Shoplifting - or not....??

chequeout

Hi all

Apologies if this isn't as important as some of the other threads on here, but i'd like some advice all the same if that's ok...?

I recently bought some clothes from a well-known high street store, paid and left. HOWEVER, dippy assistant hadn't removed a security tag leaving the alarms to go off, security to come after me etc. People in the crowded street (near where my work is based and potential clients could have seen) were all doing that "gawping" thing as we all do... Basically, I was mortified.

Security and manager looked through my bag, accepted it was a mistake and gave a half-hearted apology and basically said this happens all the time! I was seriously embarrassed and angry. In my opinion the assistant wasn't doing her job properly by leaving the security tag on, leading to potential damage to my reputation if anyone passing thought I was a shoplifter!

Again, apologies as I know this isn't as serious as other threads - but if anyone has any thoughts or advice on if I should take this further I would much appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

whitegoods_engineer

It was a mistake, get over it!

Like they said, it happens all the time and has happened to me.

I would think that the vast majority of people, seeing an alarm go off, simply assume the tag hasn't been removed. It happens, that's life.

What do you want? Compensation just in case a client might possibly have been passing at the time and sees you as a shoplifter and then decides not to do business with you resulting in a loss of earnings etc,??? What are the chances of that? Pie in the sky!

bigfisher

Release all that anger lol, it's happened to me before but there again one time I was upstairs in River and they took all the security tags off bagged the items but couldn't take payment. They asked me to go downstairs to the till. The stairs is right next to the exit/entrance how slack in security was that? I did pay for them but it would have been so easy to walk out with them (maybe not on my consience). I gues that is the opposite extreme.

montyrebel

These things happen, could have been worse

Idiophreak

You're really making a mountain out of, well, barely an ant's nest...

It happens all the time, to everyone...it's annoying, but you sort it out and move on. All of this "loss of reputation" nonsense is just that. People who shoplift don't just turn around and head back into the store....Although you *do* say that security had to come after you...so you just heard the alarm and kept walking? In which case, you really brought it on yourself, didn't you...

There's no need to take things further, no harm has been done.

chequeout

Ok - fair enough - I'm obviously stupid and will go away, hang head in shame and never post on here again.

Kilmaley01

No need to take it to heart, people just saying it's not worth worrying about. However, as Idiophreak said, why did you keep walking when you heard the alarm? Why didnt you immediatly turn back into the store to have the tag removed??

talulahbeige_2

whitegoods_engineer wrote: »

It was a mistake, get over it!

Like they said, it happens all the time and has happened to me.

I would think that the vast majority of people, seeing an alarm go off, simply assume the tag hasn't been removed. It happens, that's life.

What do you want? Compensation just in case a client might possibly have been passing at the time and sees you as a shoplifter and then decides not to do business with you resulting in a loss of earnings etc,??? What are the chances of that? Pie in the sky!

The replys saying Get over it arent really fair are they!
Its happened to me and it is embarrasing. You don't even get an apology, thats the worst thing about it. Yes mistakes happen but why does that mean its ok. The more people that accept that "its a mistake that happens regularly, get over it" the more it will happen and customer service will get even worse than it already is in this country.

Idiophreak

talulahbeige wrote: »

The replys saying Get over it arent really fair are they!
Its happened to me and it is embarrasing. You don't even get an apology, thats the worst thing about it. Yes mistakes happen but why does that mean its ok. The more people that accept that "its a mistake that happens regularly, get over it" the more it will happen and customer service will get even worse than it already is in this country.

So what would you do?

OP states they got an apology, albeit a half-hearted one.

wannaberichbtch

This is a situation that happens all the time. Was in TKMaxx recently buzzer went off 2 woman stopped at door. Security bring them over to the till, the cashier asks them have you bought anything in Boots? They had. Apparently that had been happening all day, as a cashier in Boots hadn't removed a tag. The offending tag was removed, everyone went on there way with no fuss or embarassment. Yes it's inconvenient but is so common people barely register it, unless you are handcuffed with a police escort.

snapping_crocodile

When i was a child i used to go to the library every saturday morning and get some books. Several shops alarms used to go off as i walked in/out, and apparently it was the library books doing it, though a tad embarrassing!!