Boots security accusation.

But what you didn’t do in the past doesn’t matter now.
If you pay be card it’ll show up within moments on your banking App.
And you can just get a receipt each time from now on.

Perhaps they make you buy more but to me I just find them a handy thing to carry around my potential purchases especially the little basket with a tray in so cosmetics don't fall out.

Either way, YOU are the one being followed around by security. YOU are the one who wants to continue going into store, so it's YOU who needs to play the game and use a basket from now on. If not you will continue to be challenged as your behaviour is clearly odd to attract so much attention.

This whole thing and the retelling is really bizarre, so I wonder if it's just that your behaviour generally is flagging something up. Frequently in the shop, carrying around loads of items but then from the sounds of it just buying low-value lip glosses, weirdly aware of where security are and what they are doing at all times, strange communication with them, etc. I think your behaviour is probably just making them take more notice of you as it's unusual.

I've never been in a shop and thought I would be looked at for shoplifting.

I was coming out of M&S Westfield when the bleep went off. The security guy came over. I said that I had only been to the cafe and could not understand the bleeping. He let me go but when I got home I noticed a lipstick in my bag that I had bought at Boots which still had one of those sticky security strips on it. Even if they had asked me to empty my bag it would not have been a problem as I had the receipt!

"sometimes I forget my receipt"
"I don't always wait for the receipt or if I do, it I accidentally take the No.7 voucher 10% off print out instead."

I don't get it. If I'd had multiple accusations of shoplifting the absolute first thing I would do to try and avoid it again is remember to always get my receipt. It doesn't take a second, it's right there, it's not hard to remember. Usually there's even a prompt "please take your receipt". It seems like you're needlessly making things more difficult for yourself.

Then when you go OTT about 'no let me take you back to the machine' you (together with your other behaviours as you've described) mark yourself out as someone who is acting unusually, which is exactly what security are supposed to be looking out for. It's not even just shoplifters it is someone who could be physically or mentally unwell, on drugs, aggressive....their whole job is to keep an eye on people who are acting unusually and, unfortunately, that is how you present.

In this specific instance security guards didn't accused you of shoplifting or even speak to you at all. They just came up close to you. It's both possible that this was specifically intended to be intimidating and they were being inappropriate and overzealous or that they were acting appropriately in the way they have been trained to discourage shoplifters and you (because of your other experiences) misinterpreted it, whereas someone else wouldn't have even noticed or would have just said 'Um, are you following me?' or 'Can you step back please?'

If you are going to make a complaint, do so asap so they can look at the security and establish if their behaviour might have been inappropriate but tbh even then it's subjective.

You know some store detectives are plain clothed and they have cctv? Likely your behaviour has attracted attention and they radioed the security team. It is unusual to take a trolley from store to store.

You’re clearly struggling to carry all of the products you want to buy though, so just get a basket? It’s not that deep? Or buy less? They clearly have a reason to suspect you..!

If you know this with such certainty just...don't buy more? Sounds like you're making your own life more difficult to me

Your post is quite weirdly written and worded. If your post translates to how you act in person, perhaps they were picking up on bizarre behaviour and didn’t want you in the shop. I really can’t understand what your post is saying.

Did anyone (including you) actually use any words at any point during this bizarre interaction? If not, why on earth not?

Ah yes. Thanks.

A basket isn't a psychological trick to make you buy more, it's so you can carry products, keep one hand free and reduce you being accused of shoplifting. Just pop it on the top of your shopping trolley and go about your day, you are making this far more difficult than it needs to be.

So if these security guards stood next to you and edged you out why didn't you talk to them. "Hi, can I help you?" Or "Would you mind helping me find....?" And see what they say. Their job is to reduce thefts from store and your behaviour sounds bizarre they have done nothing wrong. Your own anxiety has escalated your response

You are behaving oddly. Lots of reasons for them to be suspicious of you. Sounds like you go in there often (thats irregular for a toiletries shop) you buy a lot (suggested by you mentioning hoarding) sometimes you have a big trolley (do you mean one of thoes granny things?) And most oddly of all, you insisted on proving your purchase when the guard had already sent you on your way. Honestly, I can see why they don't want you in there.

Use a basket, get the receipt, if people “edge you out” say excuse me I need to buy this or what are you doing etc. if you can’t cope with using a basket because it makes you buy more, order online, you must already know the names etc if you’re in regularly and commenting on them to staff

They are taller than you. They can’t do much about that. They didn’t march you out or ask you to leave. You could have stood your ground.

Agreed. The whole thing sounds really weird frankly.

I don’t think she means a supermarket shopping trolly. 🛒 More like the kind that old ladies used to wheel around. Very practical they are too.

I think a lot of the problem here is how you are perceiving the security guards. They stood near you, that is all.

Yep, this. Use a basket and concentrate when you pay. Take a receipt. It's quite simple really.

Don't take a trolley from one shop into another - they've told you why this isn't a good idea.