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Original poster

Do I deserve this? I'm banned from Marks and Spencers nationally!

163 replies

kandymouse · 10/01/2008 12:56

I went shopping at my local M&S. I got some milk, bread, eggs etc.. of course with my buggy. I pay then I go out of the store..then a man comes and wants to come to their security office. Then I look down on my buggy and realize that there is a magazine that I forgot to pay for so then I apologize and ask him if he called me in for that. And there is him and another woman and a man (three people).. and he says that from now on I'm banned from M & S nationwide. They also call the police so they come down to the office and they tell M & S they can't put me on a criminal charge and just takes my name address and phone number. I thought this was a bit much. I'm extremely upset and I don't know what to do. Now they made me leave the shop with letter that I'm banned nationally from all M&S.

OP posts:
LoveAngel · 10/01/2008 12:57

Write to the head office and appeal. Do you have any previous convictions? if not, that is a very harsh line to take with you. If they are still being unreasonable, go to the local newspaper - oh, and make sure M&S know you're doing so.

bratnav · 10/01/2008 12:58

blloody hell KM, that seems excessive for a magazine that you didn't intend to take in the first place. I'd be furious

bratnav · 10/01/2008 12:58

blloody hell KM, that seems excessive for a magazine that you didn't intend to take in the first place. I'd be furious

Dropdeadfred · 10/01/2008 12:58

How the hell will they police that?

Do they have your mugshot?

Psychobabble · 10/01/2008 12:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

kindersurprise · 10/01/2008 12:59

Sounds like a bit of an overreaction. That kind of mistake is easy to make, I often found things on the buggy that I have forgotten to pay for.

You should email M&S and complain.

fishie · 10/01/2008 12:59

wow that is a bit strong! are they going to send your details to every m&s in britain? how will you buy your pants? i do know somebody who was banned from them all about 20 years ago for jumper fraud, no idea what happens if you actually try to go in.

i'd email head office and explain, the fact that you paid for the other stuff shoud mitigate this.

UniversallyChallenged · 10/01/2008 13:00

That sounds extremely harsh and pretty shocking! Am sure lots of us have done this by accident. I would be very surprised if this legally could stand

LoveAngel · 10/01/2008 13:00

Forgot to say, this happened to a woman I know, but with Sainsbury's. She had nappies under her buggy that she forgot to pay for. She hadn't even left the store with them - she was actually sitting down on a chair near the till after paying for the rest of her shopping, making a mobile phone call, when the security guards came and 'escorted her' to a back room and called the police (you'd think a shoplifter would have scarpered as quickly as possible...!?) She had shopped in that Sainsburys every day for years, had no criminaal record...basically, she had put the nappies there because she didn't have enough hands to carry everything, and forgotten about them. They lifted the ban after 3 months when she appealed.

clapton · 10/01/2008 13:00

I think it is really OTT behaviour for a magazine!

I agree with LoveAngel, you should contact head office.

flowerybeanbag · 10/01/2008 13:00

That's terrible. Do write to the Head Office customer service person, and consider the local paper if you don't get anywhere, that's a ridiculous overreaction to a simple mistake.

Threadworm · 10/01/2008 13:01

We should all email M&S, with a link to this thread. It is a stupid overreaction to an easily-made mistake.

funnypeculiar · 10/01/2008 13:01

Bonkers! defn email head office (and yes, I would -threaten- say that I would be contacting local media

charliecat · 10/01/2008 13:01

jumper fraud

TheGoatofBitterness · 10/01/2008 13:02

how horrendous! i am shocked that they would do this and over a poxy magazine it would have been obvious to anyone that it was a mistake.

i once walked out a shop with a coathanger caught on my coat and got called back. i felt utterly humiliated esp as the garment was really tasteless and there was no way i would have even touched it never mind nicked it!

please complain.

gr1973 · 10/01/2008 13:02

Hi kandymouse - it does seem quite extreme given that you had paid for the rest of your shopping and it was a genuine mistake.

Once you're feeling a bit better I would get in touch with their customer services department and explain what happened, how it was an accident and how your treatment made you feel.

The reason I suggest waiting a while is that as you're upset, if you speak to someone just now you might not get your point accross well and get a bit angry which wont help things.

Blu · 10/01/2008 13:03

Be really really honest with yourself.

Did you know the magazine wasn't in your basket / hadn't been paid for?

I bet they watched you from the moment you put the magazine on the buggy, so if you make a fuss, they will say they saw you and your actions and don't think it was accidental. They are experienced at this.

If you are 100% innocent and made the most genuine of mistakes, then write.

But i don't see how they can ban you if you enter M&S and pay by cash - how would they identify you - empty threat to frighten you!

katwith3kittens · 10/01/2008 13:04

Did you offer to pay ?

I'd write to head office and explain it was a genuine mistake.

With their current profit warning I'm sure they'd welcome anybody who wants to buy anything from them atm !

JulesJules · 10/01/2008 13:04

Well this sounds like a massive over reaction to what was an innocent mistake. Unless they have tattooed that letter to your forehead, I don't see how they can realistically ban you from all M&Ss. I would write to the customer services at Head Office. I was once thrown out of an M&S cardholders evening for not having an invitation - I had had to hand it in at the door to go in the prize draw, but the security guard was emphatic and unpleasant about the fact I had to leave. I wrote to the store to complain, but never got a reply!

anorak · 10/01/2008 13:05

How are they going to know if you go in another branch?

Wisteria · 10/01/2008 13:05

my daughter was told that she was banned for life from Debenhams and Claire Accessories (She didn't actually do anything btw but her friend did)

So, they have mugshots under the counter????

Don't be daft - it's just a shock tactic that they use, you will be fine gonig into any M&S maybe excepting that one for a few months...

Was so funny the first time I took her into Debs afterwards - as she walked through the door she had this look of apprehension on her face as if a firing squad was going to surround her

I wouild write to M&S head office and complain about your treatment by the ridiculous store guards personally as that is completely OTT - we've all done it at times (I often forgot to pay for cucumbers in Sainsburys as I'd stick it in the flower holder )

TellusMater · 10/01/2008 13:05

I agree that you should take it further. I might be concilatory rather than complaining, as you technically you did take it without paying. Apologise. Explain the situation. Suggest that the ban may be a disproportionate response to a simple mistake.

As a first step anyway.

flowerybeanbag · 10/01/2008 13:05

More's to the point, rather than 'getting round' the ban, would you actually want to shop in there again anyway?

Blu · 10/01/2008 13:07

Agree - would not want to shop there is they react badly to a real mistake.

But I can 100% understand why they crack down on shoplifting however small / cheap the item.

Fireflyfairy2 · 10/01/2008 13:08

It's M&S.. do you care?

As Blu says, they will have been watching you on in store cameras. They will know if you silpped it in the buggy, or if it fell accidentally in the buggy, or of your child grabbed it & dropped it.

I guess it will be suspicious from their POV if you had bread, eggs etc in a shopping basket but then the magazine in the bottom of the buggy!!