Hi,

I was caught shoplifting in boots today with my partner.

He had no involvement in it at all.

He was just with me.

As we left, the street ranger came after us and told us the security of Boots would like to talk to us.

We went back with him, thought there's no point in trying to fight it and admitted to what I did, and gave him the goods I had taken.

I've never stolen before.

It was a one off.

I am on lots of medication for a long term disability, and have (mental health) BPD, which makes me impulsive, and silly sometimes.

I told the security guard this, but he didn't respond.

He was really lovely, not intimidating at all, and handled it really discretely.

However, we were held in the room, which had a code to get into, and I asked to go to the toilet and was told no, and that I could go after.

I was crying & shaking, and on the verge of having a panic attack (from feeling claustrophobic)

he took our details, and "distinguishing features" (my tattoo on my leg) and then asked me to sign something to confirm I / we wouldn't return to the store.

Now, he's said we will receive a fine each, from RLP, and threatened that if this wasn't paid, it would escalate further to the police.

I asked him when we would receive this letter by, and he said he had no idea.

now I'm just sat anxiously waiting.

has anyone got any advice?

I'm also signed off sick, so have next to no income, and my partner is supporting me.

I'm awaiting disability allowance, but haven't heard from them yet.

I was wondering if my mental health could be mentioned at all to them?

I don't know what to do.

Please help in anyway possible!

is it right my boyfriend will receive a separate fine just because he was stood with me?

Thanks so much.

Oh I'm 21, and he's 22 by the way x

Oh and i also signed to say I acknowledged I was banned from the store

(I don't know how long for or if they actually recognise me?)

hope he nsay FINE and also didn't say that if you don't pay RLP it will be escalated to the poice?

cause he cant say those things..

there are 100's of RLP threads here already

just go read a few and you'll get the idea.

there is absolutely NOTHING they can do to you or your BF..

you simply IGNORE every letter they write to you.

https://cse.google.co.uk/cse?cx=partner-pub-8889411648654839:6449422593&ie=UTF-8&q=RLP&sa=Search+CAG

dx

As stated above if you were told to expect a 'fine' then this was incorrect but you WILL receive a demand for payment towards 'security costs' which can be safely ignored however much they write to you and threaten legal action (civil court, NOT criminal). RLP who normally act in such cases with Boots do not have the legal authority to take you to court - only Boots could do that and they simply won't do that so RLP's demands can and must be ignored completely. What will happen is that RLP will make a case to say that you are liable for a contribution towards security costs through your actions and that there are legal precedents for this and that ultimately their client could sue you.

After a series of letters (which may include warnings about taking advice from nasty armchair lawyers on the internet) they may refer it to their tame debt collector company who will also write to you but ultimately both will stop writing and refer it back to their client to consider legal action. Which will never happen and you will not hear from them again

Yes they will try to include your partner on the basis that one of you may crack and make the contribution to their holiday fund that they are after. Same advice to both of you - maintain a thick skin and ignore them

The store will also NOT refer this to the police - so that too was incorrect. They had the option to do that at the time but chose not to and it is now too late to do so. There will be no knock at the door, no mention on your criminal record or credit file and nobody other than Boots or RLP will know anything more

As DX says - do some reading around this forum and not one person has ever returned to say that anything further happened other than letters

In saying this we DO NOT condone shoplifting at all - far from it. The correct action for a retailer is to deal with theft or suspected theft through proper channels, not to get a commercial organisation to make baseless threats in order to gain a profit. Please stop stealing NOW - next time you may not be so lucky and find yourself with a criminal record which will cause untold problems in the future

Hi and welcome to CAG

Boots security lied to you. No 'fine' just an invitation to line RLPs pockets and as for saying that if you don't pay, the police will get involved. To me, that sounds like blackmail.

You shouldn't have stolen anything in the first place but this case goes to show how little security staff know about mental health and as such, should be sent on some training. They won't of course because it seems these guys are trying to be the big I AM.

Ignore them and any letters from any debt collector that may get involved. Only Boots can take action but they don't bother as they will not be able to claim as much as they think they could so it's just not worth it for them to do so.

I do say that you could do with a visit to your GP to talk and see what reasons can be discovered for your poor decision to steal

The issue here is you've been illegally detained.

You were in a room with a code access. If you had wanted to leave that room could you turn a handle and leave of your own volition?

You were also denied the use of ablutions when needed.

Take this to the nth degree could be as serious as

Unlawfully detained

False imprisonment

Use of torture to get information

I know the last one isvat the very end of a nth degree scenario but think about it.

Can I use the loo, I'm busting

No, not until we get all the info

But I'm busting

No you cant

Same as

Can I eat I'm starving

No not untill we get the info we need

But I'm starving.

( Jewish persecution in the 2nd world war).

This is the problem with store security. They only have the same powers that ever citizen has.

They have to tell you that your under citizens arrest. They don't have to caution you, they don't have to tell you uner what law. They do have to state the reasons they suspect you of, ie theft.

What they have to do is inform the police as soon as possible and hand you over to them.

Ps its section 24a of PACE citizens arrest.

So you could of refused to answer questions and walked out.