Civil recovery RLP received letter. HELP PLEASE

[Billi123]

I was caught shoplifting £27 worth of goods from a superdrug store.

It was a moment of madness.

EXTREMELY out of character and I'm deeply ashamed.

I gave the goods back to the store and it was my first offence.

 

The police were called and they did an identity check but that's it.

I was handed a civil recovery form and told I am going to get a fine from RLP in the next few weeks.

 

After reading various threads they all say to ignore the letters.

As I am moving out of the address I gave in a few months is this still a wise thing to do?

 

I'm tempted to just pay it and get it out the way even though I'm a full time uni student and will struggle to afford the amount.

 

I'm extremely scared, if I ignore the letters will I get taken to court or will it affect my credit rating?

 

Also am I on a database that employers can check?

I'm graduating in a few months and this has scared me a lot.

 

I want to be 100% sure I can ignore the letters as I am moving out in a few months.

 

 

Please will someone give me some advice?

 

 

Thank you

[dx100uk]

yes as you've read

simply totally ignore them.

 

 

doesn't matter you are moving

infaact that's prob a good thing

auto makes you ignore them.

 

 

there is absolutely nothing they can do that can ever hurt you now

or in the future.

 

 

end off!!

 

 

dx

 

oh and its NOT A FINE!!

 

 

dx

[f16]

From what I've read on here since I joined.

 

RLP can do nothing apart from send out threatening letters.

 

It can't affect your credit rating and it wont affect your employment after you graduate.

 

Ignore RLP

Good Luck

[Stigman]

Also am I on a database that employers can check?

 

I want to be 100% sure I can ignore the letters as I am moving out in a few months.

 

Hi,

 

The only database that you are on is RLP's to send you pointless letters that as posted above you can safely ignore.

 

Employers can only check your criminal record (for certain jobs) and because you were not cautioned by the Police or Convicted by a Court, future employers will not know that this event ever happened in your life unless you tell them yourself.

 

If your moving out, do not inform RLP of your new address, just move on with your life and learn from the experience.

 

Stigman

[silverfox1961]

Hi and welcome to CAG.

 

You have been dealt with by the relevant people, the police. They took no further action. End of the matter.

 

RLP won't see it the same way. The form you have been issued is a standard form that RLP send to the security staff to hand out to shoplifters. There is copies littered all over this forum which say the same thing. 4 sections containing what RLP belives they can claim for. It is total rubbish with the exception of goods lost or not able to be resold.

 

I wouldn't even be worried about the letters after you have moved. RLP can still do nothing. they are acting as the agent for Superdrug and as such have no right to take anyone to court, nor do the pet debt collector they set on you. The only people who could sue are Superdrug and IF they chose to sue you, it would cost them more than they would get as it would be on the small claims track so they don't bother.

 

There will be nothing on any DBS check. The only database that you will appear on is RLPs own one. They purport to allow employers to check this database (for a fee) but to do that, any employer would need your permission to do so.

 

Basically after all my waffle, ignore them.

[ericsbrother]

RLP rely on 2 things to get people to pay up, guilt and misinformation.

 

You feel guilty becasue you have been caught out and it is embarassing so you feel as though something should happen that allows you to atone for your wrongs.

 

 

RLP rely on this and word their letters accordingly. That is taking advantage of people when they are in a vulnerable state.

 

The misinformation will also be included in thei letters, they will claim they are part of a judicial process,

they will say thay you owe the money because you are GUILTY of something (they dont say what)

 

 

they say they work in conjunction with the police (they dont)

 

 

they will say almost anything to get you to pay up when there is no reason to do so.

 

 

They have not suffered a loss by your action,

you have not been fined,

you are not a convicted criminal.

 

 

They may claim you will go on a database of shoplifters-bunkum,

 

 

your name goes on their database of prospective mugs for fleecing and that is all.

 

 

It wont go anywhere else.

[Billi123]

Hi,

 

 

I posted here last week regarding a shoplifting incident that was very out of character.

 

 

I have received this letter from the RLP - I attached a picture.

 

i was advised to ignore all letters from the RLP but I was expecting a fine.

 

 

This letter states that they have given me 21 days to advise them of any circumstances which may have contributed to my actions.

 

 

As I am on antidepressants should I inform them or just ignore this letter and forget anything that happened?

 

 

I'm a student so can't afford to pay a big fine.

 

Please help. Thank you.

[p3t3r]

hi, the usual advice given is just to ignore them.

 

from what i see on CAG they (RLP) use underhand tactics to try and get money from people.

 

they can not do anything.. they may probably pass your details onto a DCA, but the DCA can not enfore the 'debt' as it is not a debt.

 

speculative invoicing...

[Billi123]

Hi thanks for your reply.

I move out of the address they have in a few months. If it does get passed on to the DCA and they find out I have moved will they track me down and take me to court? I'm really scared. How long will these letters last?

[citizenB]

Billi, I have merged both your threads, there was no need to start a new one

 

You will need to convert your image to pdf format, it is too small to read as a jpeg.

[Billi123]

Sorry, I am not very good with technology.

 

The letter says they have given me 21 days to let them know if any circumstances which may have contributed to my actions.

If they don't hear from me then it says they will have no option but to proceed with the claim.

 

Should I inform them I'm on antidepressants or just ignore all letters?

 

I'm so scared I'm going to be found and taken to court,.

..even though I move out of the address in a few months.

 

 

I'm scared they're going to track me down.

 

I'm in my final few months of uni,

 

 

I have a dissertation to write and exams to revise for.

 

 

.this is the last thing I need to think about as I am already so stressed.

[p3t3r]

Hi thanks for your reply.

I move out of the address they have in a few months. If it does get passed on to the DCA and they find out I have moved will they track me down and take me to court? I'm really scared. How long will these letters last?

 

from what I read, the last time they did actually take someone to court was a few years ago. they also lost at court.

 

just ignore ignore ignore and don't allow yourself to be intimidated by their tactics

[silverfox1961]

I would bet that the letter you have received is similar to this one.

 

While not the same retailer the gist is the same.

[Billi123]

Hi,

 

 

yes it is similar however they have not included the second half of your letter.

 

 

They didn't mention any sums of money.

 

They just said I have 21 days to reply.... I'm very scared.

 

 

If I ignore them from now on will they track me down and get fined even more or taken to court?

 

 

 

I need reassurance please.

[dx100uk]

Hi,

 

 

I posted here last week regarding a shoplifting incident that was very out of character.

 

 

I have received this letter from the RLP - I attached a picture.

 

i was advised to ignore all letters from the RLP but I was expecting a fine.

 

 

This letter states that they have given me 21 days to advise them of any circumstances which may have contributed to my actions.

 

 

As I am on antidepressants should I inform them or just ignore this letter and forget anything that happened?

 

 

I'm a student so can't afford to pay a big fine.

 

Please help. Thank you.

 

 

sorry where does it say ANYWHERE

or do they use the word FINE anywhere....

 

 

they DONT

 

 

ignore them

[dx100uk]

Hi,

 

yes it is similar however they have not included the second half of your letter.

 

 

 

They didn't mention any sums of money.

 

They just said I have 21 days to reply.... I'm very scared.

 

If I ignore them from now on will they track me down and get fined even more or taken to court?

 

I need reassurance please.

 

 

where does this word FINE keep coming from??

 

 

dx

[silverfox1961]

Hi,

 

 

yes it is similar however they have not included the second half of your letter.

 

 

They didn't mention any sums of money.

 

They just said I have 21 days to reply.... I'm very scared.

 

 

If I ignore them from now on will they track me down and get fined even more or taken to court?

 

 

 

I need reassurance please.

 

let us get this straight. RLP cannot EVER take ANYONE to court. They do not have that right. Nor do any Debt Collector. Only the principle (the retailer) can take any action and they don't bother. RLP can send as many letters as they want. It means nothing.

 

If you feel harassed by the letter, report then to Trading Standards (via the CAB) as:

 

a) The letter is misleading and

b) It is threatening in nature.

 

Have you had a read of the Oxford case?

[dx100uk]

I notice you read a few threads in this forum

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?236-Retail-loss-Prevention-Other-shoplifting-allegations.

 

 

please go find one where the poster got

fined

taken to court

lost/couldn't get a job

 

 

dx

[Billi123]

Hi,

yes I have researched the oxford case and I

 

am aware that they lost that case

 

however I am scared that I will be the next person they try to take to court

 

because I usually have bad luck with everything else in my life.

 

I'm just scared.

 

I am unaware of how many letters the RLP send every year and how many people ignore them.

 

If anyone knows any figures then it will out my mind at rest.

 

I feel like they are concentrating on my personal case

 

and will do anything to punish me for the stupid mistake I made.

[dx100uk]

what authority do they have to punish you?

 

 

dx

[silverfox1961]

We can only guess how many letters they send out each year but I do know we only get a fraction of them here. Over the past few years, we have studied a lot of cases and read many threads where everything goes quiet. We have NEVER had anyone come back and slag us off for giving incorrect information. Occasionally someone will come back a year or so down the line saying the letters stopped and no further action was taken.

 

On the RLP website they loved to spout off how many cases 'they' had won. Actually they didn't win anything as they were not the principal.

Since July 2012 there have been no court cases (to my knowledge) since the Oxford case scared off the retailers. It would cost them far more than they could reclaim if they went to court.

 

From your last statement, it seems to me your anti depressants aren't working very well. Please go see your doctor. He or she must respect patient confidentiality.

To RLP, you are just a potential cash cow and they don't care who you are. They will say all this bovine excrement about taking incorrect information from the internet but that is utter rubbish as it was the internet that exposed their shady practice in the first place

[Stigman]

As I am on antidepressants should I inform them or just ignore this letter and forget anything that happened?

 

I'm a student so can't afford to pay a big fine.

 

As posted above please go to your Doctor and get your antidepressants increased.

 

You do not have to pay any fine so please ignore the stupid letters that RLP send you.

 

however I am scared that I will be the next person they try to take to court

 

because I usually have bad luck with everything else in my life.

 

As posted not only above but in many other threads in this forum, RLP will not take you to Court.

 

With the bad luck side of things, once again you need to sit down with your Doctor who will decide the best course of action for you.

Everyone gets bad luck, because you are concentrating on the negative, you are overlooking the positives.

 

The good news is your a Student, so you are intelligent, young enough to learn from your mistakes and please do not let this effect your studies, set yourself a target and work hard to achieve it.

 

Stigman

[silverfox1961]

Just an aside. I suffer with depression too and have been on the happy pills for ages but the one thing that helped me more than the pills was counselling. This helped me come to terms with my negativity and although I still need the pills, I can use my learning to help me overcome the downs and concentrate on the ups.

[Billi123]

I'm just absolutely petrified of things being taken further because of me ignoring the letters

[ScarletPimpernel]

I'm just absolutely petrified of things being taken further because of me ignoring the letters

 

Anxiety is normal, but there really is no reason to worry about RLPs silly letters.

 

Think about it; the only thing RLP can do is send letters. The letters are just words printed on a piece of paper, nothing more. They are produced by a computer, and are designed to create anxiety and mislead people into thinking that RLP have some sort of power or authority that do not in fact possess. It's despicable, and a particularly unethical way to try to get money, but all you have to do is ignore them. That puts you in control, not them.