Have not heard anything in over 3 months: Caught 1st time shoplifting at Tesco

[ProgLog]

This happened on June 19th, I was caught abusing a loophole in the self checkout where I scanned cheaper items to put in heavier, more expensive items down.

 

I had being doing this for a while quite often, but didn't take anything of high value, just food on my lunch breaks. When I was caught, they said they were on to me for the past couple months.

 

I had visited the Tesco only 2 to 3 times a week and at odd times during lunch (could be from 12pm to 2pm) and not everytime I did this, sometimes paying for a bag of crisps, etc.

 

The thing is, the security guard didn't even pull me into their office, he took me to the side and gotten my personal details and didn't even bother calling the police because what I took that day was such a low value. Told me I would receive a letter telling me what action they will take in 2 weeks or so. Just got down my details from my drivers license, paid for what I had taken on that occasion, didn't take a photo of me and said I'm banned from the store.

 

Did not mention civil recovery action.

 

He said it's likely the head office will review the CCTV footage of previous times I went in and will probably take it to the police.

 

I immediately wrote a letter to the store manager and head office, showing deep remorse and apologised, in which the customer service manager replied with a letter thanking me, but not saying what actions the head office will take due to data privacy laws. Not heard anything from the store itself.

 

I was expecting this to trigger a DWF letter to pressure fines on me, but it has almost been 3 months and haven't heard anything else, other than that one letter so it's making me so anxious and worried.

 

If it's taking so long, is it likely the are building a case and the police are getting involved? Or were they pressuring me into not going in again and have just left it at that?

 

Or should I expect a late DWF letter and nothing else? Does it take multiple months to see one of these letters?

 

People have said they're letting me sweat it: it's too much time to sit through hours of CCTV to see what I had took of relatively low value and it would not be cost effective to involve the police, but still a possibility, or it could have even been forgotten about.

 

I have been told it might be sitting in a pile with others, but a lot of people on this forum seem to have received DWF / RLP letters relatively quick.

 

Someone else had even told me there won't be any complicated background police investigation and my punishment would be very minor if I was to receive one, but I am still unsure and very very worried about it still, I stress about it often.

 

I had also been told waiting this long could have potentially harmed any chances of a case, since it would have been proceeded with sooner after the incident? Would they still hold onto CCTV from April to June?

[dx100uk]

go forget about it.

they have

nothing nor anyone can do

and no they wont bother with CCTV.

 

go enjoy your life

[ProgLog]

Thanks, that's what I've been trying to do, but it's strange how everyone who has been caught have been sent these letters apart from me, do they not issue these to every person involved in these?

[renegadeimp]

Why are you worried about letters? Thats all they are . letters. They cant do anything to you.

 

Focus on not shoplifting anymore and get on with your life.

[ProgLog]

I'm actually worried about not getting the letters because I'm scared they're pursuing further action, but the responses have been quite relieving but I don't know what makes you all so sure nothing further is to happen

[dx100uk]

they cant ignore

 

dx

[ProgLog]

What can't they ignore?

[dx100uk]

no,,, they cant [do anything now]....ignore.

 

dx

[ProgLog]

Hmmm... that sounds like I'd be kept held waiting for a long time before something happens? But how are you certain nothing else would happen?

[dx100uk]

Because its to late now

Stop worrying about nothing

On avg each store loses each day loses to this sca@m £100's

They dont bother with pennies just career stealers and even then they ignore 90%

 

Dx

[renegadeimp]

They cannot do ANYTHING. ever. Stop worrying about it and move on with your life. We are certain because NO recovery company has taken action since one of them got slapped down hard years ago in court.

 

They have absolutely no basis to do ANYTHING. ALl they can do is send a few scary letters and hope people pay in a panic. None of the money goes to the store. It all goes in that shady companies pocket.

[ProgLog]

I'm well aware of what the civil recovery process is.

What I meant to say is, because Tesco have NOT resorted to getting them involved to send those intimidating letters,whereas other people in this situation have nothing to worry about since they only got the letters, I am stressing over the possibility Tesco have decided to persue the matter with the police instead.

[renegadeimp]

How many times do you want me to tell you the same thing before you understand it?

 

Tesco wont pursue the matter with the police. Tesco forgot you existed the moment you walked out of the building. They certainly wont get involved for a small amount over 3 months later.

 

I can pretty much guarantee that all the security staff did was give you a telling off, gave you a banning letter and that was it.

[dx100uk]

me thinks your grovelling letter worked

the police cannot now be involved

too muchtime has elasped

[ProgLog]

I had a hunch the grovelling worked. the security guard didn't say how long I was banned for, just banned without a banning letter or form as I didn't sign anything.

Not like I want to go back in there though, I was quite shaken up after that.

Edited September 28, 2018 by ProgLog

[dx100uk]

there you go

 

pers i'd not worry

just stay away from that store for a few months

theres nowt they can do bar asking you to leave anyway....

 

and no the pixs do not get circulated if they ever do get any....but they wont

and no they don't employ face recog software AFAIK.

[ProgLog]

Pics were never a concern since they weren't taken, unless you're referring stills taken from cctv, but cheers

[dx100uk]

:thumb:

[silverfox1961]

Blimey! You have had some sterling advice so far so please understand what can and can't happen.

 

 

In other cases I have seen, letters usually arrive within two weeks so unless the security guard didn't get your details right and the letters are going elsewhere, they won't be chasing any time soon.

 

 

Far too late for any police involvement. It is possible your letter to Tesco did work

 

 

 

Concentrate on stopping the stealing, go to a different store for a year or so and get on with your life.

[ProgLog]

Thank you, I have actually just checked my drivers licence, which they actually wrote down my address from.

 

It has the number of the building, but not the flat number (when I moved in I didn't know because the flat number is the same as the building number) so I might have actually been getting letters and not known.

 

The fact that they only wrote my address down and told me to expect a letter and not ask for any other personal details like my phone number to contact me through, makes it seem like I'd only be expecting loss prevention letters.

 

I doubt it now, but if they did get a small claims court or police investigation and contacted me through mail, I would've thought they'd tried other methods to contact me if I have been ignoring their mail for over 3 months.

Edited September 29, 2018 by ProgLog
Missed a few points to explain

[silverfox1961]

In this country, nobody is allowed to profit from a civil recovery claim so the losses actually incurred can be chased, not any amount stated by RLP.

 

 

Since 2012 no store has taken any action against shoplifters after 'The Oxford Case' concluded that the amounts claimed were not actual losses. The case is HERE

 

 

So, no need to worry about any civil recovery letter. The police will not get involved after this length of time.

[ProgLog]

Thank you silverfox, my apologies but my license actually says my apartment and the number for it, but the building and NOT the building number. However, the post code is shared with every apartment in this building though so as confusing as it is, can still be checked to match my flat. Seems like the confusion possibly had the postman sending it in someone else's mail.

 

 

Funnily enough, the letter I sent to head office they actually wrote back and was the only letter I recieved, had the full address details and my phone and email.

[silverfox1961]

I know what you mean about postcodes. Where I live there is 20 properties all sharing the same postcode.

 

 

The letter you sent to head office had your correct details on it so it's no wonder you got a reply.

 

 

Even if the letters are being misdirected, that's not your problem as no court case will come of it.

 

 

 

I would carry on being blithely ignorant of any contact .

[ProgLog]

The only thing is that as previously stated, if they took other action involving police, they've left it too late by now so it's nothing to worry about, but what if they had done shortly after I was caught but I didn't get the mail? But I am sure if that's the case they would have tried to contact me again through another method rather than sending more mail and leaving it this long

[silverfox1961]

If the police were involved, they would have sent you a letter 'inviting' you down to the local nick for a 'chat' If they got no response then they would have made a personal visit. There is also the fact of police resources and that means that a lot of forces will not get involved with shoplifting cases where the value is less than £200. With the police, they have a short time in which to lay charges (I think about six months) so if they were going to get involved they would have done so by now.

 

As far as I am aware, Tesco (and many other stores) do not get the police involved as it is a waste of their time which is why they go the civil recovery route instead. Here on CAG, we only see a minority of cases where the other ones missed will have paid up to avoid action. We haven't been able to put them right. All you need to do is read other threads and see how many times the police were involved. I guarantee it's very few.