Falsely Accused of Theft

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  • waamo
    waamo Posts: 10,298
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    bunnie1234 wrote: »
    My immediate instinct is to not want to shop there after what they did. Thing is, I know a lof of the staff and lots of customers who went in around the times I did, and I would like to go back just so they could see me and my friend and by doing that they would see we were not banned and not guilty. Its horrible to know so many people think we are thieves. But if we were allowed back, I would not do my main shopping there any more as I would no longer want my money boosting their sales and profits.

    You said earlier that staff have already expressed concern at your treatment. I don't see that going back would add anything to that. They know you have been wrongly accused so take the high ground and boycott them.
  • RichardD1970
    RichardD1970 Posts: 3,794
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    bunnie1234 wrote: »
    I realise this all sounds far fetched. People reading may wonder if the whole story is being told.
    Around 10 or more people did the same but were not humiliated or banned.
    they did this to two other people before they called us over.

    Well, you've already changed the story in the space of a few minutes, so yes, it may sound far fetched.
  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 34,578
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    bunnie1234 wrote: »
    My friend and I were accused of theft and banned from a large supermarket near our homes. The security guard yelled at us while the assistant manager watched him and reiterated the same. We were publicly humiliated. This is what we did. We each got a pie with a reduced label on it and put them in our trolleys. We continued shopping. We saw a store employee giving items final markdowns. About 10 people were handing her things from their trolleys to get marked down. We did the same. My friend handed both pies to the store assistant who duly marked them down. Shortly afterwards we went to the checkouts and paid for them. Subsequently, we were called over by the security guard and assistant manager. The guard yelled that we had the pies in our trolleys for some time before getting final markdowns. He said if we had not done this there was a chance someone might have purchased them at the higher price. He said this meant it was theft and we were banned. They did not accuse us of not paying for them nor did they look at our receipts or the items. We are regular shoppers who get all our groceries in that store and sometimes mark down items. We know lots of staff and customers. Some staff came outside and expressed shock. Our repuations are tarnished. I wrote to head office explaining in detail what happened and asked for an apology and for the ban to be lifted. No response. We are more concerned about our repuations than anything. Their definition of theft is unacceptable and surely unlawful. If they don't want shoppers to put things in their trolleys and get them marked down they should not allow staff to mark down such items. Around 10 or more people did the same but were not humiliated or banned. Any advice would be much appreciated.
    As you've posted on the Consumer Rights board, I guess you want advice on that. I think the post below covers it:
    You have to remember you don't have an automatic right to shop there and they can ban who they like (as long as it's not for a protected reason).
  • McKneff
    McKneff Posts: 38,816
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    ::rotfl:v :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
    make the most of it, we are only here for the weekend.
    and we will never, ever return.
  • worried_jim
    worried_jim Posts: 11,631
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    Angry people in local papers coming up. Compo faces all round.
  • SnowTiger
    SnowTiger Posts: 4,458
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    bunnie1234 wrote: »
    They were just waiting for us. For the sake of bevity in my original post I did not mention every detail...

    For me that's a problem. Parts of the story missing and the viewpoint of one side.

    We've all used supermarkets. Many of us do so more than once a week. I'm having problems buying your story as it's presented.
    tacpot12 wrote: »
    I think that the local newspaper might be the best place to get some redress.

    That can backfire. I'm reminded of this story my Mother sent me from her local newspaper about an incident in a neighbouring town: 'No explanation behind pensioners being banned from Trowbridge coffee shop'.

    On the face of it, two sweet old ladies banned from a coffee shop without reason after being longtime regular customers.

    Although mixed, comments suggest they were loud, raciest and (let's say) had problems using the toilet in a orderly manner.

    Going to the local rag probably didn't improve their reputations.
  • bunnie1234
    bunnie1234 Posts: 36 Forumite
    Well, you've already changed the story in the space of a few minutes, so yes, it may sound far fetched.

    I could have posted an in depth description of our every move. I could have given details about the staff member marking it down. People would have lost the will to live before finishing reading if the bothered that is. So as the premise is the same whether it be 2 people banned or 4, I first of all didn't go into that detail. I can understand that a store may not want someone to put something in their trolley and get it marked down because there is a possibility, although remote, that someone would pay more on its sell by date. That being the case, the simple solution would be to ensure staff don''t mark down items handed to them. This store allows it and then accuses anyone they choose of theft. Strange they didn't ban everyone that night. About 10 -15 people had loads of things in their trolleys that they got marked down. I had ONE pie and so did my friend. The other two people had NOTHING in their trolleys until they got something off the shelf AFTER it was marked down. So it doesn't really make a lot of sense that they would accuse us of theft and ban us especially when the other two only had ONE reduced item each. Consumer advisers told me a customer has the right to obtain the best price on an item. They also told me once the customer pays for an item a contract is made. So there is no way that having got the best price and paid for the item, it can be construed as theft. It isn't theft. The shop allowed their staff to mark it down and allowed us to pay. Now it makes zero sense to me either and maybe no one believes any of this. The thing is, I don't like being called a thief and threatened with the police in a loud way in a public place when I have done nothing illegal, so I posted here just hoping for advice in regards to getting an apology from the store. I have friends that go there and they've been asking me to meet them. I am not going to say I was banned for theft but I didn't do it as no one (even friends) would believe it. After all there is no smoke without fire is there. But if the ban was lifted, much as I detest the store now, if I was seen in there people would realise I was not guilty. My friend is feeling the same way. And the other two whom I know as acquaintances from talking in the store, would like their names cleared too.
  • Gavin83
    Gavin83 Posts: 8,739
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    bunnie1234 wrote: »
    We would like apologies in person and for the ban to be lifted, as mentioned previously.

    You won't get this. Your best bet is to forget about it, move on and find another place to shop.
  • bunnie1234
    bunnie1234 Posts: 36 Forumite
    Much as they deserve bad publicity I would not want to go to a newspaper. As things stand, several people we know and several staff members know what we were accused of and that we were banned. If an article appeared in a local newspaper loads of people would know. And people would think, why would a manager ban people for stealing if they didn't steal. Maybe I would think the same in their shoes. If my friend and I (and the other two) were rowdy, loud mouthed, racist, pushy, ignorant, ill mannered etc, maybe one could think well they found a good way to get rid of them. The first thing we thought was WHY? We are well mannered, not pushy, not racist, not anything except very polite. That is why certain staff members were so shocked, because they deal with us several times a week and know how well mannered and polite we all are. So my friend and I are baffled as to why they came up with such a thing to ban us. This is a shop that has a mixture of people and many races shopping there. There are nice people and really ignorant people and some who are so pushy they injure people. But we were the ones who were banned. I would simply like to have the ban lifted, as mentioned before, so I could go in a few times with my head held high, and then stop going in there by choice with people knowing I could no be guilty of anything if I was still shopping there. Whereas being accused and then banned makes us look guilty. I have never stolen anything and I always ensure I have receipts with me if I take things from elsewhere into a store. I am as cautious as its possible to be in order to not be mistakenly accused of anything. So it was the biggest shock ever when this happened.
  • elsien
    elsien Posts: 32,522
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    bunnie1234 wrote: »
    My immediate instinct is to not want to shop there after what they did. Thing is, I know a lof of the staff and lots of customers who went in around the times I did, and I would like to go back just so they could see me and my friend and by doing that they would see we were not banned and not guilty. Its horrible to know so many people think we are thieves. But if we were allowed back, I would not do my main shopping there any more as I would no longer want my money boosting their sales and profits.

    I shouldn't think anyone else particularly cares whether you are banned or not. Most people wouldn't know unless you make a big deal of it, and those that do have far more interesting things to be getting in with.
    As far as your "reputation" is concerned you are seriously over-thinking it. The important people in your life who know you will believe you and the rest don't matter.
    All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

    Pedant alert - it's could have, not could of.
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