My friend was caught stealing at primark, we were with two others, these two left the shop 10 minutes before we did, because I had to pay so my friend that stole come with me.

She stole goods worth £10 in the changing rooms at primark, they got given back with no damage. I wasn't in the changing room with her so had nothing to do with it.

We were then detained as we left the shop, they told her she would get a RLP fine without contacting police. They phoned both our parents so they could "release" us. They only told her she would get the fine. We're also banned for 6 months and will get arrested if we go back in during this time.

A month later we both got a letter demanding £174 in seven days, from RLP, were only 16 years old so can't pay that amount in so little time. My mum rung primark and they are sending CCTV to RLP who will decide if I was involved.

They said if they can't find anything showing I'm involved they will say sorry for sending it.

Will RLP look at the CCTV? It happened in a changing room, will they have CCTV in there? Will they assume I helped her if there's no CCTV in there? How long do they keep CCTV for?

Hi and welcome to CAG. I have moved your thread to our dedicated RLP forum.

I have to nip out soon but in the meantime, read around the RLP forum to get some ideas. Do nothing as yet.

Thank you

Ignore the letters. Completely. Rlp cannot do anything except send you silly letters. Primark will also not send rlp any CCTV evidence as that would breach the data protection act.

Do NOT PAY a penny, make sure you ignore all letters, learn from your mistake and get on with your life.

If your parents are worried, tell them.not to be and to come and read the RLP forum on this site.

Rlp is nothing more than a shady company ran by a very silly woman who preys on the uninformed and vulnerable.

Tell your mum to forget it, IGNORE them.

RLP are chancing their arm and they know it.

If they (Primark) didn't call the Police, and there was no Police involvement, then the matter has been dealt with.

There has been NO LOSS to the store, the items were returned.

There silly letters will tell you that the cost of the security being taken away from their job blah blah blah cost this blah blah blah, forget it, the job of the security is to do exactly that, security. They will get paid no matter what.

This is an elaborate con by RLP to threaten and intimidate uneducated shoplifters, there is no fine, no court, no jail, and now no police.

Be aware, that RLP will send you ever increasing threat letters, you CAN ignore them, and you SHOULD ignore them, once their computer has spat out the last of their threatogrammes, they will pass it onto their powerless debt collection agency (DCA) who again can be ignored!

If you're easily intimidated by words in a letter, then don't read the letters, the woman who owns this business is very very well known on here, and the advice has always been to ignore their puerile missives.

Will primark send the CCTV, my mum rang primark to try and clear my name, this is why they said they will send the CCTV to RLP and let them decide within a week.. My mum threatened that if they don't clear my name and don't have proof I helped her she would take it to the papers..

however would they take us to court? If so what would come out of it being taken to court?

Sounds like your mum is firmly on your side. It is extremely unlikely that this would go to court - RLP got severely castigated last time they tried (look at the Oxford case).

One more thing: If Primark have CCTV coverage of the changing rooms, it would only be of the general area and not inside the cubicles. IF it came out that CCTV was inside the cubicles, the press, ICO, and countless other bodies would come down on them like a ton of bricks.

Without proof of your involvement in any wrongdoing, RLP are on a hiding to nothing.

Thank you, I'm just so worried that they could turn around and say I was involved because we went into the changing rooms together although in seperate cubicles. Do you think they will clear my name? Some said that they won't even bother sending CCTV?

They won't do anything but they will say everything. Stop worrying and start ignoring them. Also, never phone them. Ever. No matter how tempting it might be

I heartily agree with every comment above.

What I would do is get your friend to register so that we can tell her(?) the same as you.

As for your involvement, I would get your mum to write a strong complaint to Primark Head Office.

You were not involved with the theft therefore there should be no comeback on you and certainly no ban.

This is them saying guilt by association and trying it on in the hope that one of you will pay.

When they try it on a bit more come back for more reassurance. In the meantime, have a read of this.

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?448994-RLP-FAQ-s.-What-do-they-mean&p=4762870&viewfull=1#post4762870

It can be very tempting to try and fight it, but the best thing is to do what everyone is saying here and ignore them. They have no legal powers what so ever. They can't affect your life anymore than send letters to scare you. Don't let them scare you and ignore them. They will go away eventually.

They said I have to be involved as I was detained with her, we walked out the shop together. Before and after we were in the changing rooms we were with two others so they should technically be as guilty as I would have been but because they left earlier they got nothing. But thank you everyone! It's made me feel more settled knowing

Also do you think RLP will actually look at the CCTV and send me a letter clearing my name or not? Do they do this?

Don't pay them anything

Primark nor rlp have any legal powers to decide anything

They are no thepolce nor a judge

Totally ignore them

Dx

"Clear your name"

You have not been arrested

Charges have not been pressed

No judge or Magistrate have convicted you.

Therefore

You have not been found guilty of anything

Your name is clear.

Okay thank you helped a lot

I was having a think about this. If the CCTV shows your friend stealing but you were not with her at the time, they should not have detained you at all. I would be thinking unlawful detention.

Just a thought

The CCTV won't show her doing it as she doing in the changing room cubicle, I went in a different one. So won't show it all..

The only reason they called us back in was because they thought we were walking around "suspiciously" because we went to different floors and I put something back quickly because the shop was closing and the lights went off so had no time to pay.

They then called us back in, found nothing on me

but a stolen handbag on her

then detained both of us,

he said I was just as guilty because I was "with her"

They're wrong. They can't touch either of you anyway. Ignore their prattle and move on with your life

Just got back a letter saying "we write to advise that we have completed our internal investigation and can confirm that our client has withdrawn it's claim in it's entirety" does this mean my friend still has to pay the fine? I only got sent this letter.

There never was a fine. Of any kind. It was a con by rlp. Nothing more, nothing less.

There has NEVER been anything for you to pay throughout this entire ordeal.

They have obviously looked at the CCTV and saw that you had nothing to do with this.

Personally, I would be making a formal written complaint to Primark for unlawful detention on your part. They had no evidence therefore no right to hold you.

It is quite important that you direct your so called friend here so that appropriate advice be given as I suspect RLP will go after her for the amount in full.

Write to them,

Primark Stores Limited

Primark House

41, West Street

Reading

Berkshire

RG1 1TZ

Thank you everyone! I think I will definitely write a complaint, thank you for the address too.