Wrongly Accused Shoplifting In Tesco - Help

williham

Treadway1 wrote: »

If you are just one of the shopworkers, then I completely agree that you shouldn approach possible suspects. Firstly, that isnt what youre paid for, and secondly, its not worth the risk of being assaulted. However, if youre a security guard, then you have obviously taken the job knowing that it may come with a bit of rough and tumble, now and then and are employed solely for the purposes of protecting staff, and preventing loss. As for security having to prove that someone has stolen something, and that its not down to you to prove yourself to them, well that doesnt really work does it? How do you expect them to prove 100% that someone has stolen something, if they dont stop a person they suspect of stealing, and asking them if they have anything they havent paid for. Otherwise, unless stores employed enough security guards to follow every customer around the store observing them, hardly anyone would be arrested. The long and short of it is, you arent going to get stopped unless they suspect you of stealing. If they do stop you and you havent stolen anything, then have the common sense just to show them your receipt and be on your way, rather than spend upwards of an hour arguing and wasting the local constabulary's time. Im all for arguing my rights as a consumer, but you have to learn that sometimes its best just to let it go!

No, I'm in management. Our security staff are not allowed to approach anyone without being told to by a member of staff, and we have to be 100% sure. But then I'm not working for the mighty Tesco..

mdecker_london

Coupon-mad wrote: »

Best this week has £2.20 in Tesco-scannable coupons which Tesco will accept against any shopping (Waitrose have the same instore policy BTW so it's not just a chavvy Tesco thing!).

Did some of you miss the 'how to use coupons as cash' thread, article and email update? It's one of the simplest ways to save money that appears on MSE...here:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/supermarket-coupons

Then read where to get the coupons on the Discount Codes & vouchers board which is where myself and veggiecar (& plenty of others) learnt how to save so much. Come & chat on the printable codes & vouchers thread, we are a fun bunch really. And before anyone says 'but you have to buy the magazines first so it's a waste of money' - no you don't if you use other free coupons to buy the mags...

Wow - genuinely interesting information; it really does seem to be 'money for nothing'!

But isn't it defrauding the manufacturers of those products if their coupons are being redeemed on other products? e.g. if Tesco credit '£1 off Acme' vouchers against sales of some other product, don't Acme lose out because a) they don't make a sale and b) worse still, Tesco come back to them for all or part of the £1 they've just given away?

Thanks, will keep an eye out on that section of MSE now.

Reggie_Rebel

No doubt for every 1 ACME product sold on a voucher Tesco have ten sold without a voucher.

It's a calculated risk, one that is obviously worth it for them

Crazy_Jamie

any thoughts??

Yes. Why do you insist on spelling 'my' as 'ma'? It's exactly the same length, so as well as making you look like a complete tool, it also doesn't save you any time. Are you trying to sound 'street' on the internet?

As for other thoughts, few people are omniscient, especially supermarket security guards. They had every reason for suspecting that you had taken something given your actions, and all you had to do was produce your receipt to prove otherwise. You not only succeeded in being a stubborn little muppet and wasting police time, but you also succeeded in assaulting the English language in reporting this to us.

All in all I fail to see how you could have been any less competent throughout this whole charade. Perhaps if you'd responded to the security guard's accusation by hitting him with one of your twenty three girl's magazines?

spirit

I just wonder what the OPs reaction is when he is asked to show his bus/train ticket by the inspector. Picture the scene if you will... "are u acuzin ma of not bying ma tiket"

:rotfl:

Paparika

Perhaps you would want to take Tesco to court for their behavior?

You'll be laughed out of court, and now you have a caution, was it really worth it?

You tried to prove a point, the security are not psychic, if a report of suspect shoplifting has been done then ofc they need to check it out.

Attention seeker maybe?

TruthOrDare_2

mdecker_london wrote: »

Wow - genuinely interesting information; it really does seem to be 'money for nothing'!

But isn't it defrauding the manufacturers of those products if their coupons are being redeemed on other products? e.g. if Tesco credit '£1 off Acme' vouchers against sales of some other product, don't Acme lose out because a) they don't make a sale and b) worse still, Tesco come back to them for all or part of the £1 they've just given away?

Thanks, will keep an eye out on that section of MSE now.

You are not doing anything wrong by redeeming them as the store allows you to do that. What Tesco do with the coupons after that is up to them and none of your concern.

Treadway1

williham wrote: »

No, I'm in management. Our security staff are not allowed to approach anyone without being told to by a member of staff, and we have to be 100% sure. But then I'm not working for the mighty Tesco..

May I ask why on earth you employ security staff, if you only let them act after a shop worker has said something? I appreciate that ordinary staff should not be approaching suspects, for their own safety, but whats the point in having security if you wont let them work from their own initiative! This is typical of management/security not having a clue what powers they have and letting people get away with millions of pounds of stolen goods every year because of it. The amount of times Police are called to deal with a retail related crime, only to find they are told that the store has let them go (along with their ill gotten gains), as they didnt think they had a power to detain, or restrain them, is unbelievable. And all the while, the innocent member of the public is forced to pay more for goods to cover the costs of this happening! Apart from that, have you no interest in the financial loss to your business? I would imagine the answer to that question is no, because as ive already said, companies build that cost into their prices to compensate before the crime has even been committed!

Enterprise_1701C

OK, you did not do anything wrong, but I personally would just have shown the receipt and the goods. What is the point in being obstructive, you wasted police time and your own time and energy when everything could have been sorted in 2 minutes flat!

joanne0620

I can't believe that this has gone on for 6 pages!