How to Remove a Security Tag

[JenniferS]

As I have mentioned numerous times, I was in the World 09/23 - 10/02, with my SIL and nephew.

As usual, when I travel without hubby and kids, I buy a ton of stuff for them; usually t-shirts, boxer shorts/sleep pants and hats. Even though this year's trip was earlier than last year's, I bought them each some things for now, and a few things each to put away for Christmas.

Anyways, I was organizing all the gifts that I have purchased throughout the year (don't hate me) in order to get the bulk of my wrapping done this week, and discovered that one of the t-shirts I bought still had the plastic disc dye pack still attached.

Is there a way to remove these? Will I get funny looks if I just go to a clothing store at my local mall and ask them to demagnetize and remove it?

 

[Nemo14]

I had that happen to me once too, and I took it to the customer service desk at Penney's with my receipt (not from that store) and they removed it for me.

Just don't try to remove it yourself - that never ends well.

 

[The Mom]

It depends upon the clothing, and how good of a seamstress you are. Tag left on black ski pants purchased for my daughter just before closing the night before an 8 am flight (she procrastinated on trying on last season's stuff) which I was able to carefully remove with embroidery scissors and then darning the hole. But I would not recommend it.

 

[The Mom]

If you have your receipt and explain yourself as above, some good-hearted mall store employee may give you a break. If it's a Disney Store, you may have an even better chance.

The easiest thing to do is take it back to where you got it from with the receipt. If that is not possible, removing the tag is possible, but not the easiest thing to do. Because there are so many different types of tags, all with their own unique removal tool, going to any random store does not always work. If there is a store using the same system I would give that a shot first.

This wiki-how article has a number of way to remove them, but many are brute force methods. You will want to freeze the dye pack before attempting them. Unfortunately, even that comes with its own set of risks.

Do you have your receipt?

 

[SyracuseOrange]

As an alternative to the mall option, if you are within a reasonable distance of a Disney store (maybe there's even one in your mall!) I'd imagine their clothing uses the same tags, and they'd be able to remove it for you.

 

[minniemickeyfan]

Had this happen once from.an item I purchased at Disney and I called the Disney store and they said they didn't have anything as they don't put these on their clothes. My local kohls took it off for me.

 

[JenniferS]

No receipt.
I never hold on to them too long, keeping them only for Immigration and Customs. I visit WDW only once per year, so it's not likely I'll be returning anything.
The tags (as well as the dye pack) however, are still attached. Hope that's good enough. There is only one Disney store within 100km of where I live, so I hope at least one merchant at my local mall is willing to help me out.
I'll keep you posted. Thx

 

[Tiggerfanatic]

I had this happen to me with a sweatshirt from the Villain's shop at the Studios. I called Disney Customer Service, and they told me to send it back and they would remove it. I included a copy of my receipt, and a copy of my shipping receipt, which they reimbursed me for. About a week later I got my shirt back.

 

[mitchk]

I had this happen once. I decided I would remove it myself. I wrapped a teeshirt around the ink box, got a pair of needle nose pliers, and snipped the bar in between of the plastic and the ink box. This was years ago, and I don't suggest doing it, I just didn't really care if the shirt got ruined, it was the wrong size

 

[ddrongowski]

I had that happen to me once too, and I took it to the customer service desk at Penney's with my receipt (not from that store) and they removed it for me.

Just don't try to remove it yourself - that never ends well.

It ends well if you have a magnet from the old HP mainframe hard drives. Those suckers will warp space time itself if your not careful.

You need a magnet, a really strong one to release the claws from the pin. If you have some neodymium magnets around, the ones in hard drives will work, just place them on the release side (all going the same polarity) and the pin side should come free. If it does not move easily flip all the magnets over and try again.

 

[EpcoTim]

I'm not seeing those quoted posts, are they from this thread?

 

[sublimesting]

As I have mentioned numerous times, I was in the World 09/23 - 10/02, with my SIL and nephew.

As usual, when I travel without hubby and kids, I buy a ton of stuff for them; usually t-shirts, boxer shorts/sleep pants and hats. Even though this year's trip was earlier than last year's, I bought them each some things for now, and a few things each to put away for Christmas.

Anyways, I was organizing all the gifts that I have purchased throughout the year (don't hate me) in order to get the bulk of my wrapping done this week, and discovered that one of the t-shirts I bought still had the plastic disc dye pack still attached.

Is there a way to remove these? Will I get funny looks if I just go to a clothing store at my local mall and ask them to demagnetize and remove it?

OK you're going to need a bathtub full of water and a screwdriver......

 

[The Mom]

I'm not seeing those quoted posts, are they from this thread?

They were moved over from another, duplicate thread. Only different suggestion was to google "how to remove a dye tag" - but the results were not always the best. And a hint - make sure you freeze the dye pack first.

 

[JenniferS]

It depends upon the clothing, and how good of a seamstress you are. Tag left on black ski pants purchased for my daughter just before closing the night before an 8 am flight (she procrastinated on trying on last season's stuff) which I was able to carefully remove with embroidery scissors and then darning the hole. But I would not recommend it.

If I strike out at the mall, this is the method I will probably employ.
The t-shirt is for my 17 year old son who is permanently attached to his longboard. Virtually every pair of pants and many of his shirts have been torn and repaired as a result of failed slides. No biggie to him!
Thx

 

[luv]

I throw my receipts out, too. When Disney didn't pull the tags off my stuff, I went back to DTD and found a security person before I entered, just so they could see I was taking it into the store and not stealing it.

Oh, my gosh. "Do you have the receipt?" No. I threw it out. The hotel maid took the trash. Why would I keep a receipt for something I didn't plan to return? After about 30 minutes, they decided to believe me and very nicely removed the clampy thing. But there was back-and-forth, people coming over, talking to each other, looking at me. Yeesh!

I always check, now, when I buy things, to see if there is a clamp and if they remove it.

 

[MattC]

I've never tried this, but heard about it while working retail years ago. If you have to remove the dye pack yourself freeze it first. That way if you do mess up while removing it liquid won't spray all over. Like I said, never tried it, but it's a good last resort idea.

 

[King Panda 77]

OK you're going to need a bathtub full of water and a screwdriver......

" Ferb .. I know what we are going to do today " !

 

[sublimesting]

Ya know on this last trip I bought a pin and tossed out the receipt and put it in my pocket. Later that day I was in another store about to buy another pin but had forgotten exactly which pin I bought earlier and so I took it out of my pocket to check....then I froze....uh oh....now I'm holding a pin in a store with no receipt and if I put it back into my pocket it will look like I'm stealing it. So, I stealthily put it back but felt as if I were stealing my own pin!

 

[Figments Friend]

As I have mentioned numerous times, I was in the World 09/23 - 10/02, with my SIL and nephew.

As usual, when I travel without hubby and kids, I buy a ton of stuff for them; usually t-shirts, boxer shorts/sleep pants and hats. Even though this year's trip was earlier than last year's, I bought them each some things for now, and a few things each to put away for Christmas.

Anyways, I was organizing all the gifts that I have purchased throughout the year (don't hate me) in order to get the bulk of my wrapping done this week, and discovered that one of the t-shirts I bought still had the plastic disc dye pack still attached.

Is there a way to remove these? Will I get funny looks if I just go to a clothing store at my local mall and ask them to demagnetize and remove it?

I might be able to help...as i had this happen to me a few years ago.

I had bought a dress coat from a local department store and when i returned home noticed the dye-tag still attached.
I removed it myself, with no damage to the fine material and no dye stains.
It CAN be done...if you are careful !

Here is how i did it, and this is what i used -

Wire cutters
Strength
two ( or three if need be ) thin plastic bags

Wrap the thin plastic bag around the security tag containing the dye.
You want it to be between the tag and your item of clothing, as well as completely covering the dye-filled tag itself.
You may need to use two bags to accomplish this.
Tape it tightly to itself to hold it in place, as you may need both hands for cutting.
To be extra safe, you may wish to bag the item of clothing as well separately.
The key is to be sure the bag wrapped around the tag itself is snug, and has no holes.
This will hold the dye when it leaks out later.

With the bag(s) in place, take the wire cutters and depending on your hand strength, use one of two hands to start cutting the wire post base.
Cut at the end closest to the tag, NOT the end closest to the fabric to avoid damage. This is important!
Also, it works best if you cut at a angle with the tag located to the side and not above your fabric item.
This will make it easier to get a strong cut, and keep any possible danger of the dye leaking onto said fabric to the absolute minimum.
Keep cutting...it will take you maybe up to 10 minutes to shear through the tough metal post.
It WILL budge however...so be prepared !

Once the post lets go, be sure to grab your shirt and hold it up so that the dye tag is now below it.
The dye will bleed out into the plastic bag you wrapped it in, and by holding the shirt above it there should be no risk of it becoming ruined.
The tag should now fall off by itself...or with a little nudge.
I used a plastic container to catch the tag to avoid touching it, and then binned it immediately.
The backpiece of the security tag will still be behind your shirt fabric, but it will not do any damage.
You have already removed the part that posed that danger.
This can be removed once you unbag your shirt.

Now unwrap your shirt and inspect for any possibly marks.
If for some reason you have dye on the shirt, immediately rinse with HOT water and it should come out.
If it is a white fabric, immediately spray or blot with bleach and then rinse with HOT water.

If all goes to plan, you should have a un-damaged shirt and a removed security tag.

Hope this helps....and good luck !

 

[The Empress Lilly]

in the dressing room take out your knife and peel the tag off do not put the magnet in your pocket the alarm will go off don;t leave it in the dressing room either this wil alarm staff put in in the bag of another customet hten when he sets off the alrm use the conbfusion to make for the exit yourslef