Wrongfully accused of shoplifting!

[user1465893706]

Thursday I visited a well known supermarket that I frequently visit. Did my shopping fine (without the aid of kids....lovely) went to leave the shop and the alarm barriers went off, backed up my trolley (thought it may have been the gentleman walking beside me who had triggered the alarm) and tried again, same thing happened. I got the attention of the lady working on the self service checkouts and showed her my receipt. I told her the probable cause of the alarm was the razor blades I had purchased. She checked my receipt and couldn't find razor blades on it. I had to dig through my bags to finally find the razor blades in the middle of one of my bags. Was a little annoyed at this point as the checkout girl had obviously not scanned correctly (to busy moaning to me about supermarket and how she has got a new job lined up). I was then taken to customer services and I paid for the razor blades after pointing out that maybe they should have words with the checkout girl to make sure she scans products correctly. I then left the shop. Got to my car, had to repack most of my shopping as most of it had been taken out of the bags in search of the razor blades, loaded my bags into the boot, put the trolley in the bay, got into my car and went to put my key into the ignition (all this had taken a fair amount of time). Just as I was about to start the car I had a tap on my window. I opened my car door to a woman dressed in black who then asked to see my receipt?!? I explained to her that all this was sorted out in the shop and I had paid for the razor blades. She then continued to tell me that was not the issue and it was the fact I had a lot of products in my shopping trolley not bagged up??? At this point I was getting very frustrated. I emptied the contents of my handbag only to find receipts not their then realised they must be in my shopping bags in the boot. I had to get the woman to move out of my way (she had came round the side of my car door as if to block me in) to exit the car. When I got to the boot of my car I was astonished to see the manager behind my car and 4 other employees a little further up blocking the car park??? 6 people in total!!!! I'm a 5ft woman in her 20's!!!! At this point I was absolutely furious, shaking and on the verge of tears. I managed to find the receipts and got the woman to look in my car although after all that she wasn't bothered in checking all my bags and just simply said "I can see its all there" (how when its all packed I do not know) I then asked the woman and the manager for an apology. She begrudgingly apologised but the manager point blank refused saying " I don't have to apologise if I suspect a thieve" they then left me. Luckily there was someone who witnessed all this that knows me from sight from my daughters pre school so she calmed me down enough so I could drive home (although I do not remember actually driving home). Luckily my husband was at home that day and as soon as I got home I had a full blown panic attack. My husband calmed me down, got a friend to sit with me, and took all my shopping back and demanded a refund, he eventually got it. He asked to speak to the manager 3 times and each time he refused to come speak to my husband. On the 4th attempt he got the employee to relay on the phone that he was not willing to come and apologise as in his eyes I was still a thief? I have written a letter of complaint and am still awaiting I response.

Sorry I re read.
I would be upset as well, as everyone has suggested CEO not customer service and twitter, just make an account to post and follow loads of random people in fact everyone who follows the supermarket.

I had an issue with a manager at tesco, I saw some guy I knew in the store and I was walking around with him he came with me to the till and offered to pay for my shopping, it was a guy I was dating.
So he had apparently been in their several times before using fraudulent cards, the card didnt work so I said no worry i will just pay for it.
Then security were holding me at the door and cause the guy ran off they detained me. I told them I barely knew him and I just saw him in the store and I paid for the shopping but the manager was extremely rude to me he even insulted my about the spots on my face

I ended up getting arrested but I did not cooperate with the police due to the fact I was arrested in the first place, I just told them I did not know the guy. Then of course everything got dropped.

I did not see the guy again although he gave me some money.

I reckon almost all MNers have a story of being accused of trying to shop lift: mine is in a Lidl ten years ago with DS in the trolley seat with a Jaffa cake to keep him busy during the insanely long queue at the till. Security guard pulled me aside by the door and said I hadn't paid for the Jaffa cakes. Except I had made a point of making sure the check out assistant had scanned them, so my receipt was all in order.

It did shake me up a little - the fact I can still remember it proves that - but talk of solicitors, false imprisonment claims, sad face photos in the paper is just bonkers! Write a letter of complaint (calm, factual) and go from there

I would calm down and then write a letter of complaint. Dont go public, you will inevitably get some critiscm even though the supermarket was wrong. It's one thing to get criticism here where you are anonymous but not so easy if you are not. Name and shame here though!

coolaschmoola thank you.

Thank u SmellyTelly for re reading correctly and understanding x

Mumontherun it's not a fraud.

Fraud is - falsehood and wilful imposition

Basically it means you have to deprive someone of something.

If I use my DP's card with his consent it's not a fraud.

And for all we know it could have been a joint account card anyway

Joint accounts still have different numbers.

No cashier would accept it being different names.

So what was the response to the complaint op?

I'm afraid the cashier doesn't see the card name, it goes in the chip and pin....

And it's def not a fraud

You have to take the same card back, so he could be using her joint account card.
Anyway it's not a fraud under any circumstances

You can't legitimately use someone else's bank card, even with their permission. When I worked in retail a card got referred for secondary checks and when the bank discovered it was a woman using her husband's card they instructed me to destroy the card, even though (she said) he'd given her permission to use it. Obviously with chip and pin this type of security check is the only way it becomes a problem.

Ok, let's put it this way. Her husband did not commit a fraud. 21 years as a cop and I can guarantee this.

In the tesco advert she's exchanging fruit, I'd imagine that meat and cheese etc wouldn't be exchangeable?

FlipperSkipper I was using my OH's Nat West card once in a machine right outside the bank. The machine swallowed the card, I went inside and reported the incident. The manager came out with me to the machine and checked the machine, it was faulty, I then told him it was my OH's card. We went back inside and he had a member of staff retrieve the card. They then called my OH who was at work. He went through several security checks on the phone with my OH and asked if he had consented for me to use the card, my OH said yes. Not only did he give me the card back but he also allowed me to take out money at the counter. Mind you this was before Nat West started doing the code thing where you can just get a code and put it in a nat West machine with no card.

I would write a letter to the head office of the retailer. If they try to minimise the matter, go the press.

The manager needs to understand that it is defamatory to continue to accuse someone of theft when it is clear that they have not committed it.

They also need to have training on what theft actually is.

I also think six people in the car park is bullying.

I sympathise, I had similar thing happen at local supermarket petrol station. Employee blocked my car in and asked in a sarky voice if I had a problem. I said no and I was just leaving. He said I wasn't and needed to pay for my petrol. I said I had and he said I hadn't. I said I wonder how I got this receipt then? He took it to his manager and then let me leave. I put it on facebook and got an apology and a gift card. I refused both until I got a written apology. They resisted that but I said I wanted it in writing and signed.

I got the letter and I think £50. It still makes me upset when I think of it.

your example sounds worse than mine, don't let them get away with it.

I've had two similar experiences, user, both of which were deeply unpleasant.

The first time I was on my way home from work. Having missed my bus I browsed around a little clothes shop, found nothing of interest and went back out to the bus stop. I heard shouting behind me but thought nothing of it until a young man grabbed hold of me and demanded my bag - I thought he was trying to mug me until he shouted that I'd stolen something and needed to give it back. I showed him the inside of my bag, then he demanded I take my coat off too! This was in rush hour, there were dozens of people around staring and judging me. When I proved I had nothing to hide, he said I'd gotten away with it and banned me from the shop. So I saw red, followed him back and demanded to speak to the manager... who gave the young man a sharp shrift because he'd accosted the wrong person. The woman in question was stood laughing at us across the road!! I got an apology right away (and a cup of tea), but it still really shook me up.

The second time was much more unpleasant.

I'd popped into a well-known supermarket's "express" store (the type where you can only park for 20 minutes) with DS, who was about a year old. Rather than get his pram out of the boot, I decided it would be much easier to carry him I only needed a couple of things.

As I was having my shopping rung up at the till, a female security guard came from the back room and stood next to me. She asked if there was anything I'd forgotten to put in the basket. I replied that I'd not, and checked to make sure DS hadn't picked anything up (which he hadn't). She then asked to see in my bag. I offered it to her to look at (as I was holding DS on my hip) but she said I had to do it for her. So I sat DS on the counter and emptied my bag on the floor.

As if that weren't enough, she told me that she knew I had got a particular expensive brand of air freshener hidden somewhere, and that if I didn't pay for it she'd have to stop me from leaving the shop. At this point I knew for certain that she'd made a mistake as I hadn't even been on the aisle where they would be. But I was in tears at this point, the queue behind me was enormous and everyone was watching. So I took off my coat, unzipped DS's coat and asked if that was proof enough as I definitely had nothing to hide. She sneered at me and said that she knew I had it somewhere but had got away with it this time. I asked her to clarify if I was free to leave but she went in the back room and ignored me.

I was so scared leaving the shop as I thought I'd be stopped, and was in floods of tears at this point. Had to drive out right away or risk getting a parking fine too! When I got home, (now-ex) DP called the store and spoke to the manager. He checked the store CCTV, discovered that yes, a mistake had been made, and put the security guard on the phone to apologise. She explained that carrying a babe-in-arms was a "common tactic" for shoplifters!!! But couldn't explain why she thought I had stolen that very particular item. I'd guess mistaken identity, but AFAIK there was no-one else in the shop carrying a young child!

I have never set foot in any of this chain's shops since then.

The public humiliation and shaming was the worst of it for me. Despite having received an apology both times, there would be no way to tell every single person who saw the incidents that the security guard had been mistaken, that I was not a thief!

Joint accounts still have different numbers.

My husband has a credit card with NatWest, I am additional cardholder. Both cards have exactly the same number on the front AND the same security code. Handy as we can return goods that the other has bought BUT it was a pain when the card got cloned as both cards had to be cancelled and reissued.

I sympathise with you/your experience & as an ex store manager of a large company I can see all points of view. The Manager should have a code of conduct which the company expect to be followed as there are legal implications if this actioned incorrectly. I would suggest you take legal advice (Citizens Advice provide it free as do some solicitors for a short consultation.) Take the details of the witness with you. Best of luck & please do not let this ghastly experience haunt you.

Saying 'in my eyes she's still a thief ' is defamatory surely?

Which supermarket was it?

I'm hoping while your car was surrounded by all those staff, the other customers were having it away with the contents of the drinks aisle. Karma.

Poor you. Not surprised you felt shaky and awful. On THREE different occasions the alarm has gone when I've left Boots - each time a cosmetic item because the cashier hadn't de-magnitised it. Each time I immediately turned back and went to the counter, producing receipt. And, on every occasion, I got just a shrug, a grudging 'sorry', and item properly scanned.

After the third occasion, I was so incensed I wrote a very stiff letter to Boots head office, got a fulsome apology back.

Did have a VERY nasty experience years ago, when I bought a very expensive handbag from a West End store (now gone). Cashier took out security tag from inside back, wrapped it etc., issued receipt. As I walked out of the store, alarm went off and I was GRABBED by large security guard (I was turning to go back into store in any case). I showed receipt, bag unwrapped and examined ... and there was a SECOND security tab hidden in depths of new bag!

I got home, shaky and angry and fired off a stinker of an email to store. Within an hour, a motorbike courier arrived with the HUGE box of up-market chocolates from the store! But I never went in there again.

Sorry to hear of your absolutely horrible experience. I can fully understand your feeling of complete upset, embarrassment and anger. The actions of the store manager and staff was clearly over the top and the refusal to apologise is plain arrogance. Head Office and Managing Director/CEO would be my suggestion and a carefully worded letter or email clearly laying out the events and actions. Just to note for all those of you unjustly accused, I have witnessed numerous thefts from supermarkets and rarely seen anyone challenge them, the worst being a guy snatch a 42inch tv from the store foyer and run out with it right in front of me, DS and DH. He bumped our trolley and ran to a waiting car with three kids in the back right past security. I said to security, aren't you going to stop him? The reply I got was, he's gone now and nothing I can do. I took a pen and paper out of my bag and wrote down the registration and handed it to the security guard saying this might help. He said, it happens all the time. That was an Asda store.

The unpaid blades are a red herring as OP went to pay for them rather than keeping going. Totally inconsistent with dishonest attempt to steal. Then she cooperated fully whilst they did a check later which revealed their suspicions unfounded. The very least manager could have done was apologise.
Personally I would never use that chain again. I would write to head office and explain why. Then just move on.

Having worked in food retail for 15 years myself, I think that manager handled that very poorly. The behaviour of some senior members of staff and managers makes me think they need retraining, let alone the check out staff. Since your innocence was proven in store, they should have left it at that and the manager should have given you a proper apology.