Hi everyone, On the 3rd of April I made a stupid mistake of attempting to shoplift for the first time from TKMAXX. I was with my 15 y/old friend and as we were walking around the shop I saw a few items that I wanted but could justify paying for. I didn't take anything out of packaging as the items I saw were already just loose and not in packaging. The My friend pulled a bar-code off an item and stuck it in my bag. I went to the till and paid for a couple of items and then as I was leaving the store a man grabbed me and told me to follow him to the back of the store. We followed him and were taken into a small room through the back of the shop. In the room there was a man who I believe to have been the security guard and the Store Manager. I was asked to remove every single item from my handbag, my jacket pockets and my shopping bags. When removing all the items I was asked for receipts, which I didn't have as I don't carry receipts with me. The security guard told us that he had watched me walk around the whole store through CCTV and remove items from packaging (which I didn't do, my friend did), testing items and putting them in my pocket. During the time held in the room I was asked for ID and my full name, address, date of birth and a contact number. This was all written down on a scrap piece of paper. (The friend I was with didn't get asked for any personal details) Whilst this was going on the Store Manager asked another staff member to go and collect that packaging that I "ripped apart". The The staff member came back and they totalled up the cost of all items being around £50. The Store Manager told me they were going to get the police but then changed their mind and said as their shift was going to end soon they couldn't be bothered waiting around and wasting anymore of their time. I was told that we would need to sign a form that confirms that we will not enter the premises again, they never brought us the form and we were allowed to leave the store. When leaving the Store Manager said that we were lucky that no further action would be taken. Now today the 13th I have just received a letter through the door from the "Retail Loss Prevention Limited" asking for a fixed contribution to all of the losses in sum of £150.00. In the letter it explains that a court proceeding is a last resort. I am wondering if I need to pay this £150 and if I don't what will happen??? Thank you!

Hello everyone. I am typing this on a freinds behalf as thier english is limited. Am am sorry if this story is similar to some but i need some advice. I sometimes shop at our TKMAXX store. On that particular day, i went in to buy childrens jigsaw puzzle 2 of them, along with a friend. Just as we were leaving the store. Someone pulled me aside and asked just myself to go into an office.. Then a man from the store asked me what i had bought and how much for.. I told him i bought 2 childrens jigsaw puzzle one at £2.00 and another £7.00. He then told me that i was spotted changing the price tag on them both. I did not do that. I was asked to explain but my english not very good. I was trying to tell them that my english not good and had to phone my husband to translate. He said i will not call the police if i give them my name and home address and he wanted to see evidence of my name but i had nothing. Only my boots shopping card. He did not take any notes of what i was saying or show me evidence of what they said i had done... He then said to sign a banning letter. He then said i was banned from every TKMAXX store. He then said to me i could always write a letter to head office explaing what i had done and maybe they will let me in stores again. When i left TKMAXX store . Another security gaurd from the shopping centre that TKMAXX is located told me that i was not welcome anymore and never to come back as i was banned from the shopping centre. All this was happening when my friend was with me also my 7 week old baby was with us.On that day it was raining bad and very cold outside. We went into another store to get away from the rain as i could not get into our car as my husband had the keys. The shopping centre security gaurd kept following us telling us to leave the shop and car park... even when i left my baby with my friend and i walked out of the shopping centre the security gaurd to my friend she was also banned but TKMAZZ said it had nothing to do with her.. When my husband finally showed up he asked the shopping centre security gaurd what had happened. the gaurd said that they were seen two weeks ago chaning the price tag on an item and was asked to leave and was banned from the store and that a police unit had been called. I can assure you all that we did not cahnge any tags nor were we stopped... Now we have a letter from rlp demanding payment off £137.50.... i don't know what to do. we can pay but we will struggle as i do not work and my husband earns a low wage. from what we have read so far... a lot of posters on this forum are saying don't pay but i do not want to have a criminal record. am very sorry if a post like this has been answered.... we welcome any advice you all offer.