Tesco Shoplifting - need help.

boo_star

Nick_C wrote: »

I disagree. I think the best advice is to start ordering on line and getting home deliveries. No chance of you forgetting to pay for something again. If you were to have a further innocent memory lapse, you may find the Police might not be so lenient a second time.

Unless they forget to charge your card for a few months, they ask (or just do it anyway) and you come on here asking about your rights to a "freebie."
:rotfl:

wealdroam

hollydays wrote: »

Sorry I haven't read the thread but where where the magazines?

It isn't clear where they are, but I guess the OP had no option but to leave them with Tesco.

missbiggles1

whiteswan wrote: »

Hi

Need a bit of advice.

Went in to my local Tesco this morning to purchase some magazines, look at sound bars and also look at some clothing.

Got my magazines........went onto look at soundbars but none with HDMI inputs on them - heading over to the clothing and I felt light headed (I am on Lyrica as I suffer from Fibromyalgia and had taken that mornings tablet without food - a big no no ) - so I headed to the cafe - purchased a breakfast - paid and ate it - went to loo and then left the store whilst pre occupied on my mobile phone with a matter at work........

At this point a Security Guard tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to step back inside the store - I was a bit dumb founded but agreed - within 5 seconds I realised I had not paid for the magazines ! I said this to the guard and said I will go and pay for them and apologised........he said I should follow him (to a checkout I thought)......it became apparent he was walking me off the shop floor - I protested but he said I was under arrest and that I HAD to follow him.........so I did - after all it was an honest mistake.

Going to cut a very long story short - but they refused to let me pay and be on my way - had to wait over an hour for Police to attend - when the officer did attend they tried to tell him that I rolled up the magazines and tried to conceal them in my coat proving intent to steal. I politely requested the officer view the cctv there and then to prove that was not the case.......it proved my version of events truthful.

They then went on to ask why I got the magazines and then went upstairs to the Cafe - so I explained........they said this proved intent to steal - luckily the Police Officer disagreed - said that there would be No Further Action as far as the Police were involved (I think the fact I had £400 cash from my business on myself helped ) - the staff then said I was barred from Tesco for 12 months and asked me to leave the premises.

I am left all a bit confused by todays events - to add insult to injury they have removed my Tesco Clubcard from me - their reason was that as I had been "caught" stealing I wouldn't need it..........

I fully support stores prosecuting shoplifters where there is "intent to steal - but where is the allowance for "honest" mistakes - or does such a thing not exist ?

Before anybody starts - I am not after compensation - but I am upset I have been branded a thief !

Annoyed, upset and confused are my feelings at the moment.

I will say that even though I own my own company I do not dress in a 3 piece suit etc..............due to the Fibromyalgia I was wearing jogging bottoms, t shirt and hooded coat and trainers (I cannot manage buttons or fasteners of any kind) ..........in fact when I explained I owned my own company they "sniggered" at myself.........

Do I have any redress ?

Dave

Perhaps a useful tip for anyone else planning a spot of shoplifting?;)

RuthnJasper

Much as I am loathe to comment negatively where a Newbie is concerned - I'm not precisely sure how the very real and distressing condition of Fibromyalgia causes one to unwittingly shoplift.

I have recently passed eleven deeply distressing days in hospital with kidney failure. I was given the Last Rites but somehow managed to survive, but remain unwell with blackouts, appalling nosebleeds and other troubles which I would not wish upon anyone.

I have been shopping in Sainsbury and Tesco since my hospital stay, twice experiencing fainting, dizziness and, more regularly, nosebleeds. But none of my symptoms caused me to neglect to pay for the items in my basket.

No disrespect intended, OP, but you may do better in this situation with apologies and contrition as opposed to excuses and indignation.

pendragon_arther

tomtontom wrote: »

I'm struggling to work out how you managed to go to the toilet without realising you had these magazines in your hand? Or were they not in your hand?

I always read in the loo.

whiteswan

Once again I accept all comments - both positive and negative....i'll try to explain a couple of things.

The medication I am on is Lyrica (strongest dose) - causes confusion etc sometimes......not to mention the bloody "brain fog" that Fibro causes anyway !

But don't take my word for it - here's a section of the leaflet enclosed with the tablets

"Lyrica side effects may include":

*

dizziness or drowsiness, anxiety;
*

loss of balance or coordination;
*

problems with memory or concentration;

I didn't forget I had the magazines at all - I forgot that I had not paid for them. A combination of feeling unwell and being distracted by a problem at work which I was trying to sort out on the phone....

I did not try to conceal the magazines - they were in my hand the whole time.

I am just stating what happened - and thought that maybe I could get some advice on here - which I have - so thank you very much for taking the time to reply everybody.

And for those that say "you wont get an apology - move on" - you may be correct - but I hope you are wrong.

Dave

geerex

whiteswan wrote: »

Once again I accept all comments - both positive and negative....i'll try to explain a couple of things.

The medication I am on is Lyrica (strongest dose) - causes confusion etc sometimes......not to mention the bloody "brain fog" that Fibro causes anyway !

But don't take my word for it - here's a section of the leaflet enclosed with the tablets

"Lyrica side effects may include":

*

dizziness or drowsiness, anxiety;
*

loss of balance or coordination;
*

problems with memory or concentration;

I didn't forget I had the magazines at all - I forgot that I had not paid for them. A combination of feeling unwell and being distracted by a problem at work which I was trying to sort out on the phone....

I did not try to conceal the magazines - they were in my hand the whole time.

I am just stating what happened - and thought that maybe I could get some advice on here - which I have - so thank you very much for taking the time to reply everybody.

And for those that say "you wont get an apology - move on" - you may be correct - but I hope you are wrong.

Dave

So... You were well enough to be dealing with work business but not well enough to remember not to shoplift.

Yeah, right.

hollydays

RuthnJasper wrote: »

Much as I am loathe to comment negatively where a Newbie is concerned - I'm not precisely sure how the very real and distressing condition of Fibromyalgia causes one to unwittingly shoplift.

I have recently passed eleven deeply distressing days in hospital with kidney failure. I was given the Last Rites but somehow managed to survive, but remain unwell with blackouts, appalling nosebleeds and other troubles which I would not wish upon anyone.

I have been shopping in Sainsbury and Tesco since my hospital stay, twice experiencing fainting, dizziness and, more regularly, nosebleeds. But none of my symptoms caused me to neglect to pay for the items in my basket.

No disrespect intended, OP, but you may do better in this situation with apologies and contrition as opposed to excuses and indignation.

Fybromyalgia is often said to be linked to very traumatic incidents and often people who have ptsd have it , and can be very challenging. It's stress related . I've seen the effect on my friend and i can only empathise with the op.It's not a competition..
I bet the police weren't best pleased to be called to the store over such a small amount either.
There's nothing the op can do , other than forget this incident and visit their doctor.

Oddjob

I have every sympathy with the OP, a similar thing happened to an elderly friend of mine, she has the onset of dementia. She put something in her trolley, bought some large bottles of water and the water rolled onto the small item and it ended up pushed by the bottles under the lady's bag, it was only a small item, a couple of pounds I think. She went through the checkouts and didn't realise that this small item was in the trolley under her bag, she had forgotten she had even picked it up. She got followed out of the store and asked to go back in, whereupon she was accused of deliberately hiding the item which she had not done. The police were called and believed what she had said and said they would take it no further. She got a lifetime ban from the stores. Not that she remembers she's been banned.

clarryd

In future use a trolley or a basket. It is harder to forget to pay if you have a physical thing like a basket to hand back. No matter what I buy I always use a trolley (small one) so I can support myself around the shop.

I can understand the problem with fibro you have as I also have a severe case myself, and yes I do take some heavy medication every day just to get me moving. I have also had a fog head when I do not eat, so need to make sure I eat something, anything even a biscuit while taking medication. But even with this condition you still left the shop without paying, the security guards do not care if you own your own company, or have £400.00 on you, they have no prior knowledge of person A leaving the store without paying. You could be anyone, do anything for a job or not. It would set a preference if you where allowed to leave a store after the security had seen you, because after speaking to you, you explained that you had a business and money on you.

This was the correct thing to do, Tesco have employed these people to do a job and stopping people leaving the store without paying is part of that job. They are not employed to humiliate anyone or to speak down to anyone. I do think that taking your Clubcard off you is a bit of a step too far, after hearing your story. In this case I would go online and order a new card, if you have a lot of points I make sure that they are still on your account, if they are I would get them spent online/cashed in, a year is a long time.