So today my son was "accused" of shoplifting

[tinatark]

at TJ Maxx! I had gone in there with my younger son, while he (ds16) went over to GameStop - he bought a Microsoft points card - put it into the front pocket of his jeans - then came over to TJMaxx. After he came in, an employee ("manager type", his description) came over to him and told him to let her know if he "needed anything"... then she told him to just "give her the package" - he handed her his points card, which she looked at, realized it wasn't an item they carried, handed it back to him, and walked away without a word.

When he told me, we walked through the store some more, but I didn't see her - I'm not sure what I was going to say, but I was pretty ticked at the way she handled it.

 

[AKL_Megs]

If he put it in his pants pocket outside of the store, how did she see it?

I would have made a fuss. I would have found that lady and raised hell.

Unless a camera (or this woman) watched him take something from a shelf and put it in his pocket, she had absolutely no right to stop him, even if he was fooling around with it and taking it in and out of his pocket.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

How did she know what he had in his pocket?

Was it the sizes of a credit card or something bigger? It's a bummer--but I'm not sure what the "polite" way to handle it would have been.

The places I have worked retail, store employees were not allowed to encounter any customer even if we saw them directly concealing items to steal.

One store I worked at was Mervyn's. We did not have security detail there during all business operating hours. Specfically--if we saw someone quite literally snatch things off the rack and let them go, we had to let them go. Security--if they were there that day, would handle it. We could tell the manager, but regular level employees would have no idea if security was working or not.

Sear's--I don't recall what we were allowed to do. I was a mgr trainee and the dept I was in had an employee suspected of shoplifting. He was eventually busted--I had no idea he was under scrutiny and there was one time I chatted with him about something b/c I thought it was my job and I was told quite point blank to not address him b/c he was under suspicion and they were trying to catch him in the act. As I said--he was eventually caught.

As I said, I don't know the "polite" way to handle it. Customers do have rights. However, I would prefer something done if they suspected something than nothing to be done at all and yet another inventory loss occurred.

Perhaps when they discovered that it wasn't an item they carried, they could have profusely apologized.

 

[Hedy]

When I was about that age, I was accused of shopliftign for pretty much the same reason-apparently hairpray and some chichi frou frou junk look alike. I'm still mad at the store and refuse to shop there.

 

[shortbun]

Yes, it happens a lot. When I'm shopping with my nearly 15yo, I stay with him. It's ridiculous but some of his friends have been detained and taken to security offices while they were shopping alone. THAT scares me as I do not trust mall security people to make good decisions. It was a security person who sent a 6yo outside alone to be abducted in California. I'm not too worried about abduction of an athletic teenager but those security could go cowboy and do some really memorable stuff. I've told my child - always get a receipt and a bag, keep them together. Never put anything in your pocket while you shop for other things, get a cart or a basket.

 

[tinatark]

The card is credit card sized, but encased in plastic, probably 5x6 - he put in in his pocket as he entered the store (you come in, through a foyer-type area, then into the store). He's pretty slender, so it looked like he had something in his pocket.

She should have apologized - jumped to conclusions when she saw a teenager in the store alone, seemingly with "something" in his pocket.

On the other hand, showing a lady at the store was probably much less traumatic for him than if she had called the police to investigate.

I would also guess their "shrinkage" comes more often in the form of employee theft/screw ups at the register than people walking out the door with stuff (security tags)

 

[Demosthenes]

My father was once accused of shoplifting at Home Depot. This is a man that spent more than $250,000 annually at HD back then (he was a commercial general contractor). He was accused because he had a drill index (about a $15 item)in his jacket pocket, and the store manager said he saw him take it out of the package, and steal it from the tool aisle. He was detained immediately after making a purchase of more than $100. Dad was actually charged and booked. It was only after dad's lawyer sent a letter to Home Depot, accompanied by a copy of the previous year's Home Depot AP report that the charges were dropped, and dad got a personal letter of apology from Arthur Blank. Dad was big enough to forgive them, but I still choose Lowe's whenever there is an option.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Technically speaking, unless he LEFT the store or TRIED to leave the store, she was WAY out of line (if someone DID take something) . Personally, I would have found her, asked her WHY she did that and Then, demanded and apology and secured her name. Then I would have sent a letter to management NOT at the store and demanded another apology for their insensitive, inappropriate handling! If I had a cc with them, I'd also cancel it.
Taking advantage because he was a kid is what it sounds like to me...meanwhile, you have a good kid so try and make it a lesson learned for him, that People judge you because of WHAT you look like (a KID) and who they THINK you are, SAD but true.... Hope he did not get upset!

 

[AKL_Megs]

The card is credit card sized, but encased in plastic, probably 5x6 - he put in in his pocket as he entered the store (you come in, through a foyer-type area, then into the store). He's pretty slender, so it looked like he had something in his pocket.

She should have apologized - jumped to conclusions when she saw a teenager in the store alone, seemingly with "something" in his pocket.

Who cares that he had "something" in his pocket. He HAD that "something" when he came in the store. That lady was all kinds of wrong. No wonder she went and hid.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

The card is credit card sized, but encased in plastic, probably 5x6 - he put in in his pocket as he entered the store (you come in, through a foyer-type area, then into the store). He's pretty slender, so it looked like he had something in his pocket.

She should have apologized - jumped to conclusions when she saw a teenager in the store alone, seemingly with "something" in his pocket.

Next time--I'd tell him to tell them to pull the security tape. It could have been his debit card or something.

I alwasy get a little spooked about that b/c sometimes I pocket things or put them in my purse as I enter the store---MY things. So I am "armed" so to speak to have them go pull the tape before submitting to a search. One can't steal something from outside the store (unless they are having a sidewalk sale or something and are foolish enough to put out teeny tiny items).

Customers do have rights and her reaction after realizing should have been that of complete apology and submission to the customer for the false accusation.

We all make mistakes---but that is just uncalled for to not make it right upon realizing that a mistake was made.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My father was once accused of shoplifting at Home Depot. This is a man that spent more than $250,000 annually at HD back then (he was a commercial general contractor). He was accused because he had a drill index (about a $15 item)in his jacket pocket, and the store manager said he saw him take it out of the package, and steal it from the tool aisle. He was detained immediately after making a purchase of more than $100. Dad was actually charged and booked. It was only after dad's lawyer sent a letter to Home Depot, accompanied by a copy of the previous year's Home Depot AP report that the charges were dropped, and dad got a personal letter of apology from Arthur Blank. Dad was big enough to forgive them, but I still choose Lowe's whenever there is an option.

That's horrible.

I will sometimes bring stuff into a home depot or to wherever when looking for a replacement. That way I know I'm getting the correct thing.

 

[AKL_Megs]

That's horrible.

I will sometimes bring stuff into a home depot or to wherever when looking for a replacement. That way I know I'm getting the correct thing.

Yeah, no kidding.

I hate when stores have to be like that. It's always the ones who make the most money.

When I was about 6 years old, my mom got taken back in one of those rooms at K-Mart, accused of swapping stickers on something she bought.

I remember never being so scared in my life.

They weren't 100% sure she had done it (she had not), but they still wasted our time and scared a kid over what was a $5 difference that never happened.

We haven't shopped at K-Mart in 20+ years.

 

[EllaM]

My father was once accused of shoplifting at Home Depot. This is a man that spent more than $250,000 annually at HD back then (he was a commercial general contractor). He was accused because he had a drill index (about a $15 item)in his jacket pocket, and the store manager said he saw him take it out of the package, and steal it from the tool aisle. He was detained immediately after making a purchase of more than $100. Dad was actually charged and booked. It was only after dad's lawyer sent a letter to Home Depot, accompanied by a copy of the previous year's Home Depot AP report that the charges were dropped, and dad got a personal letter of apology from Arthur Blank. Dad was big enough to forgive them, but I still choose Lowe's whenever there is an option.

Oh hell, I would too. You ruin a $250k customer relationship over a $15 item? S T U P I D!

 

[PUZZLDY5]

I was accused of shoplifting at agrocery store when I was 17. It was cold and I had my infant son wraped up in my coat. I was stopped at the exit. The manager felt realy stupid and my mother went off.

 

[MiniGirl]

I don't think I've ever shopped at this store, but is it just possible that this store inspects all packages you bring into the store? That would explain why she asked to see a package he came in with.

I don't know. Just trying to look at it from different angles.

 

[NotUrsula]

I got the "back room treatment" over a hairbrush once at a drugstore when I was 14; only it was at least an hour before I discovered that it was a hairbrush that they were accusing me of stealing. They kept going on with "we saw you take it", and I kept asking what "it" was supposed to be and they would not tell me. Finally I dumped out my purse on the table because the guard said that he had seen me put "it" in my purse, and after his reaction I finally figured out what had happened.

I was looking for a new hairbrush like the one I already had, so I had taken my old one out of my bag to compare. As it happens, they didn't happen to have one in stock that day, and so I put the old one away. The thing is, I needed a new one because the old one was wearing out -- there were bristles missing and the rubber was cracking, and it was full of hair, too.

When the guard pounced on the hairbrush when I dumped out my purse, I nearly fell out of the chair laughing. "You think that I just took THAT hairbrush!? Folks, if you sell hairbrushes in that condition, I think I'm going to have shop somewhere else from now on." The manager looked as though he absolutely wanted to KILL the guard.

 

[kelleyrn2000]

My 50 yo mom was recently accused at a Menards store. She checked out and then they asked her to go to the security room. Then they claimed she was seen on video taking a plumbing fixture. She was totally humiliated, and demanded to see the video, but they wouldn't.

So of course after she dumped her purse out and they saw she didn't have anything they let her go, but she was so upset and embarrassed by the whole ordeal. They never apologized.

 

[mlynn]

I was accused in Lowes back in Sept.

My husband and I and our 2 dd's went in to buy stuff for a broken toilet pipe. about 5 foot of pipe. Well I paid for it along with all the other stuff my husband need to fix it. Went to leave the store adn it was pouring..Dh told me to go down to the loading area so he could bring the car over and tie the pipe to the top.So he wouldn't get soaked. Asked the lady at he door if it was ok.She said sure go ahead.Walk down there.I thought she called ahead.Walk to the door and a man started screaming at me and my dd."DID YOU PAY FOR THAT?" Yes would you like to see the receipt?? He then yells to a cashier check her and make sure she has that pipe on her reciept. She said it's on there.He still comes and checks and then says to me"are you afraid your going to melt walking in teh rain?"

My dd5 was like are we going to jail..I was so PO that called the main office and gave them hell.Then they had the manager of th store call me and the man was fired and I can go in when ever I need something and ask for the manager and he will give me the lowest price he can for what I need.BUt I haven't went back.

I would call and talk to the manager. Because that was on called for with your son.

 

[Sparx]

I hate how walmart handles electronic returns/exchanges.

I made a purchase of more than $500.00 and one thing I bought was a $20.00 video game. It didn't work. I assumed it was just a scratched disk or something, and took it to the store the next morning to return. I had the receipt, the original packaging, and the game. I was ESCORTED from the front of the store, to the game case, and back. Never once was I allowed to hold the game in my hands, until its barcode was scanned. Why in the world would I be escorted through the store for a game I've already purchased, and especially when it only cost $20.00.

 

[Buckalew11]

I hate how walmart handles electronic returns/exchanges.

I made a purchase of more than $500.00 and one thing I bought was a $20.00 video game. It didn't work. I assumed it was just a scratched disk or something, and took it to the store the next morning to return. I had the receipt, the original packaging, and the game. I was ESCORTED from the front of the store, to the game case, and back. Never once was I allowed to hold the game in my hands, until its barcode was scanned. Why in the world would I be escorted through the store for a game I've already purchased, and especially when it only cost $20.00.

Had they not put a return sticker on it at the front door? They usually tag everything.

Tinatark, were you are foothills?

I always worry because I mess with my cell phone in and out of pockets or purse or this little Real Simple thingee I have with all my paint chips etc. in it to match items up etc.