Anyone with a retail background here? Just nearly accidentally shoplifted and am mortified

[soscaredandworried]

NC because I am mortified

I had some bad news this morning so I've been a bit all over the place (not an excuse, just explaining my headspace). I went to a supermarket on my lunch break and was in a bit of a rush. Tried on a few pairs of shoes, decided on one pair which I carried in my arms whilst I then picked up some food bits. Paid via self service and left. The alarm went off, the security guard asked to see my receipt but I didn't take one so I showed my online banking transactions and I had only paid for the food items, not the shoes which was obvious by the amount spent. I apologised and he let me pay for the boots and I left. I feel so embarrassed and worried. What will happen now? Will the police be called? This is the supermarket close to my work so I often go in on my lunch break or after work but I feel like I won't be able to go back there again.

I didn't apologise too much when paying because I just wanted to get out of there asap. I feel like I want to go back and explain myself but that might look odd/worse.

If you think it will help go back to customer services, tell them what you have said on here and explain that you are worried as you use the store a lot..
Sending big hugs xx

You paid though? Someone pointed out you'd made a mistake and you paid? So no crime was committed, just an oversight. It happens all the time. I get customers rushing back to me saying 'I forgot, these were in my trolley under my bag!' and then paying.

Generally retail staff have a good eye for people who are deliberately shoplifting and those who are doing it on purpose (yes, even the ones who pretend they made a mistake, we can usually tell), so I wouldn't worry about it. Nobody in the shop will give it a second thought, they're probably too busy to have noticed, and the security guy will likely have a very good idea that it was a mistake.

It's probably nowhere near the first time it's happened there and you probably didn't look suspicious if you were carrying them very visibly - he seems to have given you the benefit of the doubt. His actions suggest it won't go further, but it must have been horribly embarrassing.

Honestly, please don’t worry. It was an oversight and you paid. If the shop wanted to take it further, they would have done at the time. No need to go back and apologise, it happens more often than you’d know and we don’t tend to remember individual customers. No need to be embarrassed either!

I still remember tucking a nail varnish into the hood of my pram in John Lewis then forgetting. I went back about a week later (when it fell out the next time I opened the hood) and they were very sweet about it. I think it happens a lot.

You paid.
The security guard will have forgotten the whole thing by now.

You didn't shoplift. You forgot to pay for something, then paid for it and left. It won't even be recorded anywhere, let alone the police involved :)

@soscaredandworried you are over thinking. Mistakes happen. You paid for it so don't worry. They have probably already forgotten about it. Please don't let it play on your mind . It sounds like you already have things going on. Put this to bed.

My tesco alarm is always going of because tags don't always get removed . Its so often people don't even take notice

They accepted your apology.

They accepted your payment for the shoes.

They didn't issue a suspension or a warning to you to stay away. They didn't call the police.

The matter is now closed as far as they're concerned. Please try to believe that.

Relax and draw a line under it.

Give yourself a little break from that particular shop if it would stress you to return there, but give yourself a date at which you'll start going there again. Maybe after Valentine's Day? Maybe the end of February?

Nothing will happen. You made an honest mistake and you paid. That's the end of it.
To shoplift you need to have intent, you didn't.
Don't worry about it .

I work in retail and didn’t pay for my Lidl shopping a couple months ago. I scanned my Lidl app and my brain must have thought I scanned my card and I walked off.
The staff were fine as they could see I was so embarrassed and paid right away.
It happens a few times at my work! Not the same as shoplifting, don’t worry.

I don’t work in retail but DH once forgot to pay for all his shopping and only realised at home when I asked him for a receipt ( wanted to check a price of something) he came back, explained and payed. It was a self service checkout and I think he was busy with packing and arranging everything and then it was end of the day so tired….
We still regularly use that shop more than 6 years later.

The police don't get called on actual shoplifters, never mind people who didn't even shoplift because they paid for the items. Don't worry.

Thank you so much everyone, I genuinely had visions of the police turning up at my home/ work! I'm relieved to know I'm not the only person this has happened to. Must be more careful in future!

You're not in the Richard Madely field tho'!
'The TV presenter was arrested for allegedly failing to pay for items, including champagne, on two occasions at a Tesco supermarket in Walkden, Greater Manchester.
A jury later found him not guilty of the offence after citing a lapse of memory.'

Nothing will happen.

You're not the first or last person who has done this.

I feel your pain! I was searched in a bloody supermarket this week because I set the alarms off. I had paid for my shopping so was quite indignant. However, they found a bloody security tag on the inside lining of a pocket I didn’t even know I had on my coat 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ Christ knows how long it’s been there, I’ve had the coat about 3 years. They let me go (supermarket doesn’t sell that brand of coat) but they obviously thought I’d nicked it. I hadn’t, I bought it on line but I’m still mortified!!