Looked upon as a Thief in M&S today

Helen_from_yorkshire

On a similar vein, in our local B&Q store there is always a member of staff standing near the exit door of the store asking various customers if he can see their receipts. As B&Q have loads of tills and he can be 100 metres away from the till at which you got served he is not just picking up on customers who may not have paid for some of their goods, but doing this on a random basis.

My question is can he legitimately ask customers to show their receipts to prove that all the goods in your trolley/bags you have paid for. Surely if he thinks that you have stolen something he should then ask you to accompany him to the office rather than suspecting random shoppers.

Poppy9

Helen,

You have to leave the store for it to be theft. Also legally the store doesn't have to give you a receipt. Therefore it appears you can politely decline.

sneekymum

I complained to Boots - in writing after they delayed me at the till by keeping hold of my card, for 15 mins for all sorts of spurious reasons - possibly checking if I was someone else they thought I was. I wrote & pointed out that their actions caused other customers to wonder what I had done and this in effect was a slight on my good name. There was a large crowd forming - they had to open another till.

The manageress wrote back to say she absolutely agreed. I got a £10 Boots voucher.

bluep

If a security guard followed me around and was looking my buggy up and down, I'd stop and ask him if he wanted to have a closer look. Afterall, I presume that's the last thing a legitimate shoplifter would do! I'd also have no hesitation in complaining to a manager if I felt intimidated in anyway. If one got in the lift with me and made me feel uncomfortable, I'd also complain to management saying I felt very uncomfortable in a confined space with his actions. That saying though, I don't believe in complaining just because security guards are doing their job, but their job is to catch shoplifters not to intimidate female customers and we all know that some security guards are good at the latter.

As for saying most mothers steal things - that is the most laughable thing I've read in a long time. Having a child and a buggy doesn't make one susceptible to criminal behaviour!!

N9eav

Poppy9 wrote:

Helen,

You have to leave the store for it to be theft. Also legally the store doesn't have to give you a receipt. Therefore it appears you can politely decline.

Theft.

To dishonestly appropriate property belonging to another, with the intention of permenantly depriving the other person of it.
Section 1 theft act 1968.

technically, you could put an item in your pocket, with the intention of stealing it and keeping it for yourself, before you leave the shop.

BUT proving that intent before you leave is impossible, unless you admit it.

ti1980

Poppy9, I know I'm typecasting but as far as I know you didn't work in this shop that I used to work at. At least 90% of the people that would come in lived less than 10 mins away and this shop was barely big enough to swing a cat. Was certainly hard work with a buggy and I wouldn't say it if I hadn't seen women do it with my own eyes but my manager would do nothing.
They would come in and spend about 50p while they had £10 worth of nappies in the buggy. I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't seen it.