Aldi bag search

[tiger2691]

Motorcycle panniers, on the baggage hook on the trolley, not in the trolley, reasonable or unreasonable? I told the checkout operator that it was unacceptable, and he said it was company policy. Strangely enough my fairly big shoulder bag, which I was wearing, was ignored. I felt a bit sorry for the bloke tbh, I don't think he really wanted to do it.

I shop there weekly, it's not like I'm new. Anyway, I consented, but I wont necessarily do so if it happens too often. Profiling perhaps, because I bought a bottle of rum, ha!

Like I said earlier the police don't come for shoplifting as a rule in our area, if it's less than £200 then they won't even listen.

The loads of money we've spent on a very high quality and effective CCTV system (funnily enough a condition of our license) was a complete waste and has never aided in any conviction ever.

In 25+ years of at least weekly reporting the police have arrested 1 person, we've been burgled, shoplifted, robbed, yesterday someone jumped over the counter and stole cigs.

I guess we could privately prosecute people but we can't find out who they are without police assistance

The security guard came over with the checkout attendant, all Billy Big Bollocks, loudly proclaiming that I was shop lifting and making me unpack all my shopping bags and re-scan everything while he kept up a loud commentary. I was mortified

I wouldn't have been mortified, I would have just told him he was being a stupid bully and anyone can make a scanning mistake especially as the machines don't have a back button so you can go back and scan the right thing. The machines are not very user-friendly and they invite mistakes.

I guess we could privately prosecute people but we can't find out who they are without police assistance

the police are too busy stopping women who swerve potholes in the middle of the night

I missed of repeatedly assaulted. Last time I was left bleeding by someone on a tag that the police said there was no point arresting

I would too.

But then where I live if I ever have to leave bags with customer service before entering a store I always take a picture of what’s in them and check everything is still there when I get them back. I also tell the person on the customer service desk that if anything’s missing they’ll have to explain why. I do it in a way that we laugh but if I’m going to be treated suspiciously by a supermarket chain I’m not taking it lying down.

I've noticed over recent years in my local supermarket that they've upped security measures no doubt in response to a rise in shoplifting. These have included:

-Having a security guard right at the entrance facing you and looking at everyone as they walk in.
-Having a physical one-way barrier when entering so those wanting to leave without going through the till areas are channelled through a smaller barrier at the side.

-Having more CCTV cameras.
-More signs on shelves pointing out store policy of supporting shoplifters being prosecuted.
-Big flat screen TVs at the store entrance hanging from the ceiling linked up to the CCTV which shows the live video feed of you walking in. They've now got these screens in the meat aisle too.
-The small video screen displays at the self service showing your face as you're using the self scan.
-Things in other shops round here include the cardboard cut out of a police officer in the window (home bargains) or trolley wheels locking as you leave the shop if it detects that you haven't first gone through the staffed/self service till areas.

I don't really mind any other these measures because they will no doubt be losing a lot of money through shop lifting, plus the above measures are all proactive in trying to prevent stealing (by putting people off), or in the case of more CCTV and the trolley wheels locking, more likely to catch those that do. I think I prefer this sort of method rather than blanket policies of searching through everyone's bags without having any reasonable evidence of a crime having taken place.

I've just told my friend about this thread she (laughing!) "this would never happen in Waitrose" 🤣

Once I used the big self service at Tesco a long conveyor belt system. I happily packed as I went putting all the meat in one bag. Paid and went home. Had five bags to unpack the one filled with meat was missing. Went back to Tesco customer service to ask. The woman said that it would have been stolen while I wasn't looking it happens a lot. They said there was no CCTV covering the area so was my bad luck.

So they'll even nick food you've paid for 😞

I thought shops could only accuse a customer of shoplifting if they've seen someone take an item from the shelf then attempt to leave with it?

That's how it should be done @Ahsoka2001

Do you look like a wrong 'un though?

I might look like a "white collar criminal."

Recently, feeling unwell but with no one else to shop for me ( nothing contagious) I went to aldi. I had £35 for shopping and £10 for electric. Shopping was £35 plus a few pence. I handed over what I thought was£35 and rummaged in my pocket for the pence. I then realised I had given the assistant £45 . I know this because I had nothing else. I checked everywhere but i know it had been safeky zipped into my viat pocket. I asked the assistant to check and waited until she finished serving the next person.She opened the till and said, quite abruptly " there, no cash in there" and slammed the till shut. The money had definitely been rolled up when I handed it over, all £45 of it. I felt like I was going to faint ( ear infection) so left the shop. Went home and cried . I am obviously elderly and was upset .
So if anyone does feel like shop lifting ( and I'm sure mumsnetters never would) Have £10 worth on me!( and no disrespect to any nice shop assistants, which most of them are. And I know the staff are pressured )

Safely zipped into Coat pocket . Damn phone!

Why would you have any issue with this unless you have something to hide?

You have nothing to hide, so don't get het up about it and just let them crack on.

Tooled up, ready to steal and thieve? I dont think so! The shoulder bag is the one I was wearing, which was totally ignored, makes sense, nope!

Why would you have any issue with this unless you have something to hide?

Because I have OCD and don't want some randomers hooves pawing through my bag and touching my stuff.

Unfortunately I think it's the times we live in. So we need to just put up with it.

No I'll vote with my wallet and go wherever doesn't treat me like a criminal.

Clearly I’m old, but I recall Toys R Us in the 90s, you were required to leave anything other than the smallest of shoulder bags behind customer services whilst you shopped.
Always struck me as weird that one.

However, there may be instances where store or security staff have cause to approach a customer. In the event a staff member does approach a customer, they should ensure that they remain professional and discreet at all times.

From the first of the Aldi email replies, discreet, really? It might actually help if they did employ a security guard, rather than relying on anxious, overworked checkout operators/ general dogs bodies. Aldi arent skint, they will always make their money and hedge their percentages, they can afford security guards, because, when all is said and done, customers pay for it, ultimately customers pay for everything. Aldi have not been shy in bumping up their prices, far from it.

Please be assured we take all incidents of this nature extremely seriously and we will take action to ensure this never happens again. The Store Manager has been contacted regarding this incident. They will ensure the relevant actions are taken internally to prevent reoccurrence of this nature.

That, from their second email was just bizarre, never happens again? I didn't ask or demand that "This never happens again", that would be plainly ridiculous on my behalf. But there will be trouble, unless the customer rolls over, and says fine search my belongings, I dont mind you thinking (or other shoppers and members of the public thinking) i'm nicking your shit, despite an absolute dearth of evidence or reasons for you to do so.

It used to be I thought only Lidl treated their customers as if they were all criminals, I was obviously wrong.

Would you be ok with the police just dropping by and searching your home, there was a bloke last week that lived in a similar property to yours that’s been caught growing cannabis, common problem with people living in your type of homes.
You’ve got nothing to hide, so what’s the problem?

Butchyrestingface

“Or leafy”

Sorry, completely over my head. What does that mean?

aldi are not the police

I had a weird moment in a branch of Evans years ago.

I had just bought something in there. Assistant had put it in an Evans Bag. I stood a few feet away with the bag between my legs whilst I put my purse back in my bag and she came rushing towards me asking to look in the Evans bag. I was a bit slow and just said "What?" then she walked off. I cam only assume she forgot she served me or another assistant/security pointed out the wrong person!!

People do shoplift though. I was in Aldi and saw someone rather artfully arrange their open empty carriers so they could load their shopping right in. It also stopped the checkout operator seeing the big bag of dogfood/ drinks that were underneath the trolley. We are fairly lax in this country; when I've shopped abroad you have to lock your bags in a locker at the front/ hand in to customer services/ have them sealed shut on the way in.

It ismortifying though being stopped if it was more standardised it wouldn't feel like an accusation.