to say M&S is not family-friendly !!

[GLS]

Hands up if you've ever had one of those moments in a supermarket where your 2 year old is throwing the world's greatest tantrum and you're caught with no milk or snacks. Today I was in M&S at Lakeside. It was packed. My toddler decided to let loose with a super-dooper tantrum so I grabbed a banana to settle him as I tried to do the shopping as fast as I could without seeming like a crazed woman! The check-out queue was a real challenge but luckily a kids mag was the perfect distraction. So I checked out, paid the bill and was leaving the store only to be stopped by a security guard who said "Do you know why I'm stopping you?" I wondered if I'd won some prize like being the 1,000th shopper or something. He persisted in asking me "Do you know why I'm stopping you?" I hadn't a clue. Did they want my feedback on my customer experience perhaps? He escorted me off to a room where I was advised that I had stolen a banana from the store without paying. I had completey forgotten about the banana! After just spending £50.57 in the store I said sorry but you're kidding right? He advised me they were calling the police! After full-on interrogation & full personal data checking, and 30 minutes of ridiculously wasted time, I was advised I was being issued with a letter barring me from ever entering another M&S store ever again, and if I did police action can be taken. I said "Do you know how much I spend at M&S every year?" (the answer is around £3,000+ pa!). I was well-dressed and presented - not your average hoodie with that 'repeat offender' type of look! So there you go. I'm sure shareholders should be worried if this is M&S' practice on mothers! What's your opinion?

Banned from every MS store? I would write to their head office.

Blimey. All that for a banana?

YABU

YABU

How is op being unreasonable??? It could have happened to anyone.

did you offer to pay for the banana or did you feel your £50 spend entitled you to a free banana?

I am sure I have heard of this happening before.

I think YABU for forgetting to pay for something, that is stealing but they probably could have handled it better. Did you offer to pay for it when they pulled you up on it?

I think they may have overreacted slightly but I would expect to be charged for the banana. I doubt they care how much you spend in M&S. There are plenty of wealthy and well dressed shoplifters.

you did not pay for your banana

you presumed that paying £50.57 for your other shopping meant you got a free banana

you should have immeidatly offered to pay

Weeeell..

I suppose the security guard and M&S staff weren't to know that you don't habitually steal bananas from their store.

They didn't finger the wrong person or falsely accuse you - you did steal it. (and I can understand and fully believe that you forgot, but the fact remains that you did take it).

I personally would have been tempted to go outside when the tantrum started, perhaps having bought a banana then, and then go back in when settled, rather than eating the banana before buying.

Must have been a horrible experience. I do think though that you are blaming the employees for doing their jobs.

But she clearly wasnt a shop lifter. I agree of course the well dressed, do you know how much I spend is irrelevant but forgetting to pay for a banana when you are doing a shop isnt worthy of a life time ban from every m and s.

I knew I had read a very similar OP before - here. Slightly different situation but it shows that M&S are obviously fairly hot on this type of thing.

They overreacted but you're really not supposed to help yourself to food as you're going round or we'd all be picnicking in the aisles.

Yes I think saying I'm sorry I forgot,I'll pay for the banana would have gone down better than saying do you know how much I spend here? That just sounds entitled.

YABU to say it isn't family friendly. Just another way of saying you feel they should have given you a free banana because you decided it was the way to stop your child having a tantrum.

You should have immediately offered to pay.

Yes - I was banned from ever entering ANY (i.e. 'all') M&S stores ever again. How can that be a good comon sense decision for M&S as a business I ask you? Where has common sense gone?

She wasnt helping herself to food. She gave it to a tantruming toddler to enable herself to finish her shopping and fully intended to pay for it but forgot.

How do people know the op didnt offer immediately to pay?

Losing one customer for life is hardly going to make a difference to their profits.

she said when challenged about the banana, she said 'sorry, but you're kidding right?' as she has spent £50.57

Which immediately made it appear she was aware she hadn't paid for the banana.

That's a bit extreme barring you from all M&S's ever. How do they tend to police that, have a mugshot of you at all counters .. Personally i'd leave off M&S for a while, perhaps altogether (the Lakeside one).

I'd write to head office explaining the situation. I have been in this situation many times before but I have always picked up food that dosen't have to be weighed,unfortuately bananas have to be weighed, so you couldn't have paid for it as nobody would have known how much is was going to cost. I always pick up a sanwich or suchlike. I try not to feed the children walking round the store but sometimes it can't be helped and I always take the wrapper to the till to be scanned.

Like I said i'd write to M&S apologising profusely

You can't take circumstances into account in these situations, all shoplifters will have an excuse, in fact many mothers do so precisely because children provide such a good reason for "forgetting".

I know that is not the case here but they have to have a blanket procedure on this type of thing, being middle class and well dressed doesn't mean anything, they have rules.

To M&S £3000 a year is nothing to be honest.