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...

This thread is mad. Nobody puts stuff in their bags going around the supermarket. I live in Ireland and I've never seen this done.

I'm in Ireland and it's the norm to see a lot of shoppers using their bags going around the aisles since Lidl and Aldi opened here, easily 50% of shoppers used to use their bags though that has dropped off since they finally got the small pull along baskets but it still happens. I always use a bag going round the aisles when I'm pushing a double buggy and it's never been a problem.

My local SuperValu has the scan guns for years. I've never used them as I'll often change my mind and put something back if I spot something else instead.

Maybe the kid was checking that the size of box he had selected would fit securely in his carrying receptacle (backpack) for the walk home before committing to buying it?

FFS, loving the "guilty until proven innocent" mentality.

Good grief, the shocked pearl-clutching at people using bags as they shop!

1. Self-scan is a thing that is getting more and more common (and popular), so people bagging as they go is a real thing.
2. Do you all really watch everyone else so intently while you shop that you have "NEVER" seen anyone use their bags as they go? Why would other posters be lying about what they do?

Jenny17 If supermarkets do not want customers to shop with their bags as they go round then they should say so.
Did you ever go to Toys R Us where they made you leave bags at the front? Always hated that.

This thread is bonkers and I just can't believe its true. Either way its surely making the sad face section of the Daily Mail later today.

You are seriously planning to go to Tesco and insist they put up a photo of your son so that when there is a particular teenage boy stuffing items into his rucksack they don't stop him because his mum says they mustn't? Seriously?!

FFS the sense of entitlement! Play by the rules. Don't send him to get such a large amount that he can't carry it. Teach him to use a basket or trolley. Teach him that if he puts things into his bag that don't belong to him there is a reasonable chance that shop staff are going to speak to him about it.

If he won't, or if you insist on making ridiculous excuses for him, then there is a good chance that he'll be stopped on a regular basis when leaving the shop since they will need to check that he paid for every item he stuffed in there. Why on earth would you go through that hassle?
The staff do not have time to follow him around keeping track of every item he might put into his bag so that they can be sure he's paid for them.

He made a mistake. He will learn from it. Unless you make him believe he was in the right (which he very clearly was not!)

When you say self service till, was he using a scanner? Bc if I only need a couple of items intake my own bag and scan things straight in.

I quite often put stuff straight into my bag

Not a problem up until now

I wouldn't have a problem with being stopped on the way out but i would be annoyed at being accused of shoplifting when i was just pootling about

You cant take a photo of him into Tesco this is crazy talk! If he is old enough to shop alone then he can follow the shop's preferred way of using baskets before you pay or get used to not overloading a trolley.

I quite often put stuff straight into my bag

straight into your rucksack? Why, when you then have to take it all out again at the till?

cloud

Ive got to take it out of the basket at the checkout

unless i ise the scanner...dont do that for a few items

Use,..not ise obviously

Of all the things to steal in a supermarket... shredded cardboard? (which is what I deem Weetabix to be) Really ?!!

Insane to put your stuff in bag before paying for it, too. That's asking for trouble.

Yes but the basket is designed to be easy to take things out of. Plus it makes the job of the shop workers easier since they don't need to patrol the aisles or spend time checking everyone's bag once they've paid to make sure they didnt slip an extra item in there.

Anyway, seems bizarre to me. But as you say, you would not have a problem being asked to empty the bag for them to check it. The OP seems to think her DS should be exempt from this.

I have to disagree with the putting shopping in a basket nonsense. The baskets are really uncomfortable to carry so why would you if you already have a carrier bag on you. I almost never use baskets. I either pile stuff into my arms or use my own bag/bottom of the buggy/pockets. I’ve never been accused of shoplifting.

The whole thing is mountain out of molehill isn’t it. He was seen putting shopping not yet paid for into a bag so on the way out he produced a recipet when asked so that was the end of it.

Sounds like you just want a reason to kick up a fuss!

But putting stuff in your bag is exactly how the scanners work

I appreciate that the child wasnt using a scanner but putting stuff directly into bags is quite normal now

I'm guessing thread didn't go the way the op wanted, with the Father Ted references and pretend batshit ways of shopping. Ah well, it passed a bored evening for her, now that she's name changed and hidden the thread. All done, nothing to see here.

Look, ‘respectable’ looking adult women (white) may be seen as harmless for putting shopping straight in a bag, but teenage boys are not viewed the same.

You are doing him a dis-service teaching him to do this, unless you want him to love his life as a social
Justice campaigner challenging every demonstration of profiling and unconscious bias.

I am the mother of a teen boy who is not white. In school he is a prize-winning, award winning, model student. Takes one step out of the gate and the world views him as a potential gangster, drug dealer, thief.

But putting stuff in your bag is exactly how the scanners work

I appreciate that the child wasn't using a scanner but putting stuff directly into bags is quite normal now

Not in the stores near me. People use trolleys with the scanner, have to pass through a special area (which is staffed) and are subject to random checks.

Yes i agree completely with nicolastart

YANBU
I sometimes go for a quick shop and I can't use my hand for basket as pushchair needs both hands
I put stuff on it and then pay
Never a problem

I once paid for items using self service
I put items in my backpack. I had an outdoors job and it was freezing January. Probably didn't look like I was going to collect an award, I was working for the recycling services monitoring bins, so I thought Prada not quite a smart choice

This was years ago before most people stopped using carrier bags. It was 6 am.

The cashier or security I can't be sure then approached me as I was leaving and asked to see my bag. I was quite but hey I show him bag and my receipt.

ALWAYS GRAB THE RECEIPT

Then he said "you just grabbed the receipt from the abandoned ones" I pointed out that the items matched exactly my shop and, furthermore, I had paid by card and I showed him the matching digits!!!!! (Not all digits show up but!)
He still insisted I had stolen, at which point I was going to be late for my job so I stormed out

I still feel angry about it

cloud

Yes the scanners have a special area with spot checks where i live as well

People rock up there with trolleys...sometimes with those coloured trolley bags jn and they use baskets and bags for life

I don't remember seeing signs for use a basket or trolley

My problem is popping in for mushrooms and having to carry armloads cos i didnt think i needed a basket for one item

I use two canvas bags for shopping. One goes on my shoulder and I can carry the other in my hand while I walk home. What I can't do is carry everything that goes in these two bags in the basket round the shop. I occasionally put a couple of heavy things in my shoulder bag to ease getting around the aisles without an overloaded basket. I suppose I could use a small trolley but then I always end up over-shopping and can't carry it all home. Never had anything said to me regarding goods in bag in shop before payment.