Accused of shoplifting and mortified

[Babs28]

I was accused of shoplifting last night in Tescos.

 

There was no intention on my behalf - I just forgot to pay for one item worth £6 that was hidden under another bag.

They accused me of deliberately concealing it - no point arguing with them as whatever I say I walked out of the store without paying for it.

 

I was taken to the back,

fully cooperated and was told police would not be called,

advised that their costs would be covered by LCP thing ( gave me some info on it).

I was not asked to sign anything and the. Left - got 3 months ban

 

I feel sick to the stomach about this

- from my perspective a total stupid mistake but as I said I can see their perspective as well.

 

Couple of things worrying me

1. Could they inform the police after the event - it was about 9pm last night so doubt if police would want to come.

I am dreading them coming down the road today

 

2. They found another bag in my trolley which I had not seen before

- it contained a tin of beans from asda

- I have absolutely no idea where that came from and am now worried that they tried to set me up

- if the bag had contained tescos beans it would, have been much worse - could / would security do this?

 

3. What do I do about the LCP thing when it comes?

 

Shall I just try and forget about it all?

I will probably never want to shop in Tescos again

and certainly will be very very careful with bags in my trolley and checking under them.

[ims21]

Hi and welcome to CAG.

 

I've moved your thread to the shoplifting forum where the guys will be along to help as soon as they are available.

[Peterbard]

I was accused of shoplifting last night in Tescos. There was no intention on my behalf - I just forgot to pay for one item worth£6 that was hidden under another bag. They accused me of deliberately concealing it - no point arguing with them as whatever I say I walked out of the store without paying for it.

I was taken to the back, fully cooperated and was told police would not be called, advised that their costs would be covered by LCP thing ( gave me some info on it). I was not asked to sign anything and the. Left - got 3 months ban

I feel sick to the stomach about this - from my perspective a total stupid mistake but as I said I can see their perspective as well. Couple of things worrying me

1. Could they inform the police after the event - it was about 9pm last night so doubt if police would want to come. I am dreading them coming down the road today

2. They found another bag in my trolley which I had not seen before - it contained a tin of beans from asda - I have absolutely no idea where that came from and am now worried that they tried to set me up - if the bag had contained tescos beans it would, have been much worse - could / would security do this?

3. What do I do about the LCP thing when it comes?

 

Shall I just try and forget about it all? I will probably never want to shop in Tescos again and certainly will be very very careful with bags in my trolley and checking under them.

 

This is not a criminal matter so there will be no police involvement.

Were the goods returned in the end, or paid for?

 

What will probably happen is that you will receive an invoice from a retail losses prevention solicitor, they will claim that they have a right to sue for costs incurred by the store in handling your alleged interference to goods or theft.

 

There are many instances of this on here and elsewhere, the CAB report is here http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/content.php?641-Uncivil-Recovery-report-on-the-Bounty-Hunting-Industry.

 

These people rely on the person receiving the "invoice" being convinced by the official sounding demands for payment and just paying up. When challenged they rarely take proceedings and on the occasions where they have, they have lost.

Legally the grounds they use to prove losses are hard if not impossible to prove.

 

I would wait and see what they send , and then come back on here for advice, but personally I would not loose any sleep over it.

[silverfox1961]

Hi

Please don't stress over this error. In RLPs mind, you are guilty but their mind does not resemble sanity.

 

When you do get the letter, here is what you do;

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?403807-Caught-shoplifting-from-Primark-RLP-letter&p=4348807&viewfull=1#post4348807

 

Then forget about them

[Babs28]

Thank you. I wanted to pay for the goods but was told I couldn't buy anything in Tescos for the next 3 months. So I guess technically I have not stolen anything because they got the undamaged goods back.

 

What do you think about the extra bag appearing in my trolley?

[silverfox1961]

It has been known to find things in my trolley I have not put there. Sanitary towels for one. I'm a bloke!

 

Sometimes people put things in trolleys thinking that it is their trolley. Everyone will leave a trolley and wander off to get stuff.

[Peterbard]

Yes they can't even say you had the goods in this case.

It is a mystery about the other items, however I was once pulled for having a half eaten chocolate bar in my trolley, some child must have thrown it in whilst I was not looking, they wanted me to pay for it, fat chance.

[ScarletPimpernel]

 

What will probably happen is that you will receive an invoice from a retail losses prevention solicitor, they will claim that they have a right to sue for costs incurred by the store in handling your alleged interference to goods or theft.

 

 

This may be the case with Sainsburys and Asda, both of which use solicitors, but not Tesco, who use RLP.

 

Although their letters are full of faux legal language, RLP are not solicitors and cannot bring a court claim themselves. They may threaten that Tesco may sue, but that's all RLP can do.

 

It's important that people seeking help know that with RLP, they aren't dealing with solicitors at all.

 

The possibility of Tesco bringing a court claim is remote.

[Peterbard]

This may be the case with Sainsburys and Asda, both of which use solicitors, but not Tesco, who use RLP.

 

Although their letters are full of faux legal language, RLP are not solicitors and cannot bring a court claim themselves. They may threaten that Tesco may sue, but that's all RLP can do.

 

It's important that people seeking help know that with RLP, they aren't dealing with solicitors at all.

 

The possibility of Tesco bringing a court claim is remote.

 

Yes notice my mention of a "retail loss prevention solicitor" was in the lower case and not a specific organisation, however of course the firm you mention have been involved in the litigation process in the past albeit as per their website:

 

This is from their website:

 

"We provide free training sessions on civil recovery, legal principles, case information requirements and legal surgeries for one-to-one advice on assessing case evidence and evaluating losses to ensure civil recovery is undertaken correctly.

 

Not to say that the OP should be worried about such an occurrence in this instance, it is very unlikely.

[Babs28]

Thank you for all your replies but I am still worried sick - not eaten all and worries about my job, reputation etc. I shop in tesco a lot so it's really made me question my whole shopping routine - I always use a small trolley, keep my handbag in it for security and often will have a m&s bag in there. I usually lift everything up to check but on this occasion I didn't - and have paid the price.I know you have all reassured me once but please tell me again that tescos will not change their mind and decide to prosecute me? Would this be almost impossible? ( still worried that it was too late last night and that they may change their mind on Monday morning- does that ever happen or do I just need to take their word that they are not taking it any further

[Babs28]

And sorry meant RLP not LCP!

[silverfox1961]

What you could do is write a complaint to Tesco although they will probably ignore you.

I would suggest shopping at Morissons (much nicer atmosphere)

 

Tesco will not prosecute. RLP will try and make you believe that they will but once you get the letters from Debt Recovery Plus, you know it is nearly at then end.

 

The police won't get involved now. If they were going to, they would have attended.

 

No-one apart from you, Tesco and the security staff know what happened. No-one else should be in the slightest bit interested nor will they have the facility to find out.

 

When you start getting the letters, they will imply that your name will be held on a database which could be disclosed to employers BUT they cannot disclose without your permission.

 

If you read a few cases about RLP on the forum, you will soon see just what toothless numpties they actually are.

[Peterbard]

What you could do is write a complaint to Tesco although they will probably ignore you.

I would suggest shopping at Morissons (much nicer atmosphere)

 

Tesco will not prosecute. RLP will try and make you believe that they will but once you get the letters from Debt Recovery Plus, you know it is nearly at then end.

 

The police won't get involved now. If they were going to, they would have attended.

 

No-one apart from you, Tesco and the security staff know what happened. No-one else should be in the slightest bit interested nor will they have the facility to find out.

 

When you start getting the letters, they will imply that your name will be held on a database which could be disclosed to employers BUT they cannot disclose without your permission.

 

If you read a few cases about RLP on the forum, you will soon see just what toothless numpties they actually are.

 

Absolutely right, but try Aldi, save a fortune

[ScarletPimpernel]

Yes notice my mention of a "retail loss prevention solicitor" was in the lower case and not a specific organisation, however of course the firm you mention have been involved in the litigation process in the past albeit as per their website:

 

This is from their website:

 

"We provide free training sessions on civil recovery, legal principles, case information requirements and legal surgeries for one-to-one advice on assessing case evidence and evaluating losses to ensure civil recovery is undertaken correctly.

 

Not to say that the OP should be worried about such an occurrence in this instance, it is very unlikely.

 

 

The fact remains that the OP is unlikely to hear from a solicitor involved in retail loss prevention, but may hear from Retail Loss Prevention, who are not solicitors but who are used by Tesco for civil recovery.

 

Everything on RLP's website should be taken with a shovelful of salt. They do not have a cause of action, and do not have right of audience; their involvement in litigation to date appears to be limited to recommending (without much success) that those who ignore their speculative invoices should be taken to court. Then there was their involvement in the Oxford case, which the retailer they were advising lost resoundingly.

 

RLP is a tiny organisation; its owner likes to paint a very grand picture of it, but the truth is that the bulk of its activity is sending out speculative invoices and the subsequent 'aggressive and misleading*' attempts to persuade people to pay. Despite all the waffle on the website, it has nothing to do with crime prevention or deterrence, no official links with the police, and has taken no-one to court.

[ScarletPimpernel]

To the OP:

 

Please try not to worry. If Tesco's security drones thought there was a chance of the police being interested, they'd have called them at once. The police will not be interested after the event, especially as you appear to have made an honest mistake.

 

Tesco don't involve RLP very often, but even if they do, they are easily dealt with with help from here.

 

In the meantime, have a read around some of the threads here, and you will see that whilst RLP are bullies, all they do is send letters.

[Peterbard]

The fact remains that the OP is unlikely to hear from a solicitor involved in retail loss prevention, but may hear from Retail Loss Prevention, who are not solicitors but who are used by Tesco for civil recovery.

 

Everything on RLP's website should be taken with a shovelful of salt. They do not have a cause of action, and do not have right of audience; their involvement in litigation to date appears to be limited to recommending (without much success) that those who ignore their speculative invoices should be taken to court. Then there was their involvement in the Oxford case, which the retailer they were advising lost resoundingly.

 

RLP is a tiny organisation; its owner likes to paint a very grand picture of it, but the truth is that the bulk of its activity is sending out speculative invoices and the subsequent 'aggressive and misleading*' attempts to persuade people to pay. Despite all the waffle on the website, it has nothing to do with crime prevention or deterrence, no official links with the police, and has taken no-one to court.

 

Yes I know all about RLP an Ms Lambert etc.

 

I do not really wish to engage in semantics because the point is that the OP need not worry. Nothing of significance will happen

 

 

However the opinion that the letter may or may not have been penned by a solicitor makes little difference, just because it is written by a solicitor does not make it so, and it is not beyond the ability of any company to hire one to write a letter. In fact the site mentioned has published barristers opinion in support of its methods.

 

Having said that you are right in that these are IMO nothing more than speculative invoices no matter who wrote them.

Edited December 30, 2013 by Dodgeball
punctuation

[Babs28]

Just had a thought. Could Tesco share my details with the other large store next door or would that be a breach of data information bearing in mind I was not cautioned, charged etc ? Would be even more mortified to get frog marched out of that shop based on what happened the other night,

.thanks

[silverfox1961]

Just had a thought. Could Tesco share my details with the other large store next door or would that be a breach of data information bearing in mind I was not cautioned, charged etc ? Would be even more mortified to get frog marched out of that shop based on what happened the other night,

.thanks

 

Nope. They cannot disclose information without your permission which you won't be giving them.

[danielmc]

The only thing that Tesco may have done is passed you over a local shop watch program.

 

I wouldn't be too worried about being stopped.

 

As a store detective i wouldn't bother with phoning the police for such a small amount.

 

Although this is huge for you, it is an extremely small stop for any security officer worth their salt.

 

All that will happen is the security team will put it on the computer system... And that's it.

 

What you also have to understand is that security work on the S.C.O.N.E system for any stop (selection, concealment, observation, non-payment and exit)

and they have to be able to prove this to RLP and these companies hardly ever ask for cctv until you refuse,

by this time the cctv evidence has been overwritten.

 

Hope this puts your mind at ease, and trust me,

 

its a part of the job i really do hate when a nice person gets pulled in by over zealous security newcomers.

[hightail]

 

They accused me of deliberately concealing it - no point arguing with them as

whatever I say I walked out of the store without paying for it.

Please stop worrying. Genuine mistake is just that and the law recognises it. To prove theft they'd have to prove intent - that you had a deliberate intent to permanently deprive the rightful owner of that property.

[danielmc]

Nicely put hightail.

[Babs28]

What is a local shop watch programme?

 

After spending all new year googling shoplifting it had completely opened my eyes e to a subject that I realised I knew nothing about. I gather that security must have been following me on sat night - well I had absolutely no idea they were doing because in my mind I had done nothing wrong.

 

I will certainly be a very careful shopper from now on - nothing in my trolley other than items to be bought - I never ever want to be made to feel like this again. Only positive thing is that I have lost 7lbs since sat with the stress of it all!

[caro]

in my mind I had done nothing wrong.

 

That's because you didn't do anything wrong.

 

You haven't got anything you haven't paid for so forget it and shop elsewhere.

[Babs28]

My daughter has friends who work on the tills in the same shop - will they know that I have been banned .?

[danielmc]

Shop watch is normally for larger towns that have a group of stores on top of each other, all that would have happened is when they release you they would pass over your description to the towns cctv and other stores. That's it, no names just a description. And if its a large store i wouldn't have thought that your daughters friends would know anything about the people that get banned. And as you were only banned for 3 months, i can asure you that security are not really worried about you either. It would have been a little different if they had said banned for life. You are getting stressed over, what is in effect a very small problem. Nothing else will come of it.