False shoplifting accusation

Quite clearly the correct route to go is making them provide you with the CCTV that you are in. The store has basically admitted fault by giving you the £50 voucher and is hoping to sweep it under the carpet and hope you go away.

I personally would not like to be in your situation as it would be the principle of the fact that you didn't receive the apology that you wanted.

Solicitor - CCTV - Head Office. If you wanted to be spiteful then you could go down the paper route afterwards, although i personally wouldn't.
 
Third Opinion said:
Sorry guys internet messing about.

Well just come out of a meeting with the store manager. Was all quite embarrassing as when I entered the store the security guard in question stood staring (the 1000 yard stare) until I was taken upstairs. To make matters worse I was ushered into a training room to wait whilst the Junior manager in question was interviewing another staff member.

Eventually I went into the managers office who although was sympathetic, insists that they were working on a tip off from another customer. He also insists they have CCTV footage of my partner and I concealing items. I asked to see the footage as I have no idea what this concealing items is all about. It was scan and pack so of course I am concealing items I am scanning them and putting them in bags for gods sake. I was refused the footage under data protection which I suppose is understandable.

There is going to be no disciplinary, change of standards or training given. I left still feeling as bad as when I went in. I did receive a gift voucher although I doubt I will use it on principle, this was not about money and never was. I just wanted an apology and them to admit that I am not a thief or did anything to deserve that but that just isn't going to happen.

In addition they said they had manually requested the random check at the till and when that failed to flag anything up they were still convinced I was shoplifting.

Basically I have to accept for £50 they think I am guilty although I was proved innocent.

Not happy really but will draw a line under it now and shop elsewhere.
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I've been working for that supermarket for 7 years, and they DO NOT do a random search on customers, they are not allowed to

we do random till checks every hour, but there are no customers at those tills during that time

sounds like an awful store to work at
 
I have never been stopped by the police or otherwise, if i was and i was innocent then i always maintain i would be polite and accept they were doing their job and made a mistake. If i was in your position ( as embarrassing as it was ) i would accept it was a mistake and leave it at that. Ok so they haven't told you the whole truth as to why they stopped you but i'm sure the don't just stop people for a laugh - i'm guessing they did actually see or were told something to lead them to think you had stolen something. Forget about it and move on, your innocent.
 
ShiWarrior said:
I've been working for that supermarket for 7 years, and they DO NOT do a random search on customers, they are not allowed to

we do random till checks every hour, but there are no customers at those tills during that time

sounds like an awful store to work at
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Maybe you should read the T's & C's of their scan as you shop service (which is what the OP was using) as one of those allows for random service checks to be done (a set amount of items have to be scanned to compare them to what was listed on the handset before the checkout process was started).
 
demonix said:
Maybe you should read the T's & C's of their scan as you shop service (which is what the OP was using) as one of those allows for random service checks to be done (a set amount of items have to be scanned to compare them to what was listed on the handset before the checkout process was started).
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That's not random checks, they are selecting for a reason
 
teulk said:
I have never been stopped by the police or otherwise, if i was and i was innocent then i always maintain i would be polite and accept they were doing their job and made a mistake. If i was in your position ( as embarrassing as it was ) i would accept it was a mistake and leave it at that. Ok so they haven't told you the whole truth as to why they stopped you but i'm sure the don't just stop people for a laugh - i'm guessing they did actually see or were told something to lead them to think you had stolen something. Forget about it and move on, your innocent.
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They weren't cops they were er security personnel and what sounds like a trainee manager ie folk with zero power or authority to harass an Englishman as he goes on his lawful way.
 
demonix said:
Maybe you should read the T's & C's of their scan as you shop service (which is what the OP was using) as one of those allows for random service checks to be done (a set amount of items have to be scanned to compare them to what was listed on the handset before the checkout process was started).
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He said scan as you pack is that the same as scan as you shop?

Show me where we can check these T's & C's.... I would love to see the bit where it says they can ban you from a store for not stealing from them.
 
Vanquish-Storm said:
He said scan as you pack is that the same as scan as you shop?

Show me where we can check these T's & C's.... I would love to see the bit where it says they can ban you from a store for not stealing from them.
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Any store can ban anyone they want provided the reason is not race, gender, religion or disability. You have no right to go into a shop if the owner doesn't want you in there.
 
I would demand an apology until they show you the cctv, data protection is a rubbish excuse.
I would keep writing to people higher up the tree.

Mainly because I would want to know what was construed as concealing so that I wouldn't do it again.
 
Dolph said:
Any store can ban anyone they want provided the reason is not race, gender, religion or disability. You have no right to go into a shop if the owner doesn't want you in there.
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Exactly


Why fight it, it's their loss of your money, it's not like there are any other supermarkets :rolleyes:
 
thep02 said:
They weren't cops they were er security personnel and what sounds like a trainee manager ie folk with zero power or authority to harass an Englishman as he goes on his lawful way.
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Plot twist.
OP is a Polish immigrant and has been stealing our jerbs!
 
teulk said:
I have never been stopped by the police or otherwise, if i was and i was innocent then i always maintain i would be polite and accept they were doing their job and made a mistake. If i was in your position ( as embarrassing as it was ) i would accept it was a mistake and leave it at that. Ok so they haven't told you the whole truth as to why they stopped you but i'm sure the don't just stop people for a laugh - i'm guessing they did actually see or were told something to lead them to think you had stolen something. Forget about it and move on, your innocent.
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I've been stopped by the police several times when I was a young man out late at night in a fairly dodgy area carrying items (which were mine) and once while I was breaking into a house (which I was renting - I'd left my keys at work and was removing a pane of glass to gain entry with minimal damage). That was them doing their job. They didn't accuse me of anything - they asked questions to determine what was going on rather than leading with an accusation. That was them doing their job properly.

In this case, the OP was accused in public and the accusation continues to be repeated. It's a potentially damaging accusation. It's not a matter of the OP accepting that the supermarket made a mistake because the supermarket doesn't accept that they made a mistake. Acceptance of a mistake has to go both ways. The issue is whether or not the OP considers it worth defending himself. According to the supermarket, someone else in the shop made the accusation. Who is that person, assuming they exist? Did they make a mistake or did they make a malicious accusation as an attack on the OP? Will they do it again? The OP is currently on the supermarket records as being guilty - if there is another accusation, that existing record will have a strong effect. What if it's shared with other shops? It's not unusual for businesses to share information about thieves. If another shop gets official info from Tesco that the OP is a thief, they will assume he is.

The time for accepting that a mistake has been made is when the mistake has been acknowledged as a mistake, not when it is continuing. Say, for example, the company you buy electricity from has been overcharging you by 25% and continues to do so. Would you keep on paying 25% extra in order to "be polite and accept they were doing their job and made a mistake?
 
dowie said:
That's nonsense... of course you can use force else the whole concept is meaningless.

example - waiter tackles thieves escaping from a smash nd grab raid on scooters:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...er-who-tackled-selfridges-raider-8648535.html

he's acted within the law, used reasonable force to detain one of them and isn't charged... obviously the level of force is dependent on the circumstances
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Of course, as you say, it is always circumstantial. Like if you witnessed somebody about to stab a person, you'd be well within your right to tackle the perpetrator. Walking out a shop having done nothing wrong though, you're assaulting me.
 
Captain Planet said:
Walking out a shop having done nothing wrong though, you're assaulting me.
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If they have reasonable belief that you have committed a crime then no, they are not assaulting you. Of course, this belief has to be justified and explained if necessary.
 
Richie said:
If they have reasonable belief that you have committed a crime then no, they are not assaulting you. Of course, this belief has to be justified and explained if necessary.
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So how does this work when you turn round and hospitalise them in the process of defending yourself? Do you then get done for assault, because they were "justified" in attacking you?
 
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