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RLP "Letter to Claim" received—added customer points to my card, not stolen money.
Hi Forum Members,
I started working for Boots in October 2024 and liked my job at the tills. I got familiar with how customers earn 3 points per 1£ on their boots card. I observed many people spending huge amount did not have boots card and and refused one when I offered them one (I really tried to convince them to get one). Being an international student from STEM background, I could not help myself from calculating how much on a daily basis the consumer lose out on points (as 100 points= £1 worth). Initially I wrote the numbers on back of the till paper but lost track of those. I thought it would be easier to add it to my own advantage card (first by taking receipt to other stores and getting them added to my card). By december, when the customer told me they dont have an advantage card, I manually entered my card number. I did not realise the severity of my actions. For me, it was a game to analyse how much people lose and how much reveue boots losses (I am from economics background). I did not spend any of those points and did not even keep a track of how many points have been added to my boots card. I was a temporary christmas employee so was gonna analyse it all after my contact ended on 31st December.
On 19th December, on my regular shift, I was taken to the office and interrogated by an investigator about 183 such transactions on my employee id and was told i had about £163 pounds on my boots card in the form of points meaning I had collected 16300 points by taking customer receipts points (onlywhen they said they did not want a receipt) and by manually adding my card number if the customer said they have no boots card. I was told my boots card was frozen and I could anyway not use those points now. I had signed a contract that said points are considered as money at Boots, however, I had forgotten this and was just excited about my data analysis. Boots viewed my actions as gross misconduct and theft. The investigator showed my the CCTV clips of me typing my card number when customer did not give me their card, data showing the number of transaction and value of transactions and data showing how many receipts I have used to get points on my own card. Although I had not spent the amount, they viewed it as theft because I added it to my card.
I immediately admitted my mistake and told them how it was just a math number game and basic analysis opportunity for me. It was not even exact figures, the analysis was mostly based on estimation and extrapolation of numbers. I told them how I didn't realise it was such a big deal. But they showed me all the evidence that they held convincing them of my misconduct and arranged for a second meeting i.e. disciplinary meeting with manager of other branch to decided if I should be dismissed or if they should give me a warning. On 23rd December, I had the meeting and immediately explained them my side of the story and they agreed I did not spent the points on that card. They decided to dismiss me and told me about civil recovery meaning costs of investigation and paying for the investigator's time or any value of product which I understood and left the premises.
Now today on 18th January, I received a 'Letter before Claim' from RLP reiterating the cause of my dismissal and explicit breakdown of the outstanding amount which comes to £935 .02. The letter says "your actions have caused disruption to our client's business in detecting and investigating frauds and dealing with the consequences of your actions thereby claiming further costs for our client which is legally entitled to claim from you." The letter also mentions "Our client relies upon investigation files, data mining, transactional data, till, CCTV and evidence of personnel involved in the investigation to prove its claim" Follwing is the breakdown of their losses-
Loss due to advantage card addition to the value of - £7.84
Cost of Personnel Investigating, Detecting and Dealing with the matter- £474.38
Administrative costs including mileage and travel - £84.4
Security Costs Contribution- £365.4
Total - £935.02
The letter further says although the costs are as detailed their client is prepared to seek cotribution towards its investigative costs and lost goods in order to process its claim cost effectively, expediently and proportionately. "Our client is prepared to settle its claim in the sum of £257.84"
Now, I do realise I made a grave mistake and accepted it immediately in front of the investigators and the disciplinary panel. And because there's no actual money involved it was not gonna be handled by the police. Now the situation is, I am an international student and will be flying back to my country in February 2025. I do intend to return in future if an employment opportunity in the UK presents itself. Hence, I do not want to risk any employment because of this case. My concerns are-
1. I do not have time to wait for 2nd or 3rd followup letter and will not received the letters as I am moving to my country. Will they sue me for ignoring the letters? The very first letter is "Letter before Claim" and many forums said to ignore all letters except this one.
2. Should I call them and offer to pay some portion of the £257.84? Because I am down to my last £212 in this country and can only pay upto £150. I literally never spend any points but am ready to pay the amount I added to my card.
3. If I leave the country without settling this case and they decide to sue me, will I be arrested as and when I land in the UK?
Please help.
Thank you in advance
I started working for Boots in October 2024 and liked my job at the tills. I got familiar with how customers earn 3 points per 1£ on their boots card. I observed many people spending huge amount did not have boots card and and refused one when I offered them one (I really tried to convince them to get one). Being an international student from STEM background, I could not help myself from calculating how much on a daily basis the consumer lose out on points (as 100 points= £1 worth). Initially I wrote the numbers on back of the till paper but lost track of those. I thought it would be easier to add it to my own advantage card (first by taking receipt to other stores and getting them added to my card). By december, when the customer told me they dont have an advantage card, I manually entered my card number. I did not realise the severity of my actions. For me, it was a game to analyse how much people lose and how much reveue boots losses (I am from economics background). I did not spend any of those points and did not even keep a track of how many points have been added to my boots card. I was a temporary christmas employee so was gonna analyse it all after my contact ended on 31st December.
On 19th December, on my regular shift, I was taken to the office and interrogated by an investigator about 183 such transactions on my employee id and was told i had about £163 pounds on my boots card in the form of points meaning I had collected 16300 points by taking customer receipts points (onlywhen they said they did not want a receipt) and by manually adding my card number if the customer said they have no boots card. I was told my boots card was frozen and I could anyway not use those points now. I had signed a contract that said points are considered as money at Boots, however, I had forgotten this and was just excited about my data analysis. Boots viewed my actions as gross misconduct and theft. The investigator showed my the CCTV clips of me typing my card number when customer did not give me their card, data showing the number of transaction and value of transactions and data showing how many receipts I have used to get points on my own card. Although I had not spent the amount, they viewed it as theft because I added it to my card.
I immediately admitted my mistake and told them how it was just a math number game and basic analysis opportunity for me. It was not even exact figures, the analysis was mostly based on estimation and extrapolation of numbers. I told them how I didn't realise it was such a big deal. But they showed me all the evidence that they held convincing them of my misconduct and arranged for a second meeting i.e. disciplinary meeting with manager of other branch to decided if I should be dismissed or if they should give me a warning. On 23rd December, I had the meeting and immediately explained them my side of the story and they agreed I did not spent the points on that card. They decided to dismiss me and told me about civil recovery meaning costs of investigation and paying for the investigator's time or any value of product which I understood and left the premises.
Now today on 18th January, I received a 'Letter before Claim' from RLP reiterating the cause of my dismissal and explicit breakdown of the outstanding amount which comes to £935 .02. The letter says "your actions have caused disruption to our client's business in detecting and investigating frauds and dealing with the consequences of your actions thereby claiming further costs for our client which is legally entitled to claim from you." The letter also mentions "Our client relies upon investigation files, data mining, transactional data, till, CCTV and evidence of personnel involved in the investigation to prove its claim" Follwing is the breakdown of their losses-
Loss due to advantage card addition to the value of - £7.84
Cost of Personnel Investigating, Detecting and Dealing with the matter- £474.38
Administrative costs including mileage and travel - £84.4
Security Costs Contribution- £365.4
Total - £935.02
The letter further says although the costs are as detailed their client is prepared to seek cotribution towards its investigative costs and lost goods in order to process its claim cost effectively, expediently and proportionately. "Our client is prepared to settle its claim in the sum of £257.84"
Now, I do realise I made a grave mistake and accepted it immediately in front of the investigators and the disciplinary panel. And because there's no actual money involved it was not gonna be handled by the police. Now the situation is, I am an international student and will be flying back to my country in February 2025. I do intend to return in future if an employment opportunity in the UK presents itself. Hence, I do not want to risk any employment because of this case. My concerns are-
1. I do not have time to wait for 2nd or 3rd followup letter and will not received the letters as I am moving to my country. Will they sue me for ignoring the letters? The very first letter is "Letter before Claim" and many forums said to ignore all letters except this one.
2. Should I call them and offer to pay some portion of the £257.84? Because I am down to my last £212 in this country and can only pay upto £150. I literally never spend any points but am ready to pay the amount I added to my card.
3. If I leave the country without settling this case and they decide to sue me, will I be arrested as and when I land in the UK?
Please help.
Thank you in advance
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