unpleasant incident with security guard

[rasputinsghost]

I would just like your opinions with respect to whether or not I was reasonable to e-mail a complaint regarding the incident below.

I was shopping with my adult son at our local large supermarket, in the late afternoon in the middle of the week. We chose items worth just under five pounds, and I paid for these at the self-service checkout, using the contactless app. on my debit card. I declined a receipt and I do not have a banking app. on my phone.

After purchasing the goods, I handed them to my son and went to the loo. When I came out of the loo, I found my son in conversation with the security guard. The guard asked me if the shopping was mine. I said it was. He asked me if I had the receipt. I said I had declined the receipt. He asked my if I had any proof of purchase. I said that I did not have a banking app, but I waited until I heard 'payment confirmed' before I left the checkout. The guard replied that he has reason to believe we were attempting to leave the store without purchasing the goods.

I assured him that I had purchased the goods, and perhaps we could check the till roll at the checkout.

The guard then told us to come to his desk. We followed him. He looked at the CCTV footage and told us that not only did it confirm that we had not paid, but there was footage of me 'doing this hundreds of times'. He said he would call the police unless we paid for the goods, left the store and never returned because we were 'banned'.

I was getting a little upset, so my son suggested we paid for the goods again (even though we knew we had already paid). We did this, then showed the guard the receipt and I asked why he had said he had footage of me stealing 'hundreds of times'. He denied saying this. I asked if we were banned. He said no. I asked for his name and said I would lodge a complaint because he had handled this situation very unprofessionally.

When I got home, I checked my bank account. I had paid twice, so there is no way there would be any footage of me not paying. I have lodged a complaint online with the store.

I am just wondering if perhaps I have overreacted.

You should have asked to speak to the manager.

I understand why you paid again, you just wanted to get out of there. The security guard was out of order claiming to have footage of you. I would complain . I was stopped going out of a Sainsbury's local by a guard who had literally watched me pay (he was standing an inch away from the self checkout) . I'd declined a receipt. Luckily I was able to show the transaction on my banking app. I think he was a bored bully.

I don't have a banking app and only ever use a card but do online banking so can look up transactions on my phone. Could you have done that while you were there rather when you got home.

I used the contactless app on my debit card, not my phone.
Do you mean the chip in your debit card? Not being picky, just trying to help you for when you communicate this with the store. There’s no such thing as an app on a debit card. Apps are only on phones/tablets. So you paid contactless, using your card?

I agree about not being assertive, and being foolish for not having proof of purchase. However, the security guard was not 'just doing his job'. His job role does not include lying about proof of stealing and lying about proof of previous incidents of stealing.

I may be a bit feeble in my response to confrontation, but the confrontation should not have included blatantly false accusations.

@Hellogreen Yes, that is what I mean.

Unfortunately a warning to all to always get a receipt. The supermarkets appear determined to harass/humiliate at the drop of a hat. It's now the norm.

Having had similar happen to me, I'd also like to know why so many 'security' men (and they are usually men) cannot speak English clearly or fluently.

They don't wear supermarket uniforms, so who is actually employing them, and should the supermarkets be investigated for who they are contracting?

Mental to pay again. Mental to allow a private security guard to bully you. Mental of your adult son not to step in more (and to actually suggest this ridiculous double payment).

If that happens again, tell Billy Big Balls to phone the police and report a crime.

Go back without your son. Speak to the manager and tell them you are upset with the way you were treated by the security guard and that you didn’t push it because you had your child with you.

Tell them he said he had footage of you stealing “hundreds of times” and that you want an apology and a refund for the second payment.

Oh, and put your banking app on your phone, bit strange that you haven’t got it

Omg, read it as a child. Adult son? What on earth is wrong with the pair of you 😅

How hard is it to say, “Get a manager and have them check the till record.”

Really. This is just ridiculous.

You didn’t use a contactless app to pay. You paid with your debit card, using contactless. I hope you haven’t said in your email that you paid with a contactless app; that makes it sound like you paid using your phone.

I'm wondering why the damn supermarket tills don't print receipts every time—especially considering the issues with theft and security checks.
It's like they do this on purpose.

I work on a supermarket checkout and if a customer says they don’t want a receipt I always encourage them to take one. I can’t understand anyone walking out of a shop without a receipt.

Sounds like he bullied and coerced you into paying again. I wouldn't have paid again, purely to stand my ground, in doing so you are confirming his suspicions.
There is something about security guards and the uniform they wear that makes them appear to have power over you, when in reality they aren't Police officers, and are the same as us.
I would have told him no, but you obviously felt threatened.
Go back to the shop, show them your 2 transactions, tell them to check the checkout history (you should have a time on your transaction) and get a refund. I would not let this drop. Why should you pay twice?

Indeed. You know that question you get asked (in person or by the machine) "Do you want a receipt?" The answer for everyone should always be "YES I DO!"

I think people like the OP empower these clowns (can also be said for the police at times) to throw their weight around and treat the public like dirt.

There’s a reason you don’t see them challenge people who’d punch their teeth out.

Absolutely ALWAYS get a receipt. There's so many times me and DP nip in for a couple of bits, don't even put them in bags, and just walk out. I always say to him this looks really dodgy! But we have the receipt and to be fair we've never been stopped.

You should not have paid again. If it came to it you could have phoned the bank and asked them to confirm your most recent transaction.

But I would indeed complain about this man.

I absolutely agree with you. I also wonder why supermarkets decided to give people the option to take a receipt or not.

It makes me angry when I buy a dress that I can't even try on in the shop, and then I’m told I can’t return it without a receipt. Meanwhile, the clueless shop assistant asks if I want the receipt—seriously?

Who the hell thought that was a good idea?

While I understand you don’t like confrontation, this situation needs to have never have arisen if you had taken a receipt. If you don’t have a banking app on your phone how else did you expect to prove purchase if challenged and the fact you then paid again indicates to them you didn’t pay. They can look at CCTV but that only shows you at the till not necessarily the payment - your card may have been declined. You can complain but it will be a he said / she said situation and the response will inevitably include a comment about the need to always take your receipt ( particularly as you don’t have a banking app on your phone which would show the payment). Supermarkets are dealing with people walking out without payment on a daily basis so sadly their default will always be - prove you paid - A harsh lesson but one learnt - always take the receipt.

He bullied you—complain everywhere you can: to the head office, on all their social media platforms.

They created this situation, didn’t check properly, lied to you, and even threatened you.

It’s unbelievable.

I would have told him to call the police, then insisted on speaking to the manager, insisted they check the till roll and then insisted he apologises and is sent for further training

however lesson is always get a till receipt

Receipt paper mostly can’t be recycled and takes many years to biodegrade.

Clothes shops will email you a receipt and if you ask for a paper copy they will give you one.

Lesson learned is always get a receipt from self service.
Paper receipts can be annoying/unnecessary if you've got a bank app.
Go back to the store and show you've paid twice AND complain about the security guard.
Paying again was a poor decision.

You aren't the poster who is banned from Boots are you? No way would I have paid again, that's daft and makes you look exactly like you hadn't paid before

Of course you should complain and get a receipt and download a bank app

@rasputinsghost always always say yes to a receipt, I know it’s a waste of paper but it’s your proof of purchase xx