13 year old wrongly accused of shoplifting Weetabix

[nojellybabies]

He went to Tesos to buy Weetabix and butter. This is what he said:

As he put the Weetabix in his bag a female employee came up to him and challenged him saying “what are you doing with that Weetabix?” She called the manager over who said “what’sgoing On?” My son (who hates having to explain himself to strangers and struggles with this sort of thing) said “did you think I was stealing it?” . She replied “yes, you have to use a basket” then moved away.

He paid at self service. As he walked out of the shop the manger called him back and there, in the lobby, in front of a crowd of bystanders took his bag and searched it then demanded the receipt for the Weetabix. Which my son produced. The manager said “sorry you can go”. Interested bystanders told him to go home and tell his family to complain.

He was seriously distraught. Several episodes of Father Ted later he is still feeling humiliated and as if everyone in town now thinks he is a criminal. Even the “my lovely horse” episode only helped a bit.:(

I’ve spoken to the general complaints line and asked the man there (who started apologising when I said the word “Weetabix”-I mean who the hell shoplifts Weetabix?) to get the shop to write to my son to apologise.

I haven’t marched down there because I don’t want to embarrass him further. I am trying to stress all the things he did right to him.

Something is surely wrong with the training here? AIBU?
And Weetabix?!? admittedly he bought some butter too but all the same...

It doesn't matter the bag vs basket debate.

What's confusing is how a 13 year old is scared ti go shopping again because he was asked why he was putting items in a bag and asked to show a receipt

In other countries people put things in bags. It's completely normal.

And yes, it's very fortunate your son printed the receipt. When the self service screen says "print receipt" it should also have a warning text in big red letters underneath it to say "if you do not have a receipt when challenged, we may will accuse you of shoplifting".

Seems like such a none event.
Son went shopping, security or whoever asked to see a receipt, he showed his receipt, he left the store.
These things will happen from time to time for a variety of reasons, whether it's because you look dodgy, a security tag hasn't been removed, someone reports you for one reason or another.
If he's old enough to send to the shop then he's got to be old enough to take responsibility for things that happen while he's there. If you think he can't cope with going to buy some cereal when a fairly normal occurrence happens, then you shouldn't be sending him and you need to find a new chore for him.
And I worked in Tesco for 5 years, no one is going to put a photo of your son in the staff room to ask people not to ask him for his receipt because his mom said so.
On top of that, why on earth would you want adult you don't know access to a photo of your son?

“Why not just carry it to the till?”

Lol where would you put the butter?

On top of the weetabix.

Again, not rocket science.

Or weetabix in one hand/under one arm and butter in the other hand.

This is clearly a wind up.

Are people really questioning how a 13 year old can carry two, not all that big, items?

Are people really questioning how a 13 year old can carry two, not all that big, items?

Yes, and I can’t work out why.

I have never, in my 40 years of supermarket shopping, seen someone putting items directly into their own plastic bag. But I learn something new every day on MN. Supermarkets provide baskets so that the items are visible to everyone. Why would these not be used?

I use scanner and put the stuff right in my bag, if only getting enough to fill one bag. If doing big shop the bags go in the trolley. Your son did nothing wrong and the people in the shop are dicks.

troubles see my post above. Shopping baskets and trolleys are disgustingly filthy and covered in bacteria and dirtier than any public toilet. Is that really what you want to be handling as you are selecting your groceries?
I put stuff in my reusable bags and wash them frequently.

Well, I paid special attention at Sainsburys today and I can confirm that I did not see a single person putting items in their own bags before paying for them.

Shopping baskets and trolleys are disgustingly filthy and covered in bacteria and dirtier than any public toilet

actual physical LOL

I'm more worried that not even the 'my lovely horse' episode cheered up your son. It sounds as though something deeper, more serious than being accused of shoplifting is going on here.

If people struggle with putting their wrapped products in a trolley because of the dirt it’s a good job they don’t see behind the scenes!

Shopping baskets and trolleys are disgustingly filthy and covered in bacteria and dirtier than any public toilet
Does your shopping not have packaging.

I use them, but to absolutely true that most supermarket trollies are filthy and often covered in harmful bacteria and traces of feces. It's undoubtedly more hygienic to use your own bag (unless you or others regularly shit in it).

Using your own bags is becoming normal but, unfortunately, a teenage boy is more likely to be suspected a thief than is an older person.

Where does all the shit in the baskets come from?

It must be from little kids standing in the baskets with their shoes on, or people putting their bags on the ground outside, then putting them in the trolley.

I hope so anyway. Otherwise I dread to think.

I hope it’s that rather than actual bum holes being rubbed on them

If people are so squeamish about supermarket trolleys how do they cope with door handles, sitting down in pubs or on buses, other normal life? Maybe they wear disposable gloves at all times?

Next time I go shopping I will put disposable gloves in my bag basket

how do they cope with door handles, sitting down in pubs or on buses, other normal life?
Personally I wash my hands often and certainly before handling food.

Here in the USA, all the grocery stores have wipes at the entrance to the store.

Does your shopping not have packaging. Yes, some of it does, but do you unwrap that packaging before putting it on your kitchen counter? And what about your fruits and veg?
Anyway, we each choose what to prioritize and given the research that shows that shopping trolleys are covered in fecal material, I choose to use a simple work around which is to bring my own bags. In any case, here in California, plastic bags are banned and you have to pay for non reusable paper bags

If people are so squeamish about supermarket trolleys how do they cope with door handles, sitting down in pubs or on buses, other normal life? Maybe they wear disposable gloves at all times?
The stat was that trolleys have more than 300 times more bacteria that a public toilet door knob, so perhaps they're particularly gross compared to other public items. I'm not squeamish about it myself but I can see why some people, who are, might prefer to use a clean bag of their own (that said, I bet some people's bags are pretty bacteria-ridden too).

I'm old. If I'm shopping in local small Tesco they don't have trolleys and the baskets are heavy to start with and even heavier once you've put shopping in. I put my goods into my bag and empty it out at the till. Never had a problem. They picked on your son because he's a teenager.

He hasn’t done anything illegal until the point he’s stepped outside the threshold of the shop with an unpaid item - which, in this case, he never did.
I used to work in retail, I can remember store detectives following thieves around the store after they had been seen shoving items in bags, rucksacks etc. waiting for them to cross the threshold of the shop so they could arrest them - sometimes if they were too quick the thief would leap back into the shop saying ‘I’m still inside - you can’t get me’. It was like a game of chase.
And as for people saying you have to use the baskets/ trolleys - I often don’t - quite frequently shove things in bags brought from home before I go to the till and pay for them - it’s no big deal and I’ve never been stopped. They wouldnt dare.
Your son is unhappy because he’s been wrongly accused and they have taken advantage of his vulnerability so definitely follow it up, they were in the wrong.
Many years ago a friend of mine’s mother was stopped by store detectives because the tag hadn’t been taken off an item she had bought and paid for - so the alarms went off as she exited the shop. She kicked up a right old stink about how embarrassing and humiliating it was to be seen as the criminal she wasn’t - she got her items for free and extra compensation!