Hi I'm looking for some help and advice please .

I took an item from TK maxx value £16 stupid I know and am embarrassed and regretful

I was stopped by the shopping centre security outside the store and made to return where store security took me into a room,

I offered to pay for the item but the store security told me

"don't worry the police wont be called but you will be banned from store"

then proceeded to search my handbag,

asking if I had receipts for all the items in there

(paracetamol, hayfever tablets etc things I always carry) to which I didn't but he didn't pursue.

asked for some ID with address on

saying if I didn't supply he'd have to call the police.

kept asking questions about where I worked to which I asked "do I have to tell you?"

his reply was "no ,

but I can not pass on this information" so I declined.

I signed a letter stating I was banned from store, and told id be contacted by a company

"and id probably get a small fine of about £40".

I was then able to leave. the whole process took all of 10 minutes MAX.

Today I have received a letter from RLP saying I need to pay £149.50,

this is a lot of money and I don't know what to do,

I really just want this to go away, ive not told anyone about this as I don't want this to show up on my dbs

please if anyone can advise thanks

Well for sure you dont have to pay RLP - Whilst you are waiting on the regular advisors in this section, I suggest you have a read round other threads and see what they have been advised and how they have dealt with this insidious company.

you ignore them totally

give us a laugh and scan it up to PDF

but redact it first please

follow the upload

Move on don't do it again and ignore the RLP muppets, they got caned in court over their non quantified loss, as in no legal ground for the sum demanded, as in no loss, and security costs are non claimable.

You know, I sometimes wish that we could do FIOs to private companies. I would love to see what 'arrangement' RLP have with TKMaxx.

Do the store security get a kick back when they refer someone to RLP???

Anyhoo, the advice is to ignore them, totally (unless you are under 18)

As no police were involved, there will be nothing to show on any DBS check. This is a civil matter and nothing to do with the criminal side of the law. For over 5 years now, there have been no cases taken to court by any retailer for one simple reason. They cannot justify the charge. There was no loss to the store, security are already paid to do what they did with you so what else could they claim for. Not a lot.

Keep the letters safe and if you can, redact the personal info and upload them as a pdf to the site so we can see what rubbish RLP are saying now.

" and I would get a small fine".... No you wont, it is not a fine and never can be. This misleading statement given to you is aither a isunderstanding by TKMaxx or their employee or a delibertae misdirection to make you think you should be paying it come what may.

As you have twigged by now, it is nothing to do with jurisprudence, it is an attempt to get money out of someone who is now more vulnerable to having their guilty conscience played upon.