shoplifting: improbable cause

August 24, 2005 9:06 AM

Inept dick filter: My supermarket thinks I'm a shoplifter.

About a month ago I was stopped outside a large Canadian supermarket by a woman who asked me to show her my receipt for socks that I had purchased with my groceries. After a somewhat embarrassing discussion at the front entrance of the store (since many customers were passing by) I showed her the receipt. I talked with the manager afterwards, and filled out a short complaint form with my name and phone number. It appears she stopped me because I bring my own bags, a policy the store encourages, since they charge for their bags, but I do it for environmental reasons. Here's what bothers me:

1. She did not identify herself until well into the conversation, when I questioned her.
2. She saw me put the socks in the bag, but she was not at the checkout when I passed my purchases through the register—the socks were clearly in sight, along with the empty bags that I passed by the cashier. No probable cause.
3. I heard nothing back from the manager, yet I am an excellent customer, and buy all their high-end organic products.

A month later, and I’m still annoyed. Suggestions please.

posted by weapons-grade pandemonium to shopping (24 comments total)

Shop somewhere else (if there's another organic store in the area, of course). Write the old place a letter telling them you're taking your business elsewhere and why. I did that when I switched from Netflix (boo) to Blockbuster Online (yay), and maybe they didn't give a care, but at least I let them know.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:14 AM on August 24, 2005 [1 favorite]

and filled out a short complaint form with my name and phone number

It's easy to ignore a written complaint...much harder when you complain to the manager in person.
posted by thanotopsis at 9:14 AM on August 24, 2005

Find another purveyor of high-end organic products or write to someone in the corporate level. If you do not receive a satisfactory answer do the former and be sure to tell them that you will leave and that you will tell everyone you know to do the same.
posted by Pollomacho at 9:15 AM on August 24, 2005

Cease being an excellent customer and let the management know why. Expect an apology. In the US, you would have been under no obligation to show the receipt or talk to the woman. The proper procedure is to ask for the police to be called, and if it is refused, to walk away. (Unless you are in front of a Wal-Mart, in which case you might be killed.) I don't know about Canada. But you have the nuclear option in your hands here, and it's not a lawsuit. It is a denial of your custom.
posted by realcountrymusic at 9:15 AM on August 24, 2005

You're right - she's inept. I'd either start shopping somewhere else or demand to speak to an actual managerial person about her behavior, or both.

You should explain, firmly but politely, that this kind of behavior will convince you to shop elsewhere.
posted by bshort at 9:17 AM on August 24, 2005

All these suggestions see like a bit of an overreaction, frankly. The business owners try to discourage shoplifting and apparently made a mistake. If this is the worst that has ever happened in your history with this store, I vote suck it up.
posted by surferboy at 9:36 AM on August 24, 2005

I did speak to the store manager in person. I never did see physical ID for the detective; she said only "I work here," halfway through our conversation. This is a huge store--they should know the ropes.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:38 AM on August 24, 2005

Canada has similar anti-search laws, realcountrymusic. In fact, in Canada, the police must arrest you to search your pockets.

If you w-gp, did this of your own accord, without threat, I'm sorry to say that you probably won't get too far. :-(
posted by shepd at 9:41 AM on August 24, 2005

Vote with your dollar, obviously. What do you want us to tell you? To sue them?
posted by angry modem at 9:46 AM on August 24, 2005

Let's summarize:

1) You were stopped by a store employee.
2) You don't know why you were stopped, but you've made an assumption.
3) You are "an excellent customer" and hope the management knows this, and thus won't stop you.
4) You filled out a written complaint and then did nothing else.

I agree with surferboy. You're over-reacting. Yes, the store employee should have identified themselves right away. (Although, personally, if I'm stopped in such a situation, I would ask for ID before I answered a single question). If this happened frequently, I would consider taking my business elsewhere.

Another complaint might be in order, but really it was an honest mistake (compounded by some marginal unprofessionalism) on the part of the employee.
posted by Plutor at 9:48 AM on August 24, 2005

Umm...weapons-grade pandemonium, I kind of agree with surferboy. You had the receipt and they don't regard you as a shoplifter. Are you after an apology or are you after feedback that management ticked off the security lady?

Did the manager apologize when you spoke with them?

Did you ask to see ID? Was she wearing any uniform? I mean, I know she was being less than professional, but it's hardly likely that a random person would confront you like that at the front of the store. I'm not saying you've got it arse about, just that it doesn't seem like too big a deal. Maybe call the manager and tell them you aren't impressed that no further follow up on your complaint was made. But...well, they've got some right to be protective I guess. A month is a long time to be holding the negative feelings though.
posted by peacay at 9:49 AM on August 24, 2005

So, the low (wo)man on the totem pole at a large company screwed up and caused you a minor inconvenience. What are you expecting, exactly? The manager probably has enough to deal with without having to apologize for every time someone screws up.

Let it go, man.

A month is a long time to be holding the negative feelings though.

Bingo. The more rewarding path to explore would be why you're so upset about this after so long.
posted by mkultra at 10:00 AM on August 24, 2005

The more rewarding path to explore would be why you're so upset about this after so long.

In other words, blame the victim.

"Sucking it up" and continuing to patronize the establishment means that you did nothing to try to keep this from happening to yourself or others in the future.

Maybe we are powerless. But I feel almost ethically obligated to make sure that the manager knew how I felt about being harrassed. It's not only the fault of the security guard, potentially, it's the people who hired, trained and created the policy that she is or is not following.
posted by goethean at 10:20 AM on August 24, 2005

"I feel" ==> "would feel"
posted by goethean at 10:21 AM on August 24, 2005

yeah - i'd view it like the police: there presence is a facet of living in a society where we have law enforcers. And I *want* law enforcers/ security guards because there are mean people who do bad things, and I'll quite happily put up with the odd time I'm mistaken for a crook because if you look at the situation from their angle, anyone's a potential crook.

Of course you're going to feel violated when someone points a finger at you, but I'm afraid the bottom line is that you're just not so special: really, you're just a guy who buys groceries, and to throw a bit of pop psyche into the mix, maybe that's what hurts you more....
posted by forallmankind at 10:33 AM on August 24, 2005

I feel that you're overreacting. One time stopped, long enough to see a receipt, does not a serious affront make.
I too have been stopped for precisely the same "offense" -- putting stuff in a bag I had brought with me. My accuser was apologetic, and explained that that exact activity is a shoplifting red flag. My reaction was different from yours; now, in order to not help them check that box, I use a basket and wait until checkout to use my bag.

I did get really incensed a different time when my only apparent offenses, while buying shampoo after a transAtlantic flight, were wearing a backpack and looking skeezy (post-flight). No apologies, nothing. My French wasn't good enough to demand one, alas.
posted by Aknaton at 10:35 AM on August 24, 2005

goethean- Before getting all high and mighty, I'd suggest actually reading ALL of the post. Notably, the part where he says, "I talked with the manager afterwards, and filled out a short complaint form with my name and phone number." wgp is ultimately just upset that he didn't get the satisfaction of the apology to which he felt entitled. To which, I say, move on.
posted by mkultra at 10:37 AM on August 24, 2005

No offense intended, but you also made a mistake in not knowing your rights, and are partly at fault. You are not a victim in the sense that you were powerless to defend yourself or change the outcome, you simply didn't know what to do. I wasn't there, and I may be missing something, but it sounds like your privacy wasn't invaded, so much as given up willingly because of ignorance of the law. The good news is that this will never happen to you again!
posted by Hildago at 10:46 AM on August 24, 2005

Shop somewhere else.
posted by mosch at 11:06 AM on August 24, 2005

Go to the store, ask to speak with the manager, and tell him how you feel. Make it clear that you no longer feel welcome at the store and you'll be exploring alternatives. Potentially, if he's being a real dick, sucker punch him and run away as fast as you can.
posted by nixerman at 11:21 AM on August 24, 2005

i don't think he's overreacting at all ... an apology was called for ... and he didn't get it

conclusion ... that store doesn't care about his business

i'd shop somewhere else
posted by pyramid termite at 11:23 AM on August 24, 2005

Who's the "inept dick"? The store manager? You, for not asking the woman to identify herself earlier, or for harboring a grudge for a month?

You want suggestions. "Get over it" seems reasonable. I'd agree with "Shop elsewhere," except I've found that two groups of consumers tend to exhibit blind, ignorant, undeserved loyalty: (1) tree-hugging organic vegans, and (2) tight-fisted chain shoppers. As best I can tell from your brief post, you're probably both. You're not going to switch supermarkets, so let's set that aside.

Write a letter. Address it to corporate headquarters, and copy the local store manager. You might get a written apology. You might get a merchandise credit. You might feel better.

There's an old joke: To cure a headache, stub your toe. That's another option: Wait for life's next altercation (or instigate one) and get your closure from that.
posted by cribcage at 12:11 PM on August 24, 2005

"Sucking it up" and continuing to patronize the establishment means that you did nothing to try to keep this from happening to yourself or others in the future.

What exactly is there to prevent? An uncomfortable conversation? Because God knows we can't have uncomfortable conversations going on in our nation's stores, even if that nation is Canada.

"Sucking it up" in this case means acknowledging that notihng actually happened and getting on with life, and I second the advice.
posted by kindall at 1:07 PM on August 24, 2005

If you disapprove of them having someone check bags occasionally, then stop going there as that is apparently their policy. You can refuse to let them check, but they can also refuse to sell to you in the future. A lot of stores do a receipt check on certain items, although I can't think of any that would do it on low-cost items like you probably purchased.

Was it embarassing because you're afraid of the reactions of others? Because if this is a common store policy, then they've probably seen innocent people stopped before. At stores where I can understand the need for such things, I'm usually friendly, courteous, and comply without protest. I think it'd be best if this was never done, but I can understand if a company wants to protect their bottom line. I'd rather it be an equal opportunity thing rather than see certain groups get harassed. It's best if there's a blanket policy so that everyone gets checked, because then no one is going to be offended for being singled out.

I'd ask if there's a store policy as to when checks are done. If you don't get an answer and are afraid you'll get randomly checked again, stop going there. If this happens again, ask for some sort of proof they work for the store, and ask if there is anything you can do to avoid being singled out.
posted by mikeh at 7:58 AM on August 25, 2005