Hello to everyone here, I would be very grateful if you have some advice on a rather strange letter from RLP.

Basically I am Bi-polar, normally I'm fine and nobody would know but one day last month I was in the manic phase of my condition due to a change in medication. I had gone into boots and bought a number of items, but I'd also put 3 low cost items a total of £4 in my pocket.

I left the store with these but I then realised what I'd done, never stolen in 27 years didn't want to then. So I returned to the store as I was going to pay for said items but as I approached it, two security guards although I don't remember seeing Sia licences on them asked me to follow them. I tried to explain but it fell upon deaf ears.

I was taken to the back room of the store and spoken to like a child. Then my bag was searched with paid items being broken before I was searched, patted down. Then one security guard left to price check the items stolen in total 3.95. My driving licence was photographed and so was I. Then I was told I was banned from all boots and would receive a fine for my actions. I though this was fair at the time.

But then I received a letter from RLP it stated there had been an incident in store and I was being fined for losses even though in the next sentence RLP say the store suffered no loss. I was expecting a small penalty fine of maybe £30 but no £147.50! I looked around on the Internet for a bit and read through these forums, I decided to ignore the letter.

Now however I have has a second letter from them threading to write to my parents or guardian. I'm 27 years old and both my parents have passed away!

I'm just wondering what I should do about it, do I just ignore them again? Send them a short reply? Thanks for any advice

Hi and welcome to CAG

I don't know enough about Bi-polar to be able to add much however I did have to laugh at that silly letter. Passing on your details to your parents. You are 27 and if they did that you could sue them for breaching your data protection rights. Bunch of muppets.

You have obviously read a few threads about RLP and the advice is still the same.

Ignore RLP

Once RLP get bored sending letters, they will pass this on to their pet debt collector.

Ignore the pet debt collector.

Boots could take court action if they wished but they won't. They will be unable to justify the amounts claimed so they don't bother and rely on RLP to chase you.

So, if I haven't made myself clear yet. IGNORE RLP!!!!!

Did RLP actually call the charge a FINE? and in writing? No can do, as per Silverfox ignore them.

Rlp can't do ANYTHING. EVER. Ignore them, use the letters as toilet roll substitute and move on with your life

Just a quick message to say thank you for the replies, I will definitely keep ignoring them

who said you will be fined? And did you get it in writing

The fine comment was from a security guard where as the letter states simply either amount outstanding or sum sought. Sorry if my message was a little unclear

ignore totally rlp

end off

Not sure if this will be seen, but further to my initial post RLP actually followed through and sent a letter to my address with to the parent or guardian of......... obviously it came to me as I'm the only one at the address and I'm 27 years old. Is this practice legal by RLP or am I in a position to visit a cab to discuss action against them for breach of the data protection act?

Hello again.

That's odd. Yes, RLP have written to parents and guardians in the past, in an effort to embarrass them into paying the speculative invoice. I don't remember them writing to someone well over that age though, it will be interesting to see what the forum regulars think.

HB

Sounds like theyre just throwing out template letters to me, and dont really care who they go to. Jackie will eventually send one to the wrong person, and no amount of begging or excuses will stop her being brought before a court personally.

Damn. Sometimes I wish I had shoplifted just to take them to task. This is harassment pure and simple. Writing to a 27 year olds parents is purely intimidation and a complete breach of the Data Protection Act. If your parents were still with us and you lived at home, they may have opened it and likely all hell would have been let loose.

Personally, I would let the Information Commissioner know what a shoddy company this is.

But Silverfox... jackie will just say shes acting on information given to her by the shop, and none of it is her or her companies fault.

go for it, a complaint to the ICO about the incorrect retention, processing and distribution of your data.

It is not legal but the ICO likes to use the softly softly approach and educate the wrongdoers rather than actually punish them for being crooks.

Not sure if this will be seen, but further to my initial post RLP actually followed through and sent a letter to my address with to the parent or guardian of......... obviously it came to me as I'm the only one at the address and I'm 27 years old. Is this practice legal by RLP or am I in a position to visit a cab to discuss action against them for breach of the data protection act?