Rlp/TKmaxx ..letter before claim

[kgfalcon]

I've read a fair few posts about ignoring these letters and all but would like to know if my situation is any different.

 

I set off the security things on my way out from work one night (I used to work at TkMaxx)

and we couldn't find what set the beeping off.

 

 

I later phoned back to say i'd found a soft tag that i'd been playing with stuck to my magnetic name badge.

The only thing bothering them was that i had a top in my bag that i had no receipt for.

 

The last purchase i made was for a grey vest and the top i had in my bag was white with black sleeves.

i had had an accident with makeup in my bag and rolled up this vest with the top i grabbed from home to protect it as i was intending to return it....

 

long story short (and the details dont particularly matter)

 

they dragged out this 'investigation' for about 2 weeks,

during which i was obviously suspended. my anxiety was through the roof.

 

during my final disciplinary he had said to me that he did not feel that i had sufficiently explained the incident

and that based on those grounds he was going to dismiss me for gross misconduct.

 

he did not once say 'yes we believe you have stolen it' or 'yes we are 100% certain you have stolen'

he just said he didn't feel my explanation was good enough.

 

fair enough, i wanted to leave anyway.

i did not enjoy working for them.

 

 

HOWEVER. during my disciplinary, i was in a holding room and pointed to the RLP poster on the wall

(as i had heard about them from researching before my disciplinary)

and asked the note-taker (a Team Leader at TkMaxx) whether or not i would have to pay a fine

as I had heard the LP next door dial RLP on speakerphone......

 

He said to me, 'i don't think so, otherwise you would have been informed

and they would have mentioned it today' and i never thought anything else about it.

 

Fast forward to now and

 

 

i've just started an apprenticeship (so will be on waaay lower wages)

and i've just got a RLP letter through the door that first of all says LETTER BEFORE CLAIM at the top and then says:

 

Value of goods which was not recovered: £7.99

Contribution towards the cost of the time spent investigating blah blah blah £197.50

 

TOTAL £205.49

 

I'm panicking, my anxiety is starting to rise and i'm just worried about whether or not my situation is any different?

Will i have to pay this?

will they press charges because i worked there??

 

I will not be able to afford it either way :/ and i'm 23 btw

Edited July 11, 2016 by kgfalcon

[dx100uk]

letter before claim means nothing

its letter before action that means poss court.

 

they can 'claim' what they like!!

 

bottom line is they cant do anything anyway.

 

can you scan it up a PDF suitably redacted upload

 

for our collection

[kgfalcon]

I'll try to scan it somehow and post it, so that means I just do as you've all been saying and just IGNORE everything unless it mentions court? Thank you for the quick reply btw coz I actually felt my heart drop out of my bum when i opened the letter this morning, feeling a little bit calmer now.

[dx100uk]

oh and it is not a fine!!

yes totally ignore everything

[kgfalcon]

is it literally just them trying their luck to see which vulnerable people agree to it and pay up? like do they just terrorize people with these letters?

 

i read that its gonna go on for quite some time, do you have any idea how long i'll be receiving letters for??

 

thanks x

[silverfox1961]

Hi and welcome to CAG

 

Shoplifting and employee theft are different. In some cases the store will take action against an employee if the value of the stolen items is high but this is not the case here.

 

RLP use this letter before claim to scare the individual into falling for their ploy. I don't feel TKMaxx will do anything with this as they do not have absolute proof of anything.

 

The most feel would happen is that RLP pass this on to a tame debt collector who have as much power over you as I have.

 

It would be nice to see all the letters that have been sent to you (suitably redacted to cover up all identifiable ID)

 

Follow the instructions that DX posted and make sure they are all pdf's

[kgfalcon]

What bothers me is that in the letter it states that I HAVE taken something

and says yes i'm guilty and i have stolen. I have not.

 

 

It literally is just a case of things adding up which aren't related

but which make me look like i am guilty which is why when i explained it,

it did nothing to help my case because i know how it sounded.

 

 

its a pooey situation and i would never put myself in it because of my anxiety.

2016 staff theft letter before claim.pdf

[dx100uk]

that's their usual twaddle

if you read it carefully doesn't say will anything.

 

two things they can do are:

Bugger

and

all

 

 

dx

[kgfalcon]

thanks so much guys, its really helped calm me down a lot! don't feel like i'm going to have a heart attack anymore haha x

[Mr.P]

If all that your (ex) employer had to say was "we don't consider your explanation is good enough" but stopped short of saying "we believe you have stolen this item", I would consider sending Ms Lambert a terse reply:

 

I accept your offer to negotiate an alternative settlement. Namely four weeks of pay in way of compensation for a sloppy investigation and dismissal based on conjecture and lack of hard evidence. A cheque made payable to myself within fourteen days will be acceptable.

[silverfox1961]

If all that your (ex) employer had to say was "we don't consider your explanation is good enough" but stopped short of saying "we believe you have stolen this item", I would consider sending Ms Lambert a terse reply:

 

I accept your offer to negotiate an alternative settlement. Namely four weeks of pay in way of compensation for a sloppy investigation and dismissal based on conjecture and lack of hard evidence. A cheque made payable to myself within fourteen days will be acceptable.

 

I hope you were joking there. RLP won't even entertain the notion and it may alert them that they may have a bite!

[Mr.P]

I hope you were joking there.

 

Tongue in cheek a little. RLP's letters are full of threats couched in "may" and "possible" phrases. In doing so, it does leave the list of options open to alternative interpretations whilst failing to give one more: Ignore completely.

[brassnecked]

Absolutely ignore, due to the Oxford case they will be unlikely to try court.

[andydd]

Absolutely ignore, due to the Oxford case they will be unlikely to try court.

 

Although this is a bit different, rip have had more successes chasing employees as Oppossed to shoplifters but in this case the op says they didn't steal anything and if appears this wasn't alleged at the time, although I think I'd like to know the actual reason for the gross misconduct accusation, was there any paperwork from tk maxx to the op, what did it actually say ?

 

But yes best advice is to ignore.

[silverfox1961]

Although this is a bit different, rip have had more successes chasing employees as Oppossed to shoplifters but in this case the op says they didn't steal anything and if all ears this wasn't alleged at the time, although I think I'd like to know the actual reason for the gross misconduct accusation, was there any paperwork from tk maxx tk the op, what died it actually say ?

 

But yes best advice is to ignore.

 

Absolutely agree here. Stores can(and have) taken civil action to reclaim losses caused by employee theft but that has not been confirmed in this case. RLP will chase anything they are told to do. Stores also don't bother with small staff theft as it would cost them more than they would get back. They tend to go for the large scale employee where theft can go into the thousands. Again, not in this case.

The disciplinary cannot be claimed for as that is part of a stores operational and management costs. There was no surveillance, just an erroneous tag. Even if the security staff had been watching, these costs cannot be reclaimed either as they were just doing the job they are paid to do.

 

Eventually RLP will pass on the case to a DCA but they all write 'A debt that we believe is undisputed' If it wasn't disputed, why would they get involved??

[kgfalcon]

Guys I've ignored the first letter, now I've received my second. I will attach a photo of the letter. What do i do now? Still ignore? Has my situation changed?

RLP letter 2.pdf

[dx100uk]

always ignore RLP

[kgfalcon]

Yeah I was told that once they get a response they won't stop. But this letter mentioned further actions being taken against me several times, it feels like they're saying 'do you have anything else to add before we do you over?'

[dx100uk]

letter rotated and converted to PDF.

 

it doesn't say anything of sorts read it properly.

 

it s a begging letter.

they have no legal powers whatsoever

totally ignore

 

dx

[kgfalcon]

See,

I want to talk to someone about it without being judged or looked down on,

and as far as I know there aren't many people I can confide in that can help me.

 

This site is helping me so much,

I literally came home and had a cold flush all over and pins and needles and felt sick but im starting to calm down.

 

I really appreciate the quick replies too.

 

And thank you for fiddling with the letter.

 

I did try and read it over and over to really understand it but those certain words and sentences really freaked me out.

[AndyOrch]

You have to laugh..." settle the claim "...what claim?

[dx100uk]

the claim s/he owes them money..laughable

[kgfalcon]

*she !

[silverfox1961]

I have seen that (and similar) letters from RLP. Nothing whatsoever to worry about.

 

While I would take action is this happened to me, you still need do nothing. TKMaxx cannot prove on the balance of probabilities you actually stole something therefore this is just an allegation. As such, I would see these letters as harassment. Taking direct action against RLP would elicit the weak response of, " We are only doing what our client told us to do."

 

I would be taking TKMaxx to task as they couldn't prove theft therefore they should not have involved RLP in the fist place. Just because 'something didn't add up' means nothing.

 

I could go on and on but then I would be ranting on your thread.

[ericsbrother]

they dont say they are doing anything or even threatening to do anything. However, if you would like to send some money we will be grateful, is about the sum of it..