I think the issue was how Garfield was written. They tried to recreate the scene from Spider-Man 1 before Uncle Ben get killed with someone being an a$$hole to Peter and cheating him out of something which causes him to let the thief get away. The problem is that unlike Spider-Man 1, the clerk was in the right in TASM1 (regardless of how petty it was), Peter didn't have enough money so when the thief steals the money from the store, he gives Peter the chocolate milk. Instead of Peter putting it back on the counter, he just walks out of the store with it without paying as if he was entitled to it (basically making him an accessory to robbery).
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Also he basically ghosted Gwen's ass during her grieving period after she loses her father only to get back with her after some time has passed.