Your rights in the UK if accused of shoplifting?

betterbargains4u

hieveryone wrote: »

Me and my pal had a bit of a giggle about it but now I'm thinking he was totally out of order!

He most certainly was out of order.
You can always refuse a search, by a security guard or store detective. If they have good reason to think that you are a shoplifter, then they can then call the police or ban you from the store.
Lots of things can set off store alarms..including library books and fake Rolex watches. If you have done nothing wrong...you are within your rights to refuse to be searched.

Money_maker

I set off the store alarm when I had to return a dvd for the security tag to be taken off (bought it at a different branch a few days previously and didn't check it had been removed). I had already prearranged this and had my receipt with me. As I walked in, the alarm went off and the security guard set off in hot pursuit of another couple...

I'm sorry but I dont believe the OP. Why on earth wasn't she on the phone to boyfriend to ask him to bring the receipt over. Why didn't she pop home to collect them and give the shop a really hard time. Why was she stopping for a sleepover with a friend with no other bags with her (can't have had any else they also would have been searched).

I dont mean to diss a newbie but there's too many holes in her account and although she could give a reason for all of them, in all probability if it walks like a duck...

hieveryone

Strange how the OP hasn't returned either...

I found the title of the question telling, I wonder if the OP isn't from this country, as why would you add 'your rights in the UK'? If I was to post a thread I would just ask 'what are my rights'. Maybe I'm just being pedantic now. lol

Brightness

It does all sound a bit odd but a weird thing happened to me in January. I went into Burton to get some bits and bobs for stocking fillers for DS bday. Had a chat with the staff, paid and went on my way. In and out of shops for about an hour then went into Superdrug and promptly set all the alarms off :eek:

I was mortified and just stood there looking like a lemon! The girls on the till were all really nice and said to me to come in and have a root through my bags to see if a tag had been left on something. I had about 10 bags so one of them helped me. We eventually found a belt with a security tag on it. They tried to remove it but couldn't so I had to go back to Burtons. It was only then that I realised I hadn't been given my receipt - it still didn't set their alarm off though....

Luckily, the same guy who served me was still on shift and remembered selling me the belt & removed the tag, apologising profusely. I dread to think what I could have been accused of though.....

jenniewb

I have to say -aren't we being a bit too judgemental here? I mean, we don't know either way what has gone on, but someone has come here to ask a question and instead we have all judged her- its a bit unfair/mean?

There is evidence to support both sides of the story, but no one on here will actually ever know. None of us were there, and no one can know if she even broke into a panic and just wanted to get out after being detained, it must be quite scary and we don't even know how old the OP is, if this has ever happened to her before/if she was in shock and reacted by leaving all her stuff with the security staff and doing whatever possible to get out. Thats one side, the other is the calm and collected logical "well I will just call my boyfriend and have him come here to save me"- when your in a moment of panic, how many of you take the logical well thought out apporach? its not always possible to make sense when you feel you feel cornered- even if you did nothing wrong. We don't have a clue what was going on in her head, or again, if what she said happened. Its just not our place to judge or decide either way. I am not innocent of doing that, I admit I had my suspicions, but its wrong, I am wring, we are wrong, we don't know the full picture and I don't really think many of us even gave her a real chance.

She didn't ask us to side with her, or even to believe her, she just asked what her rights were- instead, every post is "I believe you" or "I don't believe you". I would hate to be the OP right now and I could understand perfectly if she decides not to come back again!

benbenandme

I found the title of the question telling, I wonder if the OP isn't from this country, as why would you add 'your rights in the UK'?

What is the point being made here? So what if the op isn't from the UK, it doesn't automatically mean she's a shoplifter :rolleyes:

I agree with the poster above, the op probably panicked and, not knowing her rights, probably wasn't thinking straight. I worked in retail for years and I agree with the poster who said about SCONE, we'd never stop someone unless you had done all of this, it just wasn't worth the risk, but once we'd detained someone they wouldn't be given access to make phone calls, although we would automatically call the police.

Whatever the op was planning to do after her shopping (sleepover etc) is irrelevant tbh too, its up to her where she may have been going afterwards and why, and again, that doesn't mean she's a shoplifter.

I would make sure you've got all your receipts etc, contact the cab for advice, then contact the stores head office and calmly explain the situation and make it clear you're not prepared to leave it there

melroccan

McKneff wrote: »

If i was buying small things that i wanted ot put into my bag, lipstick, knickers,
mascara, they would be in a bag in my bag.

Haven't you heard of reducing plastic bag use? I never take a plastic bag I don't really need and I don't shoplift either.

McKneff

melroccan wrote: »

Haven't you heard of reducing plastic bag use? I never take a plastic bag I don't really need and I don't shoplift either.

Yes, i do my bit (a big bit) in reducing plastic bag use.
i didnt mean a bloody big carrier bag. Shops would put something like knickers, mascaraa in a small bag 4 x 4 or something. then I would put that in my bag. If i particularly asked for it not to be put in a bag i would make damn certain i had the receipt too. Common sense, but then i suppose all of us are not blessed with it.:D

jaytin

My husband and I are exactly the same, we refuse carrier bags now on all small items and I just put them into my bag, either a canvas shopper or a large woven straw style one. We do however keep all receipts with the items until we get home.

fatlad9

Hi. I work as security for a large supermarket.
I can confirm those EAS machines at the doors are a pain in the bloody !!!!. They aren't even a deterrent to shoplifters. Of the 1000's of people i've HAD to stop (store manager demands it) when alarms go off, ZERO have been guilty. I'd say 75% of the tagged items are from HMV, Boots, and memory cards from Argos (which have tags INSIDE the packaging).
Shop lifters will either foil-line a bag for life, which stops the alarm going off when the tagged intem is in the bag, or use a detagger - about a fiver on ebay. Or you will get runners who pick a bottle of booze, and run out the door when you're pre occupied... thats when the berghaus goes on ontop of my uniform and i go for a walk down the street until i see them, when they think they are safe..ahaha.
If someone sets off the alarm coming into my shop, i will offer to de-tag the item, so that it wont go off on the way out, thus avoiding embarressment for the item. Obviously I know the main sh*theads, and wouldnt be detagging for them! But as long as the item isnt from my store im not bothered if the person has a receit or not. Its got nowt to do with me.
While I agree with the SCONE statement, i must admit i dont always use it. I've got a high arrest ratio and that is because i dont stick to the rules. But ive never had a false arrest, thats because im not thick like most security guards.
Also, you can use force to detain someone. If someone refuses to co-operate, they may find themself being dragged into the shop (can use reasonable and nessesary force to detain), or simply detained on the floor, with other security from other stores jumping in, especially if its a known shoplifter thats done them recently!

At the end of the day, I know when someone is genuine, you just do.

AND I WOULD NEVER DETAIN SOMEONE FOR SETTING OFF THE EAS ALARM.

I would however, ask the person to swing their bag back through the door, and if the alarm goes off i appologise, explain the cashier must have failed to remove the security tag, detag the item if needed, and if from my store, obviously ask to check the receit...

Fair enough you might be embarressed for 5 mins, but who is going to remember you as the woman that set off the alarm,. lol.