Stopped from taking my child into a changing room.

[LemingsLemon]

went to my local John Lewis today- more to buy some things for DD, but found a blouse that was on sale so decided to try it on

Went to the changing rooms- I had 3 items for DD (2 dresses and a pair of trousers) and the blouse. Went over to the changing rooms, pleasantries exchanged and attendant handed me a card with my number of items. DD was fast asleep in her small, umbrella fold buggy. Changing rooms are quite large- could have fit me and DD in th buggy in there with room for me to try items on.

Assistant stopped me as I was pushing her into a cubicle and explained it wasn’t allowed. Apparently in case I stole something and stashed it in the pram?!!? Assistant offered to keep an eye on DD for a few minutes while I tried my blouse on. I said I don’t know you, why would I trust a stranger with my daughter unsupervised. Assistant called a manager over who asked me to leave.

Safe to say I won’t be going back

AIBU to think this is batshit?

Why count on the way in, if they dont trust the girl on the way out to count?

Exactly what I was going to say.

It's not surprising as others have said it's due to shoplifting it's the same here you can't take prams in the change rooms

Of course not! Her DD is the baby in the pram.

OP, whilst I do understand why some stores may have done this due to prams and wheelchairs being a very well known shoplifting technique, I would still complain. It is still discrimination.

They give the tags showing the number of items taken into the changing room for a reason - so that they can see that the number of items you come out with matches the number you went in with. They can also check the pram on the way out too. Absolutely no need to require parents to leave their child under the watch of strangers at all.

If they counted how many items you took in, and will count when taking out then how exactly would you shoplift with the pram? Did you offer to let them search the pram afterwards? I think I would have done that rather than leave and not try on something I wanted to try. I do have sympathy for staff being told they have to follow a rule and prevent shoplifting but no one should be asked to leave their baby out of their sight with a stranger.

So sorry. I misunderstood and thought you had an older DD with you. Of course take your baby in the cubicle with you.

I don't know about this shop but this wouldn't work in most changing rooms I've been to, the pram would block the corridor and get in everyone's way.

And for those saying take the baby in, how does that work?! Just put them on the floor? I wouldn't dothat and get changed.

I'm sorry, I voted you were being 'unreasonable' by mistake. I feel so strongly you were being reasonable, I had to correct that.
I'm shocked they expected you to leave your baby with a stranger and then told you to leave when you refused. Shop online.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if shoplifters regularly use prams stash their stuff.

Because they hide the stuff it doesn't matter what number is on the card you could have hidden it before you came

Did you only say exactly what you said in your OP?

It's got nothing to do with the girl or the number on a card they hide the stuff so the number on said card isn't counting those items is it? Use your brain

If they've already hidden stuff what's the point of going into the changing room?

I would take this further, how dare they try to separate a mother from a baby?! Absolutely bizarre.

Sometimes shoplifters will put clothes on and wear them out of the store, or take the time to hide things better - but nevertheless they were absolutely bonkers to try to separate a mother from her baby.

Then the changing room makes no difference, does it?. And that's why I would offer to let them search the pram.

Because private areas provide the necessary time and space to remove security tags, hide things far better and wear stolen clothes under their own garments. Some even shove things into their orifices. It's a thing.

But despite the fact that they are quite correct to be worried about thieves taking things into changing rooms, thieves do that without prams too and the shop's fear of shoplifters does not override a mother's right to have her baby with her at all times and not hand the baby over to some random.

Happened to me in Matalan too when my now 20 year old was a baby. It did make me feel uncomfortable but all was well.

Ridiculous. I used to work in a boutique and this is exactly why we gave the cards with the number of items on it. Realistically, you could stash a blouse anywhere, like a handbag, the pram is irrelevant. On the other hand, occasionally we would have prams left outside changing rooms and customers would expect us to watch their kid and our manager was totally against this as it prevented us from doing our job and was an unnecessary risk for us.
I certainly wouldn’t be going back.

Ah I see, thanks.

To remove security tags.

I think this warrants a written complaint, to find out if it is general policy. If it is they should make it clearer so that parents with pushchairs know they are not welcome to try things on.

Well if they thought she’d already hidden stuff in the pram why did they let her leave?

either they think she has stuff hidden already in which case call the police. Or they don’t think she has stuff hidden in which case count the items out and in.

This 100% ^
Ime they would give you card for a blouse and suggest to leave items you are not trying in a basket with the assistant and pick them up on the way out of the changing room.

Being asked to leave a shop is last resort so it sounds to me like there is a chunk of conversation missing from your OP.

John Lewis pride themselves on their customer service so you either had an over zealous manager ordering you out of the shop from the little conversation that you have listed in your OP, and should consider then taking it further; or as I’ve said above there is a lot of conversation missing as I doubt JL managers order customers to leave for no reason other than you politely questioning their changing room policy.