Viral Prank Video: What’s the Difference of Theft vs. Conversion

Receipts are something that practically everyone deals with in their everyday life. As consumers, we often get receipts at grocery stores, on our medical bills, and even with our online shopping transactions. In the day and age of technology, paper receipts are becoming increasingly obsolete. Nevertheless, we still get the odd receipt during our grocery errands. In this wild viral video, a man dressed as a grocery store worker pranks people by taking and eating their receipts. Today, we will discuss the difference between theft vs conversion concerning a destroyed receipt.

The video shows a man dressed in a store greeter uniform. According to multiple comments (and the events in the video), it is clear that he is a prankster looking to cause a stir. He asks a customer to view his receipt before leaving. After pretending to inspect the man’s items briefly, the prankster crumples up the receipt and puts it in his mouth! In another clip, we witness the man yelling in retaliation, accusing the prankster of stealing his receipt.

Does stealing a receipt count as theft? Likewise, does eating or destroying the receipt in some way count as theft and damage to property? Let’s talk about it! 

An Attorney’s Opinion On Eating a Receipt

Attorney Ugo Lord defines theft vs conversion as taking an object of value from another without permission. The situation can be confusing when someone voluntarily gives an item to another. However, destroying or keeping an item without permission can still be considered theft or conversion, regardless of initial permission.

Receipts are not technically objects of value. Their cheap creation and re-printability make them relatively disposable. Likewise, our increasing movement towards paperless receipts makes them even less meaningful. 

According to Ugo Lord, due to the cheap nature of receipts, the prankster is not technically committing theft or conversion. The man would also find it difficult to sue the prankster for the time lost due to the incident. Many courts do not recognize time as something that can be stolen, making it difficult for the man to sue the prankster for the time he lost due to the incident. This has a direct impact when understanding the difference between theft vs conversion.

Time as a Valuable Resource 

While arguing for stolen time in court is usually difficult, it is still possible. 

In the case of the man with the receipt, it would be doubtful that any court would consider it, as the time he lost during the event and to print a new receipt would be minimal. That said, damages and grievances resulting from time-wasting are eligible in court. 

Time-wasting is an offense that occurs frequently in cases involving employees and employers. In these cases, employees can prove that their time is either unpaid or that their workday is being wasted in some fashion. These equate to measurable damages applicable to the court. Likewise, employers can argue similarly when employees waste time and get paid for hours they weren’t working.

Some people also use time-wasting as a legal tactic when they face active lawsuits. In some civil cases, the actions of one party can elongate the legal process so much that the other party is incurring damages in the form of time, money, or energy. In some instances, the party incurring damages may be able to counter-sue for damages related to wasted time.  So, what is the difference between theft vs conversion?

Theft vs Conversion 

Although distinct, theft and conversion are related legal concepts. Some states or regions may have specific laws to distinguish or combine these ideas.  This discuss the difference between theft vs conversion.

Generally, theft is when someone takes an item from another without permission to deprive them of it. When someone steals, they don’t usually intend to return it. For example, someone stealing merchandise from a store would be committing theft. 

On the other hand, conversion is typically when someone intentionally exerts use or control over someone else’s property. In many instances, conversion can mistakenly look like theft. Some states distinguish conversion by stating that it occurs when the person exerting force intends to return the property eventually. For example, someone who leased an item for a period and then continued to use it for a significant time before returning it could be guilty of theft by conversion.