Lifetime ban from Sainsburys after accidentally leaving with wine in buggy

[TWMumma]

I shop in Sainsburys every week both online and in store. Thousands spent every year. I am the classic Mum who buys something from nearly every dept. Last week I was doing a mini shop with DS & DH in double buggy, having to carry items on the hood as you can't push a double maclarens with one hand. I had put two bottles of wine in the bottom so they wouldn't roll off and smash on the floor. I paid at one of the self service check out tills and headed for the door where I was stopped by a undercover security guard. I had totally forgotten to pay for the wine. I was absolutely mortified and asked to pay for it immediately. I was told to wait for the manager who would decide whether to call the police. The security guard told me they weren't going to call the police but issued me with an immediate life time ban. I was stunned. It was an accident. I feel totally enraged but also let down. No common sense was used at all and the manager could not even be bothered to come and speak to me himself. There has got to be a better way for mums with buggys to shop! We are supposed the supermarkets biggest and most valued customers. I am still in shock....

There by the grace of god go us all. As embarassing as it was and as easy as it is to do. Sainsburys have no option. They don't know you didn't mean to nick it. They probably have 2 options - police or lifetime ban. Be thankful it was the latter.

A big sign up at each check out saying have you checked your buggy would be very helpful. Or a big cardboard buggy cut out just before the doors saying the same thing.

They should really provide shopping bags like the sort you get in lots of clothes shops, so you can hook them over the buggy without issue.

However I can't imagine ever putting un-paid-for shopping in a buggy - it's no different from putting it in your bag, in your pocket or up your jumper really, is it? It's concealing it within your possession and out of sight... so if you then fail to pay for it as a result, that's your lookout really.

It's easily done, and hell knows I've nearly absent-mindedly walked out of shops with stuff in my hand, but they can't give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

I always go shopping with my double buggy, I would love there to be a buggy basket. People give me suspicious looks when I put stuff underneath.

[[http://www.happybags.co.uk/bottle-bags-pram-hooks-and-accessories/hook-and-stroll-pram-hooks.html?gclid=CM_Cxp3C5LwCFUjpwgodzhQABA I have these to hook supermarket baskets to my buggy. Or I lock up the buggy with bike lock and use a trolley. But mostly home delivery !

buggy hooks

Dye your hair, go back. Sorted.

It is a shame but what you need to remember is that people DO shoplift by sticking things in there buggies and claiming to forget them ( not suggesting that's what happened here by the way). Not all shoplifters look like druggies either.
The security guards will have seen and heard every story going and can't really decide who is genuine so they need a blanket policy.
Also, if the manager stopped what he was doing to come and speak to alleged shoplifters who wanted to " explain" I doubt he would get much else done.
I was accused of shoplifting once and it was horrible ( small independent shop) but it's best to just forget it and move on

You do have my sympathy, but I also don't think you have any call to be angry with Sainsburys at all. How on earth were they supposed to know it was a mistake?

Write to head office and explain what happened. They may be understanding and rescind the ban.

I've done this so many times and almost walked out. But I guess how could the shop know your intent?

I used to stick my buggy in the trolley cubicles that some places have when they've got cafes. Or a small buggy, I'd hook the wheels over the end of the trolley. I appreciate you can't really do that with a double. It's a right pain in the arse.

If your buggy has hook handles instead of a bar you can put the basket on there, or put baby in a sling and basket on the pram, but none of these are great solutions. Online shopping is easier for a big shop but not if you only need bog roll, 6 pints of milk and stuff for tea. (And back when I had a buggy, it didn't exist).

But in that case Tangyyoghurt, CCTV would likely show what happened so they'd probably be able to tell it was accidental. And there's a big difference between the sort of item a toddler would take and a bottle of alcohol, which is the sort of item people are likely to shoplift.

I have put my buggy in the trolley storage but it is easy to put to much in the trolley and struggle to get it home pushing the buggy.
Buggy hooks are no good if you are buying heavy items.
Wilkinsons have a pull along basket, I wish supermarkets had those.

I think many of you have missed the point here. I believe the issue is not whether or not you are a thief (I cannot think of any reason why a thief would bother to post on mums net) but it is about poor judgement used in this situation. I think a lifetime ban from all Sainsbury's stores is a gross overreaction. A far more low key sanction could have been given. Warning, temporary ban from store in question etc. If, as many of you suggest, this is such a problem then they should invest some time and money in doing something about it. Signs, better trolleys etc. Some people seem to have either forgotten what it is like to have two small children or perhaps don't have two small children close in age. But you can't always 'just put them in the trolley' or just fold the buggy up and put in the trolley. If only life were this simple. I think Sainsbury's should rethink their ban for you and try to help and support mothers more in their stores. Human error is a fact of life. People make mistakes help them not to don't just humiliate them.

What sort of signs would you suggest, captain? Don't nick the wine, please?

Lets hope it's not the store my brother manages...

they obviously don't lose as much in shoplifting costs from this type of thing as it would cost to redesign a buggy basket, so they don't bother. They must know this is an ongoing problem as they do market research all the time.

Poor you OP, that manager sounds like a wanker. Although I'm sure they wont' know it's you if you go back in a couple of weeks. Enjoy the wine.

I wish supermarkets DID have wheeled big baskets like Wilko's. It would be FAR easier to shop with a pram then. Why DON'T they do that? They could then say to people that there is no reason for putting things under the pram... Makes sense, no?!

I'm going to put it in the bloody suggestion box at all the supermarkets round here and see who does it first!

They have loads of large carboard cutout signs past the check outs in my Sainsburys advertising all sorts of crap.
Why not a buggy shaped one that says -'Check your buggy before you checkout'

they didn't ban me when I put a bag full of shopping through the self-service checkout, picked up the bag and then went to walk out the store.

A nice young chap came after me and pointed out that I hadn't paid. I was very .

In my defence I had just driven 8 hours that day and was around 6 weeks pregnant so was tired beyond belief (couldn't actually string a sentence together!)

Actually, I don't think anyone has missed the point, captain. maybe you think it's poor judgement to issue a lifetime ban if they have cause to believe someone is shoplifting, but i dont. (and in this case, they really did have reason to believe op was a shoplifter. Might be different if it was a bottle of milk in the bottom of the pushchair, but it wasn't, was it?)

What I don't get here is the anger towards sainsburys. I can absolutely understand making this sort of mistake. It's the sort of thing I could see myself doing. But if I did do it, and got caught and subsequently a lifetime ban, I would completely understand, and be unable to blame anyone but myself. I certainly wouldn't be fuming about it.

Op was lucky they didn't call the police.

Our local Asda as wheeled baskets