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Original poster

I was asked to leave B&Q, mortified

217 replies

chickenandapples · 07/05/2026 18:23

I was approached by a member of staff who said that he just reviewed footage that 3 months ago, I was recorded not scanning an item at the self checkout and they believed it was intentional and just asked me (quite nicely and compassionately I might add) to leave.

Whoopsie! 😬

I note that they have no scales at B&Q self service which makes accidents easy.

OP posts:
MrsOni · 07/05/2026 18:44

SonyaLoosemore · 07/05/2026 18:42

She's not a thief. Stealing means intentionally taking something that isn't yours without intending to return it. Accidentally taking something is not stealing, neither is borrowing.

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Making shit up on the internet isn't stealing either....

cotswoldsgal1234 · 07/05/2026 18:44

I think I would have kept quiet about this. If I had been approached like this, I would have been mortified. I would have pleaded innocence. It seems you weren’t bothered and have admitted that you probably did it. My guess is they could tell from the CCTV if it was an accident or not. Did you not even apologise and offer to pay for it?

Babaar · 07/05/2026 18:44

chickenandapples · 07/05/2026 18:30

I voted Reform actually.

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Say no more.

ThatFairy · 07/05/2026 18:43

Blimms · 07/05/2026 18:27

That’s still stealing.

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No it isn't

FeeLipa · 07/05/2026 18:43

A screenshot from the CCTV of the crime in action is on the wall in the staff room OP. Every morning the assistant manager stares at it and thinks 'one day she'll be back. And I'll be ready.'

SonyaLoosemore · 07/05/2026 18:42

SnappyUmberLion · 07/05/2026 18:28

You couldn’t give less of a fuck that you’re a thief?

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She's not a thief. Stealing means intentionally taking something that isn't yours without intending to return it. Accidentally taking something is not stealing, neither is borrowing.

TheBlueKoala · 07/05/2026 18:42

chickenandapples · 07/05/2026 18:36

I just wanted to drop that I'm a proud Lloyds Premier card holder, I make about £81,000 per year.

Somehow I think your consultant work might be mainly online, am I correct?

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 07/05/2026 18:42

'I note that they have no scales at B&Q self service which makes accidents easy.'

what do you think you might have needed to weigh ?

B&Q doesn't sell fruit and veg...

and I wasn't aware of it selling ice cream either

'I was probably with my kids nagging me for ice cream or something and wasn't paying attention.'

Clearinguptheclutter · 07/05/2026 18:42

You’re clearly not at all mortified and have no shame

I’m not sure what the point of your post is

I once accidentally left sainsbury’s without paying- the self scan machine didn’t actually take the payment and spit out a receipt- and went back in within 30 secs and they were very nice about it.

if I was somewhere with my kids they 100% wouldn’t let me leave any shop without paying

Mistakes do happen but to be so flippant about it is really not ok, i’m not sure what you were hoping to gain from this thread unless you are just a troll

Original poster
chickenandapples · 07/05/2026 18:41

Nain2026 · 07/05/2026 18:40

You stole something worth more than £200 otherwise they wouldn't bother. As for the staff member shaking because you are an attractive woman - get over yourself and stop being dishonest. You mentioned having children, set them a good example and stop shoplifting.

Even the biggest tin of Farrow and Ball can't have exceeded £200 surely. I am pretty sure that day I bought house paint.

OP posts:
ImImmortalNowBabyDoll · 07/05/2026 18:41

Wow, people are so sanctimonious on here. They have never arrived for work 1 minute late, never skived or avoided a boring task at work, never accidentally forgotten to scan an item at a self-checkout. If they found a £1 coin in the street they'd spend the next 3 hours trying to find the rightful owner.

I agree, that's really embarrassing, and if you cared a lot about going to B & Q again, I'd send an email, ask what the item was and ask if you could pay for it now.

But as you have other options and won't go to B & Q again, you can just carry on, and get a secret UnMumsnetty thrill every time you pick up a paintbrush or a bag of nails and wonder if that was the item you shoplifted.

Derramar · 07/05/2026 18:40

ProudAmberTurtle · 07/05/2026 18:35

To sum up:

After voting Reform you went to B&Q, where a member of staff asked you to leave for stealing something three months ago, you didn't ask what or how he knew it was you, you just left safe in the knowledge that you probably did steal something and he was shaking because you're so attractive. And you found this experience mortifying while at exactly the same time, you didn't give less of a fuck

😂

Original poster
chickenandapples · 07/05/2026 18:40

Frangle · 07/05/2026 18:40

Ah thats a bit boring....I was hoping for something bigger and more impressive

ahhaha.

OP posts:
Nain2026 · 07/05/2026 18:40

You stole something worth more than £200 otherwise they wouldn't bother. As for the staff member shaking because you are an attractive woman - get over yourself and stop being dishonest. You mentioned having children, set them a good example and stop shoplifting.

rwalker · 07/05/2026 18:40

LondonSymphony · 07/05/2026 18:38

This clearly didn’t actually happen but on the off chance it did:

I very much doubt a member of B&Q staff would remember one customer who mis-scanned one item, three months earlier.

Ergo, there must be something more to this than you’re letting on, like you’re a habitual shoplifter.

They print the pictures off from cctv and have them pinned up for staff to see in various locations

Original poster
chickenandapples · 07/05/2026 18:40

Jellybunny98 · 07/05/2026 18:40

Surely the normal thing to do is just apologise and offer to pay for the item now??

What would that solve?

OP posts:
Frangle · 07/05/2026 18:40

Ah thats a bit boring....I was hoping for something bigger and more impressive

Jellybunny98 · 07/05/2026 18:40

Surely the normal thing to do is just apologise and offer to pay for the item now??

Original poster
chickenandapples · 07/05/2026 18:39

fromthegecko · 07/05/2026 18:38

Hell, yes! I'd have wanted to see the proof.

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Err well I have a good job in a fairly small city if one of my colleagues was around I wouldn't have wanted to be seen flapping my gums protesting my innocence when he very calmly and kindly asked me to just leave. I don't go in there often enough to need to not be banned.

OP posts:
PlantPeople · 07/05/2026 18:39

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

MrsOni · 07/05/2026 18:39

So someone happened to watch video footage of you, specifically, out of how many customers will go through the tills every day, came to the conclusion you didn't scan something on purpose and then a full 3 months later both happened to be on shift and remembered all this well enough 3 months later to recognise you out of all the customers today and ask you to leave?

Chinny reckon, aye?

HedgehogMugs · 07/05/2026 18:39

Don't worry too much OP, Mumsnet is full of people that are hyperbolic.

OP; Iaccidentally stepped on a ladybird and it died
MN: MURDER!!!

OP: I took 3 sachets of sugar instead of 2 by accident as they kind of stuck together, and I took 1 home for camping
MN: THIEF!!!! YOU'RE MAKING EVERYTHING EXPENSIVE FOR EVERYONE ELSE!!!

OP: I accidentally knocked DC to floor after I turned around as they were standing right behind me.
MN: why did you physically assault your child? If I'd seen you I would have reported you to Social services.

OP: I booked my holiday whilst at work during a quiet period
MN: OH SO YOU STEAL TIME FROM YOUR COMPANY???? YOU SHOULD BE FIRED. IF I SAW THAT,ID REPORT YOU TO HR!!!!!

redboxer321 · 07/05/2026 18:39

Things that never actually happened...

fromthegecko · 07/05/2026 18:38

chickenandapples · 07/05/2026 18:36

More or less. I didn't want to argue or make a scene so I just accepted forgetting to scan something and left. Would you have made a big scene instead?

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Hell, yes! I'd have wanted to see the proof.

LondonSymphony · 07/05/2026 18:38

This clearly didn’t actually happen but on the off chance it did:

I very much doubt a member of B&Q staff would remember one customer who mis-scanned one item, three months earlier.

Ergo, there must be something more to this than you’re letting on, like you’re a habitual shoplifter.