Help! Tesco coupon policy? I've been banned!

biglugs

If people feel REALLY strongly about the way Tesco behave they could always go down the direct action route - simply fill a trolley with various shopping items, then park it somewhere in store (in everyone's way) and then go shopping at Asda, Sainsbury's etc.
I'm not sure if this constitutes any criminal or civil offence - especially if the trolley doesn't include any perishable items so it can't be said that any items were damaged. I'm sure the trained solicitors and lawyers reading this forum will be able to offer a view on the legality of this?
Certainly guaranteed to annoy the staff who have to put the items back on shelf and probably get the perpetrator banned as well, but it may take out some of the anger some people feel towards Tesco?
Of course I'M NOT ADVOCATING THIS COURSE (for the lawyers reading this forum) - but I do know that this sort of thing has been done by protestors in the past.

dpcsystems

intresting thread this and thought i would put up my first post of this brill site.

Me and my gf's parents have been using coupons for the past year or so in our town where we have 2 different tesco's and would agree none of them seem to know what their policies are.

anyway my gfs dad got a call from security at tescos 2 days ago to say to him that he had used too many coupons the night before, got his details from the clubcard he used and that it wasnt acceptable. Basically he used £13 worth for a £15 shop. He now doesnt want to use coupons again and is imtimidated.


I personally would of given them a mouthful and stated that if the checkout girl takes them then what is he doing wrong.

Maybe things are starting to change ?

almond

well I have been reading this all day instead of working and I can't believe what has gone on. I don't use coupons since I can't be bothered but has
anyone looked at them? since the shop gets a handling fee for taking them,
so its making them money. I reckon somebody should draft a letter saying
we are outraged by the treatment of this customer and send it to tesco
also forward it on it as many people as possible and start a chain it will bring down they email system at the very least. I work for a very big travel agent
so could get 100 to forward it on.
behind you all the way- went to somerfields instead of tesco today

MrSmartprice

The only way to react to this disgraceful treatment is to take it up with the head office and make sure you get someone very senior on the case. You are certainly entitled to a substantial sum of money for the "alarm, distress, humiliation and harassment" they have inflicted on you. Don't settle for less than £250.

I once had a stroppy woman in Asda customer services disagree with me about overcharging. I insisted on seeing the manager, and told him about the woman's behaviour. She started insulting me and prodded me with a pencil! At that point I just left, contacted head office, and told them if they didn't resolve the matter it would be reported as an assault. They disciplined the woman, relegating her to a storeroom cleaner, and agreed to pay me £200 compensation.

Pursue this matter as vigorously as you can. And if Tesco turn stroppy, get the local paper involved. They love stuff like this.

rubytuesday

so glad i read this before I gave it a try thought it sounded a bit too good to be true!!

rubytuesday

so glad i read this before I gave it a try thought it sounded a bit too good to be true!!

brummybloke

firstly it does soound like the tesco manager has acted inapropriately.

what i find odd, is bearing in mind a couple people with PROPER legal knowledge have given their opinion based on their knowledge yet others ignore it and having just skim read most of it are proclaiming that solicitors, lots of money and other things will happen. hhhm, i also have legal knowledge through studying and practice.

as others have already wrote, tesco like any other land owner can refuse entry to their land to anyone. they can do it for 1 store or can ban someone from ALL their stores. they did not by all accounts falsely imprison the customer. they are entitled to recover their property ( tesco club card) and can serve a banning order, while she is detained for the purpose of recovering their property.

they have explained that the customer has defrauded tesco by ( having already been warned) using vouchers that are not meant to be used. by having the check out girl accept the vouchers the offence has been committed as she had been deceived into accepeting the vouchers for legal tender. ( i think ben you were refering to invitation to treat?, this is not relevant in this case)

i feel sorry for the customer and the children, however by the sound of it, they are used to being challanged by shop staff for their over use of vouchers at the check out anyway. i know that it does my head in when i try to purchase something and the person infront tries to use 25 coupons when they have already got 20 items in the 9 items or less isle and then once only a couple vouchers are accepted and the arguement finishes they then pay by cheque.

i dont work for any retail outlet anymore, although i have been a manager in a national retail outlet. im not a fan of tesco and only 1 side of the arguement has been presented. so if my comments upset anyone i apologise, just ticks me off when people become rent a law and ignore proffesionals legal expertise.

Darren21

First of all I'd like to agree with the fact that it was awful for Tesco to treat anyone like that.

However I'd also like to point out that there is really blame on both sides to these stories:

- Tesco are to blame for not having a clear policy in every store and for not training people.

- Customers are to blame for trying to fleece the system. At the end of the day Tesco don't want everyone paying in purely coupons - the queues would be too big, the admin costs too high, the risk of coupons they are unable to redeem (out of date or other supermarkets) etc etc. In my opinion people who try and use 90% or more in coupons for their shop are asking for trouble and are ruining it for the rest of us. If every1 used 30-50% then I'm sure there would be far less problems with stores getting funny and not taking coupons at all or only taking one. It's an old story really - people are greedy. If everybody did the same thing there would be NO COUPONS in the first place because manufacturers would just stop doing them full stop.

- I'd also point out that surely using lots of joey coupons in self-service tills when you know that Tesco policy is only one of each type of coupon per shop is tantamount to fraud.

While I sympathise with the people who Tesco have been so rude to i'd like to ask why do people always have to be so greedy? You can argue the point and I'm sure some will about Tesco policy blah blah blah but at the end of the day you are in the wrong. I never use more than 30-50% myself and rarely have any problems at all.

GeoThermal

Al_Mac wrote:

Find it hard to believe they can just take a lady and children into a "private" room. Surely they should have to call the police if they believe some crime is being committed, especially as one side doesn't believe it is a crime.

Worse than a private room at times. When I was younger, (about 15) I went into town one day with my brother. We went into a toy store to drool at all the latest toys and gadgets. On the way out we were stopped by a security guy who lead us through a doorway beside the exit. He got us to empty our pockets/searched us, found nothing stolen, said a few words and let us go. What's so strange? The room he lead us into was the staff toilet! Looking back I should have got something done about it.

keithwjones

I agree with Darren 21 - This was a total abuse of the system.

The coupons state not to be used to purchase other items.

I believe that the person presenting them and Tescos are committing a joint offence of fraud against the company on the coupon.