To complain about shop staff emptying my "abandoned" trolley...

[LeftMyRidingCropInTheMortuary]

Evening all,

I arrived at a large chain homeware store at about 7pm last night, going round with a trolley. I put quite a lot in so it was heavy and I parked it whilst I finished browsing. At about 7.50pm, a storeperson reminded me they were closing at 8 so I went to get my trolley to get it through the checkout but it has disappeared.

It transpired that the staff had emptied it and put everything back on the shelves! They quickly grabbed back a few of the items and rushed me through the checkout as they were clearly desperate to get me out and the shop closed. I couldn't remember everything I had put in and it was clear they weren't going to give me any time to think about what was missing.

Had I not been desperate for the mattress topper I originally went for, I would just have left but I had promised to pick it up for a friend of mine who has joint problems.

The staff were very rude when I complained saying it was my fault for "abandoning" my trolley and that they were just trying to get the shop tidied in time for closing. They said that no other customer had ever "abandoned" their trolley in this way and didn't I realise they closed at 8?!

They all stood around obviously waiting for me to leave because it was shock horror 8.02pm by the time they had deigned to allow me to pay £75 for the goods shoved back in my trolley.

I have now got home and realised I am without various items I had originally put in my trolley such as a laundry basket, lampshade and under-shelf storage trays and wardrobe organiser. Which is a pain because I travelled specifically to this store and spend time choosing items. Now I have to make another trip and try and locate the items again.

AIBU to think this is off and that you don't put back stock and close the store until, er, closing time? And AIBU to think they should have apologised? AIBU to think that even if you think your customers are a massive inconvenience to you clocking off at 8pm on the dot, that you try and conceal that fact from the aforementioned customers?!

Thanks in advance.

How long did you leave your trolley for?

I assume that the staff just threw my bags away.

Left, maybe they should be paid for the extra 15 minutes but on the whole they arent.

But she didn't expect them to do overtime - that was only needed because they emptied her trolley! She said she would have been out before the store closes if they had left it alone.

If you had that much and they still managed to empty in without you seeing it then you had left it too long!

oh stop yer whinging and go back another day

what a non issue!

YABU. When I was waitressing I fucking hated the people who came in ten minutes before closing and made us stay late. We couldn't do all the post-closing things we needed to do until all the customers had left. Have some consideration for other people.

I used to do that quite often because I have ms and trolleys (anything) quickly becomes too heavy for me. I always left my trolley by a check out and told the staff what I was doing, and that I would be back for it. No one has ever put my stuff back.

Just let them know - particularly if it's close to closing time.

YABU.
When I worked in retail, for very little, and very long days on your feet, I hated people who just nipped in a couple of minutes before closing. We weren't paid from the second it got to official closing time.
I now won't go in a shop if it's less than 15 minutes to closing.

I've genuinely never heard of someone "parking" their trolley, is this a common thing?
Surely if you want the stuff you keep the trolley with you, or if something is too heavy you get a member of staff to put it behind the till for you while you get your other stuff then tell the cashier when you get there that said item is yours?
Or am I shopping all wrong?

Staff may have to pick up kids or other stuff so yeah ybu

I think I left it for 20mins...got carried away browsing but they could SEE me still in the shop and had SEEN me with my trolley - I think I was one of only 2 or 3 customers.

When the bloke tapped his watch at me at 7.50 I desisted my browsing and went to retrieve my trolley immediately. No, I certainly didn't expect them to do overtime for my sake. I remember how hard it was to get certain customers out of the pub when I did bar work so I am sympathetic.

I guess I just expected a bit more of a "sorry" instead of them giving me the Kevin the Teenager impressions.

The clockwatching thing reminds me of the Little Britain..."I'm on my lunch..." receptionist...

Fine. IABU. Lesson learned. Keep trolley close at all times and get out of shop well before closing.

Even letting them know doesnt work. Once shopped at GAP for summer clothes for my daughter and had spent over an hour choosing them and a few items for DH. I had a couple of items i wanted to try on so took the other itens to the till abd explained what i was doing. I was 10 minutes tops and by the time i got back all had been placed back! Didnt have time to start going round again so ended up leaving empty handed.

Don't know about you, Garmin Girl but I am too busy to do things twice! Esp when aforementioned shop is an hour's drive away!

Blue - in this shop, a LOT of the items are BIG items (it's not like, eg Tesco where you might pick one big item from the homeware section then normal small food items) so you quickly end up with a heavy trolley filled with washing hampers, bedside table, the mattress topper weighed 7kg alone. I tend not to need to park my trolley in Tesco so different techniques for different stores.

If you left it for 20 minutes then sorry but YABVU.

I see you've already admitted that.

20 minutes!!!! YABVVVVU to have expected it to still be there!

They are probably used to abandoned trollies and could have been watching it for 10-15 minutes before they unpacked it. YABVU to expect them to know which trolley belongs to which customer even when the store is quiet.

20 minutes! Ha.

Oh yes, 20 minutes is far too long - not surprised they unpacked it!

YABVVVVVVVVU. You've clearly never worked in retail, and had to put up with the shit of a customer that sooo long at the end of the day when you're desperate to finish your shift. In my case I can't start cashing up until tills have closed, and that customer that thinks they're doing the shop a favour by spending a few quid can feck off, tbh

Don't go to ikea, will you OP ;)

20 mins! The cheek of you to complain

Eugh sorry but YABU. It is twenty years since I worked in retail as a student but I will never forget the bastards who came in at 5:25 for a full school uniform fit out and kept complimenting themselves for doing it at that time "because it was always lovely and quiet then". Since then I have always really really tried to avoid shops near closing time. Amazingly enough the staff are desperate to get home to their families.

Fancy leaving a trolley for 20 minutes!

I thought you meant 5 tops.

You are sooooooooo far from reasonable reasonable has left the building.

Sorry YABVU! Shop staff only get paid up until closing time & then have to cash up, lock up etc. You are the customer we dreaded when I worked in retail!!! And 20 minutes is a very long time to leave a trolley. I'm not surprised they unpacked it.

YWBVU they obviously thought it wasn't needed being left there for 20 minutes.