Your rights in the UK if accused of shoplifting?

TaBunny

hieveryone wrote: »

Secondly, I have no idea why upon purchasing an item, your boyfriend would take the receipt, but you take the garment.

My boyfriend used to take me shopping all the time and they'd always give him the receipt because he'd paid on his debit card and he'd put it in his wallet. Mind you I'd get him to carry the bags too lol. :rotfl:

TaBunny

fatlad9 wrote: »

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.

Wow thanks for the heads up ebay here I come and oh any brand of foil will do I take it LOL I'm off five fingered shopping hey why didn't I know about all this years ago HAHAHAHA :rolleyes:;)

betterbargains4u

fatlad9 wrote: »

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!

You are setting yourself up for a big fall in my opinion if you do not follow S.C.O.N.E.
You may not have had any false arrests so far, but when you do, you will find that not only will you not get the support of your employer, but also the Police will not stand by you either!!
I find your statement "because im not thick like most security guards" to be rather offensive and the fact that you say that if someone "refuses to co-operate" they can find themselves being dragged into the shop and also the fact that you go "walkabout" with your jacket on over your uniform to find shoplifters to be very irresponsible!!
Try explaining to a judge what exactly "reasonable force" actually means. I think that you will find, that it does not mean...dragging someone back into a shop!!
Also I know a guard who used to go "walkabout" without backup, to look for shoplifters, just like you say you do...and got hs face slashed with a knife from his mouth to his ear, for his trouble. The store that he worked for, did not back his irresponsible decision, and he is now scarred for life....without managing to catch the offender to boot!!!
My advice to all, in this situation..is to follow the rules and do not put your life or safety in danger.

tbw

fatlad9 wrote: »

Hi. I work as security for a large supermarket.
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'm not sure if I've understood you correctly - are you saying that, if you were to try to stop me as I was leaving your store (because you suspected me of some wrongdoing) and I refused to allow you to make me go back into the store with you or otherwise refused to 'co-operate' with you, you would attempt to DRAG me back into the store possibly with help from other staff?

I have to say that you would be taking a very big risk as, quite apart from the fact that I would probably be so terrified that I might well cause major damage to your wedding tackle, I would most certainly sue you for assault, battery, intimidation and anything else I could think of if you laid so much as a finger on me! Obviously, I am commenting as an innocent person who would not have any pilfered items in my bag.

I can hardly believe what you are saying - surely your position as a security guard does not give you free rein to do this?

zenseeker

tbw wrote: »

I have to say that you would be taking a very big risk as, quite apart from the fact that I would probably be so terrified that I might well cause major damage to your wedding tackle, I would most certainly sue you for assault, battery,

And you would likewise be arrested and charged with assualting a security guard acting in the line of duty. A security guard is certainly within their rights to detain you using reasonable force (ie. holding of arms). I think that they need police assistance to search you if you refuse though, unless you give permission.

Think about it, what would be the point in having security guards if they didn't have at least basic powers of arrest and detainment?

woohoo_postingid

zenseeker wrote: »

A security guard is certainly within their rights to detain you using reasonable force (ie. holding of arms).

A security guard has no more rights than any other member of Joe Public walking down the street, each of whom has the right to defend themselves in a reasonable manner.

wes_cov

Personally i think there are too many judgemental people on here.

All this "something doesn't add up" the OP asked to know what her rights were not unfounded and frankly out of order judgements

Personally i would speak to the manager then go back to the store with the receipts to collect my belonging. I would then also write to the stores head office.

technically you were detained against your will with no evidence to support their claims

katie85_2

Thanks to everyone who's not instantly jumped to the conclusion that I was up to something dodgy.
At the end of the day, it doesn' matter where I was going after shopping, where my boyfriend was, why I didn't have the items in bags etc. It's quite frankly none of your business!
I was simply asking the question, whet are my rights if detained by a shop that had no evidence that I had done anything illegal.
I don't have to explain myself to all you people judging me, this is an advice forum, and I don't need your moral approval.The law is the law, and that's all I was looking for.

jilmad

sammiedoodle wrote: »

If she really is inocent then surely the straight forward thing to do would be produce the proof of purchase get your things back and demand an appology[/QUOT

For all anyone knows OP may well have gone back to the store with receipts and complained.

Laneyboo

i'm quite surprised at a lot of the replies on this thread tbh..

The OP was looking for advice on a situation she found herself in and instead people have actually questioned her story and asked her to explain herself basically.. totally wrong.

Shoplifters these days know their stuff and can put most security guards bang to rights unfortunately and unless its smaller items and petty theft (bread or creme eggs - i've seen this first hand!) its their sole income..

Really i highly doubt the first thing a shoplifter would do is come on to a moneysaving site and ask for advice about how to get some briefs and a couple of purchases back... Goodness me, think about it for a small second lol

Any legal bods around? If not I'd certainly contact CAB about this OP, if it was a Tesco store this kind of behaviour doesnt really surprise me, most of the "hierarchy" of employees have a serious god complex.. :rolleyes:

As for the ban.. i'd presume thats enforceable as you signed the form but really i wouldnt want to frequent somewhere that behaves like that towards me again anyway!! Quite shocking!