To make a complaint

[KylieCharlene]

Out shopping this evening I go into a shop I frequent weekly. It sells cheap 'designer' stuff and homeware. I decided to go for a browse on my way home- maybe see if there's anything in there for my DD's Birthday which is next week.
Staff member has followed me around making it obvious she thinks I'm a shoplifter. She's been hiding around corners and watching my every move. Radioed to fellow staff member making them aware of my presence (I couldn't help but see and hear as she stood two rails behind me).
I felt so embarrassed and I actually picked something up and went and bought it as I didn't feel I could leave the shop without having made a purchase as I felt guilty even though I hadn't done anything!
At the till I was met with a stare too. No greeting/smile as obviously he'd been told the likely shoplifter was on her way.
I think I should have said something at the time but I was really unnerved and worried it would make me look more guilty.
Aibu to email head office and complain?
Would they care/do anything?
At the very least I want this member of staff to be aware there has been a complaint made.

Perhaps they thought you were a 'secret shopper'?

@LadyCleathStuart

You might have met the description of an active shoplifter from earlier. When I worked in retail (many, many moons ago) all the shops used to radio each other descriptions. Shoplifters do look normal you know, they don't carry bags marked 'swag'.

I was followed in shops all the time back when the DC were in buggies. I liked to piss them off by sloooowly moving about the shop looking at absolutley everything. Extra satisfying on the occassions that I went on to buy loads of stuff.

I used to get followed around our local shopping centre when I had the DC in buggies. The best part of it was that I only ever cut through to get elsewhere and never even went in any shops so God knows what they thought I was stealing. The security guard was probably very proud of himself thinking that he'd stopped me robbing.

Write a letter of complaint and ask to view the CCTV footage. YANBU.

I wouldn't bother complaining but I would buy a packet of kippers and conceal them somewhere in the shop which will take them a very long time to find 🤣

Staff member responsible for security in 'doing their job' shocker.

I don't think the staff member was responsible for security any more than any other staff member.
It was very quiet in store ( always is at that time of day) and there was only myself and a couple of other customers there.

When it comes to recognizing shoplifters most retail staff dont know there arse from there elbow.

That's due to little to no training so they use their own misconceptions of what a shoplifter looks like. The smackheads you can tell from a mile away.

There was a post on here a month or so back about stopped at the door then followed around . The posts in that thread showed even the retail staff with "training" didnt have a clue .

Your every day small time shoplifter is very hard to spot because they dont stand out . I've seen a woman in her 80s stash cushions in her shopping trolley. Then she saw me and not very discreetly put them back .

Maybe you just looked vague like a actual shoplifter they had in before

You say you called in on your way home. What time was it? If it was just minutes to closing time, maybe she was trying to awkward you into leaving?

I went into aldi. Went in literally because I wanted a certain dog lead they were selling in the middle isle. They didn’t have one so I went to another one in the town centre. Asked one of the people who were restocking the middle isle. They didn’t have it either. So I left. Security man stopped me as I was leaving and asked me to turn out my pockets. I was very shocked but had nothing to hide so I did. I was embarrassed. He was terribly embarrassed and wouldn’t stop apologising. Man who was restocking middle isle gave him a mouthful.

Apparently no one ever leaves aldi empty handed. I did contemplate complaining but I honestly reckon he won’t be so quick to do it again.

That must have been a really awful experience and I think most people would be upset about this. I hope a complaint will be dealt with in a serious matter. Did you keep the receipt of your purchase? It’s your proof of the time and date that all of this took place. Years ago I was indirectly accused of shop lifting by member of staff in a local shop, in ear shot of others. I felt so embarrassed but very angry and made a complaint about it to their head office and received an apology. Months later at the same shop, the same staff member did it again albeit in a different manner. I got livid and asked her loudly if she wanted to accuse me of something. She quickly dismissed her accusation but I sent an email to the head office with the proof of my earlier complaint about the same person attached and the question if they were going to make her aware that this is unacceptable or should I post on social media about how I was falsely accused there twice as a loyal customer. The head office and manager of the shop both called me to apologize and I was invited to the shop to receive a personal apology and flowers and chocolate from the manager.

In my opinion there's nothing to complain about. They must get people shoplifting all the time, how are they supposed to accurately guess who will shoplift and who won't? There's nothing to be offended by. I'm not sure why you gave the shop your hard earned cash is they made you feel uncomfortable, you should have just left. That's on you imo.

I get followed round shops all the time, it's so weird. I mean, I did steal a bottle of nail varnish from Boots about 25 years ago so maybe my face has got around.
Me and DH went to Waitrose the other day for a browse and as soon as I walked in the security guy started following me. DH had wondered off separately to look at some bits and in the end I just stood in the middle of the store in front of the tills so I wasn't close enough to any products I might suddenly get an urge to stuff inside my coat. When we left the store DH said without me prompting that the security guy was following me so it wasn't just my imagination. I quite often get it but don't know why, I must have the look about me.
I've never overheard them radioing about me though. I wonder if you were wearing something similar to someone else that had been spotted shoplifting?

Your every day small time shoplifter is very hard to spot because they dont stand out

This is what people don't understand. People get offended 'why would they follow me I don't look like a shoplifter?'

Well what do you think a shoplifter looks like? Totally normal is the answer. I caught lots during my time in retail and none of them stood out from anyone else, they weren't even acting 'suspiciously' they had just either been spotted doing it in another shop and got away so I knew to watch them or it was just by chance (seeing them do it out if the corner of my eye).

There was the one guy who ran in, grabbed a handful of shirts and ran back out but that was just weird. Most shoplifters are very good at it and don't stand out at all.

Sometimes shops get a description of an active shoplifter, maybe you just happened to look similar or be wearing similar clothes?

I was once followed by staff when I was with DS in the pram, it didn’t occur to me they thought I might be shoplifting so I asked them to help me find the things I was looking for and carry them 😂

@LadyCleathStuart

Your every day small time shoplifter is very hard to spot because they dont stand out

This is what people don't understand. People get offended 'why would they follow me I don't look like a shoplifter?'

Well what do you think a shoplifter looks like? Totally normal is the answer. I caught lots during my time in retail and none of them stood out from anyone else, they weren't even acting 'suspiciously' they had just either been spotted doing it in another shop and got away so I knew to watch them or it was just by chance (seeing them do it out if the corner of my eye).

There was the one guy who ran in, grabbed a handful of shirts and ran back out but that was just weird. Most shoplifters are very good at it and don't stand out at all.

@LadyCleathStuart

There was the one guy who ran in, grabbed a handful of shirts and ran back out but that was just weird

That's definitely a smack head move. I've had 2 woman fill up 2 big rucksacks with detergent. And then shitty because I've stopped them