son accidentally stole a wallet

1DayAAT

16 y/o stepson was shopping earlier in a large well known shop. he had been to the check-out to pay for some items but upon getting home he found a wallet in his bag - he has told us that he remembers looking at the wallet in the shop and was thinking about buying it but carried it around with his other wallet in his hand whilst looking at the other stuff/deciding whether to buy.

at some point he thinks he must have shoved the two wallets into his bag on 'auto pilot' as he would do this with his own wallet -and wasn't until he got home that he found it. we are going back to the shop tomorrow to explain but he has a mild form of autism so this is causing him a great deal of anxiety and he is convinced he is in a lot of trouble. i said i'll go with him and do the talking but he thinks they are going to call the police :eek:

the wallet is worth about £15 and we believe this as an innocent mistake as the kid is extreme with his morals and conscience! any idea what are the shop likely to say, just so that I can reassure him properly?

elsien

If it's going to cause him so much anxiety going back and you're sure it was a mistake, could he just post it back anonymously with an explanatory note?

McKneff

Or just take it into the shop, put it in among all the other ones and leave...


That's all....

FatVonD

I agree with Elsien, he knows it was wrong so nothing to be gained by making him more anxious.

theoretica

Have you considered phoning the shop before you turn up and put them on the spot? That way you would know what he can expect, and also the manager/customer services would be prepared as I imagine this isn't an everyday experience for them and people don't always give the perfect answer when surprised.

1DayAAT

Oh that's true - I just thought having read other posts on here about stuff like this that it was deemed the only right thing to do to "own up" in person. We could just take it in and leave it - good idea He actually quite likes it, so maybe we could purchase it.

Nicki

If it helps him, something similar happened to me once. I absentmindedly popped a sunhat from Mothercare in the hood of the pushchair and walked out without paying for it. Took it back about 4 hours later when I noticed it and apologised profusely, and they just laughed and thanked me for returning it.

As he is returning it to them, there is clearly no intention to permanently deprive which must be proven to be a theft, and so even in the very unlikely event the police were called, there would be no charge. He could perhaps read the definition of theft under UK law (you could read it first to make sure it won't upset him more) which is set out in language suitable for A level students here:

http://alevellaw.doomby.com/pages/theft/

moomoomama27

It's happened to me before. My toddler put a packet of ready break under the pram and I walked out without paying, went straight back and apologised they just laughed it off.

Do t worry, nothing will happen, they'll just be grateful you're honest

mossstitchmama

I am posting about a friend of mine in the hope it might make your son smile.

I worked in a large office and one of my colleagues came back in from her lunch. I asked her what she had bought in Marks and Spencer's. She was very surprised and asked how I knew she had been into that shop. I turned her around and unhooked two pairs of very skimpy, lacy ladies knickers that she had accidentally caught on the handle of her bag. She had walked the length of the high street with these undies attached to her bag in full view of the lunchtime shoppers.

She was mortified and I had to offer to return them. She didn't go back into M & S for quite a while. I don't remember any problem when I took them back, the staff just looked a little surprised.

I hope you dont encounter a problem when you return the wallet. It was an honest mistake and your son is owning up. You taught him well.

Marktheshark

Is it worth the risk of them calling the police, some companies have a total zero Tolerance and will prosecute.

I would think very carefully here, he could end up down at the magistrates court on a theft charge.

Buzzybee90

Just take it back, did this with nail varnish once.