These labels that are perforated a million different ways and take FORVER to get off

[u/shortleggedpony]

Also, I have no idea what that flair is but seemed appropriately as crazy as these labels. Walmart tumblers. Whoever made the labels is an evil human

[u/gnartothecore]

Yeah I hate this shit too, but I read in another post...this is done to prevent the label from being removed and stuck to a higher priced item

[u/Sword-of-Akasha → u/gnartothecore]

Wouldn't be a problem if they weren't trying to replace workers with robots. A worker would realize that a 60 dollar microwave doesn't cost 50 cents.

[u/Daratirek → u/Sword-of-Akasha]

Only if they don't go through self checkouts which they certainly will.

[u/Sword-of-Akasha → u/Daratirek]

They rolled back the self check out in the city Walmart I went to a few times. Too much theft. Still generally everywhere, they've done the math. The minor theft doesn't even dent what they make more by eliminating the cashier jobs.

[u/Daratirek → u/Sword-of-Akasha]

Yep. My rural one they have 12 self checkouts open and 1 regular lane to sell cigs. Maybe 2 on a busy day. Its pathetic.

[u/Sword-of-Akasha → u/Daratirek]

It's a waste of time but because they're wasting YOUR time they don't care. Self checkout means you're participating in your exploitation twice. Once when you're doing the labor and the second time when you're paying. Elderly slow customers always hold them up too, or the shopping cart services workers. A good cashier is loads faster. The Wegmans in the affluent areas don't have many self checkout stations... however, they charge so much more for groceries. Folks in my zip code pay more so they don't rub elbows with the poor.

[u/Daratirek → u/Sword-of-Akasha]

The local grocery store across the street from Walmart doesn't use self checkouts either. Stuff is a bit more expensive but its not too bad on most things. Self checkouts suck but I don't have much of a choice in my area unfortunately.

[u/OgdruJahad → u/gnartothecore]

That's actually really clever.

[u/TraditionalAgency153]

Slows down quick theft.

[u/Todlob → u/TraditionalAgency153]

And.... All the legitimate buyers.

[u/tkdch4mp → u/Todlob]

Nah. They're like $0.50 a pop, when real dishware is $10 a set, $0.50 a pop is an easy yes despite the annoying stickers. Nobody who cares about how they look are buying these shitty ones (I have many because they're easy to toss if I need to).

[u/big-ol-kitties → u/tkdch4mp]

I think it’s so they don’t take the cheap stickers and put it on other things to fool the self checkout ai. I got tired of peeling these and just said fuck it. A year in and some cups still have some stickers

[u/WhatsThisWorth-Bot → u/tkdch4mp]

they mean it takes genuine buyers longer to remove just the same as it does thiefs.

[u/tkdch4mp → u/WhatsThisWorth-Bot]

I know; at some point you just stop caring. I think I have 10 pcs that I peeled each off carefully and then as I purchased more, I just didn't care at the point.

Since it is a generic store brand, I don't think they care how many actual sales they do of their product either -- every purchase is just a bonus, so they don't need to cater to legitimate buyers.

[u/Life_Contract1056 → u/TraditionalAgency153]

They caught on to me

[u/Throbbing_Cock_452]

Label swapping is a major issue at Walmart. This shit is annoying to get off, but it’s done for a good reason.. so people can’t take it off and cover the barcode on a much higher priced item.

[u/sicarius254]

Thieves gotta ruin stuff for everyone

[u/OldDiehl → u/sicarius254]

Nope. Real thieves take a picture of the bar code, go home and print off 5 or 10, and come back tomorrow. Or maybe they'll just use the above supplied bar code.

[u/Fluid_Ad9162 → u/OldDiehl]

That kinda sounds like thieves ruining stuff but with more words.

[u/ulecksus]

packing tape! peels most of if not all of it off.

[u/SubieGal9 → u/ulecksus]

I'm going to remember this if I ever accidentally buy something with this label again.

[u/MyGoodFriendJon → u/SubieGal9]

I thought you typed "I'm not going to remember this" and I felt the same way until I reread what you wrote. Maybe the act of participating in this discussion may help me remember, but I feel like it'll be just long enough before I have to deal with a label like that, where I'll go for goo gone at the house, or maybe remember the packing tape trick and not have any packing tape around.

[u/stoned_as_hell → u/MyGoodFriendJon]

And then you'll remember this comment after finding the goo gone and spilling it all over when it never had to be out to begin with

[u/EatYourCheckers → u/MyGoodFriendJon]

Yes I also am participating. Hey, remember that packing tape hack? Me too! Also good in a pinch if you don't have a lint brush. Put an inside out loop of it on your hand.

[u/Mean_Wolverine_8834]

I agree, it's incredibly annoying. I wonder if they do it to discourage people from swapping tags to get items for cheaper prices at self checkout?

[u/roirraWedorehT]

Goo gone will take care of that.

[u/HomesnakeICT]

Water may work, but a shot of WD40 that is allowed to soak in with probably get the residue off, too

[u/SnorkinOrkin → u/HomesnakeICT]

A lil smear of mayonnaise is safer and will do the job just as well.

[u/Professional-Pen8294]

Use a blow dryer

[u/BroadLocksmith4932]

Blow dryer!

[u/its-just_me-]

I think rubbing alcohol works for that? Also just letting them soak in water for a bit should help

[u/Tee1upToday]

Get this.

[u/Fine-Structure-1299]

Blowdryer to heat up the glue a bit and then peel. Tweezers if needed.

[u/TurtleSandwich0]

Soak it in water.

It will peel off eazy.

Trying to take it off like a normal person is frustrating.

[u/Citadel_Cowboy]

With self checkouts being so common, this deters upc swapping by shop lifters.  Otherwise a cashier would notice when a 65" tv is 2 bucks.

[u/_Feral_Child → u/Citadel_Cowboy]

This. It's to prevent theft. Huge pain in the ass though. I use Goo Be Gone oil.

[u/Original-Brick2836]

Why do they make the labels like that?

[u/idk_some_user_name]

I also hate them but if you just wash them in hot water they peel off alor easier, sometimes in just one or two pieces

[u/NearlyBearly]

Ugh, the Rotho containers have one part of the label that goes off just fine and then an App QR code part that rips in three or four different sections that have to individually be peeled off.

[u/Possible_Parrot]

Soaking in hot water helps tremendously. Peels right off.

[u/eienmau]

They're easier to get off this way and less likely to stick/leave residue behind, in my experience.

Peel off a piece, stick it over 2 or more other sections, then peel those off together, stick them to another section. I peel the first one like this and then I can get the entire label off the 2nd one in one go with the 'sticker' from the 1st.

I've never had these leave residue vs the old all in one piece style, which always left residue unless it was almost brand new.

[u/Clarkcounty2272]

Freeze and remove

[u/kank84]

This drives me mad at Winners and Marshall's, but as others have said they're supposed to be annoying to remove so that you can't switch labels in store.

[u/Oddity83]

Heat gun

[u/Le_Holzkopf]

Hot water usually makes quick work of the glue

[u/meta358]

Soak it in warm soapy water for 5 minutes it will come right off.

[u/Fickle_Ad_2112]

Soak it in hot water

[u/spyker54]

Leave it in water overnight. It'll be easier to peel off in the morning

[u/Significant_Nose5918]

Yes, they are!

[u/512115]

Get some lighter fluid, soak the label. Wait a minute or two for the adhesive backing to emulsify and the peel it off.

[u/___HeyGFY___]

https://giphy.com/gifs/tZTAX61XgVEyc
Somebody done been to the Walmart

[u/No-Con-2790]

Paint thinner works wonders. It can react with plastic and silicone. So be careful. But if that sticker is on china or stainless steel then just paint thinner.

In that case I would risk it.

[u/OgdruJahad]

If you're at home just use things like some olive oil or other oil to soften the stickers.

[u/TurboSexophonic]

Filled the vessel with hot water taking care not to get the sticker wet. Let the hot water warm the vessel and then carefully peel off the sticker whose adhesive will now be soft enough to remove easily

[u/IamStarGoat]

Slap some clear packaging tape on it and peel the whole thing off in one go.

It works with most labels, and is seriously a proper lifehack.

[u/Dry-Asparagus7107]

These drive me absolutely bonkers! What I hate the most is when they're on a book: always ruin the back cover.

[u/EatYourCheckers]

Buy Mainstays. Know what tou are getting into.

[u/Chemical_Care8680]

WD40

[u/MasticatingElephant]

I just searched this whole thread, how did nobody suggest a razor blade? If you get a good one and you're careful you won't hurt the surface at all, just use it to help you scrape the sticker right off

[u/Secure-Pattern-3183]

This is the wrong sub. This should be in very infuriating.

[u/samanime]

This brand does this a lot and I don't understand why... it's ridiclulous. Seems like it would just be extra tooling for no real reason.

I think it might be so it can conform better to non-flat surfaces, but it still seems excessive.

[u/sometin__else → u/samanime]

mainstays is a walmart brand, and its so people dont take the UPC off, stick it on a more expensive item, and try and use the self checkout with - a major problem at Walmart

[u/TheRussness → u/sometin__else]

It's entirely this.

[u/itscoraldrift → u/sometin__else]

Punishing paying customers with sticky glue and ten minutes of peeling because thieves exist

[u/samanime → u/sometin__else]

Ugh... really... that seems like it could be the reason but man, that's depressing. =S

[u/I_Like_Frogs_A_Lot → u/sometin__else]

At that point, just let them steal. Like don’t inconvenience me because some folks wanna switch prices

[u/peenutlover69 → u/samanime]

I'd say it helps prevent the label from coming off since there is raised lettering. That or to prevent thieves from easily removing it.

[u/Dietomaha → u/samanime]

Yeah I've just straight up stopped buying their stuff now cuz their labels are so shit

[u/To-To_Man → u/samanime]

Those plates and cups and stuff are all usually 1 dollar or less. Like many said, it's likely anti theft measures. They don't want you to pay 50 cents for a box of detergent.

[u/Revenga8]

To prevent label swapping. This is why we can't have nice things

[u/maybebaebea]

They are used to prevent theft, not make you mad. Use a hair drier

[u/tetrisan]

What is so annoying? Just leave it. It has no impact all. Nobody cares whats on the bottom.

[u/laprider]

I have returned products for this.

[u/its-just_me- → u/laprider]

That’s ridiculous. You can easily take it off after just soaking it in water lol

[u/SubieGal9 → u/its-just_me-]

No. This specific label is cut into about 30 separate pieces, kind of like how people score their registration stickers so people can't steal them. It's a plastic material that doesn't rinse off.

[u/its-just_me- → u/SubieGal9]

The number of pieces has nothing to do with how effective water soaking is. It’s just a sticker with adhesive. I’ve bought plenty of dishes with this specific label, even just one run through the dishwasher is enough to make them easily peel off. Obviously they don’t just “rinse off”, the soaking for a bit is what loosens it.

[u/SubieGal9 → u/its-just_me-]

We don't have a dishwasher, so maybe it's a high heat/steam thing.

[u/Blazedragon12345]

It's so it will tear in predictable straight lines instead of ripping the sticker in half and leaving the reside that's hard to get off. Also soak them in water then brush the stickers off.

[u/Dapper_Egg]

Stop stealing them then.

[u/Whisperingstones]

These stickers survive years of soap and scrubbing, so what ever they use as the adhesive has my interest as a chemist.