Looked upon as a Thief in M&S today

Liverbird

Zziggi wrote:

A couple of years ago i remember an incident - in M&S as it happens. A good friend of mine (who is Nigerian) and lives in a predominantly white posh area was in M&S buying quite a number of clothes and had a basket full. While she was still browsing the security guard went up to her and asked her if she had enough money to pay for all her items. Her response was, wait until i get to the checkouts and then you'll find out! and then she walked off and carried on her shopping as if nothing had happened. I thought that was a great response and told my friend so. Sadly she told me it happens all the time to her in M&S and other posh-ish shops.

Poor lady. This certainly smacks of racism. :mad: Would they have done that to a white person? I'm mouthy, if it had been me I would have reported him to the store manager.

Rave

sare wrote:

When I worked as a checkout supervisor for a supermarket, if we suspected a customer was either a shoplifter or had a dodgy card, we would often say "Oh, it needs an authorisation", so we had a few minutes extra time to work out the situation, so it is possible the woman was calling the security guard to watch you.

I worked in a camera shop for a few years and if someone handed me a dodgy looking card I'd say that the machine had requested authorisation- even though in practice some of the most obviously fake cards swiped through the machine with no problems at all:rolleyes:. I never actually got the police in in time to catch any of the crooks- they do a runner as soon as you say you're calling for authorisation- but I scored the £50 reward for keeping the card on three seperate occasions:beer:.

It was quite rare for the machine to request authorisation for legit cards- it generally only happened when the customer was spending over £1000, or had been on a bit of a spending spree.

As for the OP's situation- I would have been annoyed too. If it happened to me I would be much less offended if the security guard walked up and explained that pushchairs are often used to hide stolen goods, and asked politely but directly to check that I hadn't pinched anything. You'd have the right to refuse of course, but I would be happy to oblige to set their mind at ease.

Lyndsay_21

i must admit i'm one that put things on the hood all the time, much easier than trying to balance a basket on the hood, or trying to hold a basket and push a single and some times even a double buggy.
I know if i'd have been followed i would have been really embarassed, at least he didn't stop you that would've been much more embarrasing.

System

I too would have put my shopping in the hood of the buggy when my kids were small and never had any problems in any store. Perhaps the sales assistant was just trying to ensure you hadn't forgotten anything and was trying to ensure you didn't have the embarrassment of setting of the alarm on the way out of the store.

I have also on occasion had to wait whilst an authorisation code was obtained. Holding up other customers was the more embarrassing part of that procedure.
I should point out that this happened to me once in M & S where I was a long established and trustworthy member of staff. Neither myself nor my colleagues had any discretion to override the computer demand for the authorisation code it's just one of those things that happen.

jo_b_2

I've had the stalked by security guard treatment before and it is really embarrassing and makes you really paranoid.

Sounds as though the woman might have used the 'authorisation code' as a delaying tactic because she thought you'd stolen something.

Try not to take it personally but I know that it can be really unsettling.

April2

jo_b wrote:

Sounds as though the woman might have used the 'authorisation code' as a delaying tactic because she thought you'd stolen something.

Nobody 'has stolen something' until they have physically left the store with the item.

pol

I've been followed by security guards a few times, especially in winter when I wear my big baggy coat. I just traipse round for as long as I can be bothered and then leave. I don't have the nerve of my hubby. When he was followed in Poundstretcher, he turned to the security man and said "if you're going to follow me, you may as well carry my basket!" As you can imagine, the guard declined!

pol

Wig

To the OP,

Nothing happened, You didn't clarify when someone asked if this could have been just your imagination running riot, how long after leaving the lift did he follow you for? around the shop or in a fairly direct route on the way to somewhere else in the store?

Even if he did follow you, so what, that's what they are there for. There's no rule that they have to be discreet, sometimes they do like to be indiscreet. If you have the same situation again, turn to him and say, "Do you think I'm shoplifting?". He's prolly heard it all b4 so he'll have some non commital answer. BUT there is nothing to stop him from continuing to follow you. It's up to you to remain in the store.

I know you said this is the vent board, and fair play to you, vent away. Hopefully some of our replies will help you with the situation if it happens again, then you might not feel like venting.

You might not like it, but the store is trying to stop theft, it's best to just regard him as a man doing his job.

Lastly, maybe you could ask your card issuer if they really did ask for authorisation on that transaction. Now that would be something to complain about, if she kept you waiting just so she could phone security and you can prove it, then I'm sure they will apologise. But again there's nothing else you could hope to achieve except an apology for the lie.

LOL @ Pol's OH above! :rotfl: nice one.

devoncat

I too was followed around at a Lancome counter at Fraser's in Glasgow. As soon as it started happening in Fraser's I told me friend who was shopping with me to watch. I walked around the counter...two women followed me. I looked at the make-up- the women asked if I would like something. I said no, but I would tell them if I did. I stepped two steps to the left-same question, same answer. I walked further-followed again and same question. I again stated that if I needed help, I would ask. I was there only about 5 minutes-they were having the get a goody bag free with purchase and I needed to find one more item. In that five minutes, I was followed the whole time and asked-the truth-7 times if I needed help. I know it sounds like just over enthusiastic sales staff, but not when two of them surround you-one behind and one to the side. I left, bought a Ralph Lauren perfume instead and wrote I complaint letter. Got an apology and a free make over. I will never forget being surrounded by them-havent bought from them since!

Melissa22_Mum

I know how you feel! I have been out with family several times and been followed around by an overzelous security guard, I think its because you see the guard and because he/she is staring at everything you do they assume your acting suspicious because you keep looking back at them!! The main culprits are in M&S woolworths and places like Debenhams! I wouldn't mind but while the guards following us around theres someone really dodgy looking stuffing allsorts inyo plastic bags and under there jackets!

I've seen other people get told about the authorisation code in tescos, its a security precaution apparently, the assistant rings up somewhere, not quite sure. But its all supposed to guard against theft or if you've used your debit/credit card more than three times in a shop in 1 day, I think it's something like that it was a while ago.......