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.

My first reaction was that this wasn't a real security guard, just a bully passing as one. Then I worked out there wasn't actually any financial benefit to him....

Anyway, I would definitely WRITE TO or EMAIL the store - possibly on x where it is out there in the public domain - and tell them about this person. Don't try to discuss it in person, cos if you are like me you will get emotional. Do stress that you were bullied and lied to - the 'hundreds of times' comment is so far out of order....

And BTW you really don't need a receipt, ever, if you are using the Lidl app or something like a Nectar card. The data will all be there.

I avoid larger supermarkets partly because of the intimidating security guards. Getting a main shop delivered and also buying at smaller out of town (often independent) shops is a much more pleasant and civilised experience.

"We have footage of you doing this hundreds of times"

Your reply - "Show it to me".

Absolutely ridiculous to have paid twice. I hope you get your money back!

You thought that a random person was pretending to be a supermarket security guard 😁

Exactly what I was thinking. Something doesn't add up otherwise!

Yep. And then I thought I was stupid.

But then I thought 'well, if someone likes bullying this much, their options are to become a security guard or pretend to be one'.

If it was a real security guard, put your complaint in EARLY. With any luck they will have internal footage which, even if silent, can be used to prove his outrageous behaviour.

Presumably you do online banking? I only recently got the banking app on my phone, but prior to that I could have gone into safari, googled “Nat west”, logged in and seen my transactions.

With respect, no.

I don't want to carry around receipts, so I invariably say no. If a shop is going to accuse me of theft they have to prove it, and they won't be able to because I don't steal. Why should I waste paper and fill my pockets with rubbish?

If a shop's payment and security systems are so poor that they have a habit of wrongly accusing people and the only thing which helps is a receipt, they should either improve those systems or make receipts mandatory.

“Fault on both sides here”

No chance there is. This is on the bullied-at-school security goon who clearly knew what he was doing when he went for the OP.

They're never quite as brave when junkies are walking out of shops with armfuls of stolen gear for their next bag of smack.

I tend to wait until I hear the beep
Just because it beeps doesn't mean it's gone through. That's why we have so many walkouts people don't wait long enough.

😁

Exactly.
Just take the bloody receipt next time, op, if you genuinely have paid.

I have said YANBU as I think your question was about complaining. However YABVVU to have paid twice. You should have asked the guard to call the store manager on the spot and asked them to check the back roll on the till to prove that you had paid.

I had this the other day in M&S when I'd used a self checkout, paid by card and not taken a receipt. Something had a security tag on that beeped as I tried to leave the store. Someone else was using the till so the staff couldn't use the" print last receipt" function. Guard was polite but quite forceful so I just asked for the manager, explained what had happened and he then escorted me to the door and told guard to let me through. No way would I be paying twice.

Why did you pay twice ? Silly

'I am just wondering if perhaps I have overreacted.'

How the fuck have you over reacted?

You need some boundaries and self respect. I cannot believe you paid twice.

You should send the store a email of complaint about being accused of stealing and forced to pay again and in future always take a receipt. Stores can actually reprint receipts.

Haha..you throw it in the bin after...🙄

Sure, if there's one around (eg I pick something up from train station M&S most days and train stations are crap for bins). It's still a waste though.

It's not exactly a hill I care to die on on this board but I'm still not going to say yes. If it's optional for me to take one then saying no shouldn't make me assumed to be a thief.

I'm waiting for the mandatory comment about not reporting the security guard because he might lose his job. There's always one, but six pages in they haven't turned up yet. Maybe it's their day off. Or maybe they're too busy being interrogated in their local supermarket...

If that is how he behaves he deserves to lose his job

And also refuse to leave the shop floor, let them call the police and have it dealt with in a public place.

This 💯

Same here.

With regard to taking a receipt, I always do, not just to prove I paid but in case of faulty goods needing to be exchanged or refunded.

Well, yes! Absolutely.