AIBU to Never Let Staff Walk Away With My ID?

The thing is, an employee stealing something like that is so rare, that most of us simply wouldn’t expect it. The store manager was probably amazed. This incident was extremely unfortunate, and it sounds like the employee stole it, but who would be expecting such a thing to happen, especially in a large chain store? It used to be (and maybe still is) that if you brought something back for a refund, the shop would ask for your address. Should we refuse, in case an employee stalks us? When we buy anything online, how do we know the shop won’t sell our card details?

Why should any of us be expecting an employee to steal a valuable document? When we hand over a document, we usually do it in good faith, expecting it back. Before contactless and chip and pin, you used to hand your card to the cashier, for them to swipe. Should we have refused to do this, in case they didn’t hand it back? When presenting a passport for inspection, do we keep hold of it, in case the employee steals it? Not so long ago, you had to send in birth certificates and passports when applying for certain things; and originals, not photocopies. Should we have refused to do so?

When dealing with callers at your door, the advice used to be “ask to see their ID, and take it off them”. Should they be worried about a householder stealing it?

Thanks for the update. Interesting response but I’m not sure how helpful the voucher will be. Money back from her initial purchase probably would have been better. I wonder if said employee still works there and what he’s playing at.

Thank you for updating. Like you said, SO much of his behaviour is suspicious - looking annoyed to see her, claiming there was no manager, and taking the ID into a CCTV blind spot (almost certainly knowingly).

Who knows how many other times he's done this. Hopefully if there is something nefarious going on (and honestly, how could it not be?), the right actions will be pursued by Currys, even though you won't hear about it.

Well the lesson is learnt, and at least they are paying to replace it.
As a matter of fact, packing areas are exactly where they make sure there are no blind spots on the security cameras. There's more going on but you'll probably never know what exactly.

Any update @TheRealGossipGirl?

Well yanbu but ‘I would never have done that, how could you?’ is not going to be in the least helpful in this situation. She needs practical advice, support and empathy. She needs to go physically into the store and refuse to leave until the situation is resolved and you should bug her until she does it.

It’s not unreasonable at this point for your friend to report it to the police as stolen through the usual non-emergency contact numbers.

It’s moved on from misplaced to taken by somebody.

What was the outcome @TheRealGossipGirl

good grief, I think a manager needs to be involved here.

thank you for posting to remind people, even when busy and Christmas shopping be aware not to let your ID leave your sight.

Nope, they look at it with me there or I follow them. Same as in places where they want to take a payment card away to run it - no, either bring the card machine to me or I come with you.

No way I'd have left that shop. I'd have insisted he searched until he found it and asked for the manager to get involved

I'd have refused to leave the shop until he returned it! Couldn't find it. Yeah right.

I wouldn’t have left the store without my ID your friend needs to get back to the store and speak with management I hope she took the persons name who took the ID in the first place.
In my profession we deal with peoples ID everyday and will often have to go and photocopy/scan it but we have a very strict protocol for it I leave the room with the ID and return to the room with the ID it’s that simple I’m gone no more than 10 minutes.

She needs to call police, report the ID as stolen/lost to relevant org (I'm assuming DVLA), and sign up to experian to get alerts if anyone tries to take out credit in her name asap!

To be honest I have a friend like this and she lets her husband dictate and handle everything. She once said ‘oh (her husbands name) says I’m but allowed!’ Allowed! She’s a grown woman but so bloody pathetic sometimes and an utter doormat.

I hope you have it back by now but that is very strange behavior by your friend, has she no concept of basic personal security?

WTAF. I absolutely would not have left until I had my ID back.

Wow. Not that I'd have let someone walk off with my ID in the first place, but in that situation I'd have told him to get his manager to look at the CCTV, which would show him exactly where he'd 'misplaced' it.

I was in my brother's local branch of Curry's a couple of weeks ago and there was a man asking to speak to the store manager because his EE (I think - it might have been another provider) account had been fraudulently used for a phone upgrade and it had been done from that branch. No idea how he knew or what the outcome was.

"She’s worried, but she’s the type who won’t make a fuss, won’t complain, and will just sit there forever waiting for this random man to get back to her."

I lose sympathy with her here. I mean FFS, grow a bit of a backbone love.
Presumably she is able to function as an adult in other situations - work, finances, life...?

Several decades back, in some restaurants, they wanted you to pay at the table, but it was before the mobile thingamajigs. So they'd bring the receipt in a little folder and you were meant to put your card in there, and they'd take that away to process the payment and bring the card back tp you. I never thought anything of it until meeting my then FIL who always refused to let his card out of his sight. Smart man. I didn't like him, but I learned some things from him.

Even if she gets it back today by going in and complaining it could have been copied or used anywhere. She is very trusting and very very wrong. I don't drive so I don't know if there's a way of cancelling it (as in the active one so a new one issued cancels the old one when checked?) or 100 percent what is on the licence but given how important it is, walking away from the store without it has to be a no go surely?

And letting someone take it from your hand and disappear is the same as then doing it with your bank card z they could do anything!

Irrespective of having to produce it, and it more likely the friend won't be stopped and that won't arise, nobody should leave a premises on the promise that someone will look for your ID that they have lost or misplaced and ring you if they ever find it. That's beyond trusting and moving into the realms of very foolish.
OP, can you help your friend on this?
The other friends who think you are being OTT aren't going to be much help are they.