. Every ounce of care and planning goes into insuring that a customer's privacy is not invaded.

I've known for years that Macy's and other retailers would install the louvered doors upside down, but I can not confirm if that was a policy across the country. Unless you are standing right next to the door, you are not going to see anything. As a male LP I never went into the woman's side of the dressing rooms until a female associate verified that all the stalls were empty. Now, why would I go in there in the first place? To visual verify before and after a fitting room stall was used to search for abandoned merchandise, empty hangers, and tags. Next time you go into a fitting room, look around the mirrors and you will see clear sealant around it to prevent shoplifters from shoving tags behind it. This also goes for the bench too.

[dball]

08:17 AM on 08/10/2011

unless you are standing right next to door, you wont see anything?!!!!!!!!: looks like they did do an investigation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onCyhmj4Y8I&feature=channel_video_title
and they peeping toms of the world know that they can see in ..dont ya think!!
...just google department store peeping tom...If these areas were safe I would see no problem...but they are not, and by having doors like this the companies just make it easier for people to be victimized. shame on macy's!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkZebxRjz9w&feature=relmfu

and at Macy's:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Uwh1h4dmbU&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipjJElElMYQ&feature=channel_video_title

[Dave Harrison]

06:42 PM on 08/08/2011

The question is how many other retailers are using this practice? It is not that we shop at Macy's much but I won't darken their doorway again. I'm funny like that.

[falconp51]

06:42 PM on 08/08/2011

(Part 1)I've been in the Retail Security (Loss Prevention) for nearly 15 years. While I can NOT speak for all retailers, I can report with all the companies I have worked for NO cameras or two way mirrors were used of ALLOWED! What I find as a common thread in a story such is this, the immediate backlash and out cry of foul. The majority of those who have read and remarked on this story regarding Macy's, probably didn't bother to double check and VALIDATE the facts! Just because the newspaper or television newscast reports it, doesn't necessarily mean all of the facts are being report accurately and there for should not be taken as the gospel truth. Unless you have worked in Loss Prevention then you might fully understand the amount of work and dedication LP associates give back to their companies that help provide a safe shopping and work enviroment for everyone.

Approx. over 40 billion in losses caused by theft are reported within the retail community every year. Those loses are recooped at the registers. Also, the amount of money that is spent on security equipment (cameras, computers, EAS tagging/monitoring, hiring and training) is staggering! Now, let me also put another thing into perspective. When you walk into a retail store, you are not on public property, but private property. There is no expectation of privacy on the sales floor. However, there is an expectation of privacy in the restroom and fitting rooms.

[thegrrrr8est]

06:38 PM on 08/08/2011

Oh, for crying out loud. Who cares if some clerk catches a glimpse of you in your undies? What a lot of drama over nothing.

You want to discourage shoplifters? Beat them with a lead pipe when you catch them, like they did in the casinos in the early days of Vegas.

[dball]

08:20 AM on 08/10/2011

Its alot more than someone catching a glimpse of you in your undies...
http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=onCyhmj4Y­8I&feature­=channel_v­ideo_title
and the peeping toms of the world know that they can see in ..dont ya think!!
...just google department store peeping tom...
If these areas were safe I would see no problem...­but they are not, and by having doors like this the companies just make it easier for people to be victimized­. shame on macy's!

and i hope your daughter , sister, mother,....never has to go through this:

http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=bkZebxRjz­9w&feature­=relmfu

and at Macy's:

http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=0Uwh1h4dm­bU&feature­=relmfu

http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=ipjJElElM­YQ&feature­=channel_v­ideo_title