Shoftlifting at Boots

[ns520904]

I was very recently stopped by the store detective at Boots who said he had spotted me two days ago taking goods from the shop.
When he caught me this day ( which was two days later) I have to say I am ashamed to admit that I had taken goods.
I have never done anything to even be over paying a bill in my life and have no logical reason for my actions I could have paid for the goods and am so remorseful with shame.
The police were involved and the an adult community resolution form was given to me stating "Accept Banning Order" which was for 12 months in that particular shopping centre.
He then gave me a RLP form which I said I could not read as I did not have my glasses on but he summarized by saying its where we recover all our losses including the CCTV costs and time and said its like "don't pay we will take it away" the whole situation was stupid I know and I deserve to have a consequence but after reading your forum which since the event I have done nothing else but try find reason for my actions its made me think about the whole process.
I feel I do deserve to pay for my actions, but I was not stopped when he said he spotted me the first time and yes guilty as charged the second (and never never again) he retrieved the goods which was makeup and vitamin tablets.
What should I do since the address they have is my old house address and my best friends address which I don't want her to know about this.
By the way the security guard asked for my national insurance number?

[Kati]

Re: Shoftlifting at Boots

tagging [MENTION=39710]des8[/MENTION] [MENTION=2]Celestine[/MENTION] [MENTION=31453]PAWS[/MENTION] xx

[des8]

Re: Shoftlifting at Boots

Hi and welcome.

Your problem really is having given your previous address.
RLP will write, and you can ignore their letters.
Are you concerned your friend will open your mail (intentionally or by mistake)?
You could pay Royal Mail to redirect any mail to your current address (or if there is a reason not to do this you could set up a PO box and collect the mail from there)
http://www.royalmail.com/start-your-...416_GAR_SM_208

You would need to intercept your post for about 9 months if RLP run true to form.

Please do not feel any need to pay further for your actions.
The retailer lost nothing.
Their security costs would have been incurred anyway.
RLP seek to make money from the vulnerable, and should be ignored.

If you have feelings of guilt, just bear in mind you have been punished by being banned from the complex for 12 months,
You have agreed to a community resolution order.

The security guard had no need or right to demand your NI number. It is sometimes used by government agencies (eg legal aid, tax etc) as an identification aid.

[ns520904]

Re: Shoftlifting at Boots

thank you so much for reply - in essence the adult community resolution has the correct address on of my friend as this is my mailing address since I am travelling abroad within the next two weeks with no date to return. Boots got my rental address which of course I am leaving shortly and also my mailing address and also took a copy of my old driving licence which has my old address on it so really not sure which will be used - there is nothing doggie about the changes its just how the circumstances are right now.
My main concern was that my best friend does not get the burden of RLP as I really am so ashamed to tell her and I am inclined to just pay any amount to stop letters coming to her. How soon is it before I should expect a letter

[des8]

Re: Shoftlifting at Boots

First letter, requesting a payment in the region of £150 to £200 normally arrives within three weeks.

I realise it might be horrifically embarrasing, but would your friend just hold the letters for you, or forward them to your address abroad?
If she is a true friend, will she not support you, rather than judge you?
You made a mistake, an error of judgement. Don't we all? and if this is the worst you ever do you have nothing to be ashamed about

I hesitate to suggest she might even just destroy the letters!
As long as RLP never learn you are not receiving them there shoud be no problems.

If they discover you are not receiving the letters they could possibly obtain a default County Court judgement

Whatever you decide, good luck and don't let this destroy your self esteem.

[ns520904]

Re: Shoftlifting at Boots

thank you perhaps I do need to share with her and she is my best friend of 48 years and maybe this will help me. I know if I asked her just to destroy them she would for me - but how would they know I am not receiving them and what is a county court judgement please?

[des8]

Re: Shoftlifting at Boots

The general advice is to ignore RLP letters.
They write a series of letters, each more threatening, in legalese.
The matter is then passed to a Debt Collector, who has no powers whatever, in the hopes it will scare peeps into contributing to their treasure chest.
When this is ignored they then offer a reduction in the amoount requested, and then give up!

Once upon a time they used to initiate court action to "recover" their losses.
However they lost in a famous case, and haven't been to court since over a shop lifting incident.

THe concern is that if they knew you weren't in the country to defend a court action, they might try county court again.
They might discover you weren't receiving their letters if per chance they were returned as "unknown at this address"
Not knowing about the court claim you would not put in a defence and they would obtain a judgement by default.
This judgement would be on your credit records for 6 years and if you then returned to the UK within 6 years they could enforce the judgement. No problem tho' if you are abroad.

[ns520904]

Re: Shoftlifting at Boots

I am not leaving the uk permanently more to take a long break but still employed by the uk and remain uk residence and working for the uk do you feel the answer to everything would be to reassure my friend that nothing will happen to her or her house. Would the best advice be to ignore the letters. Boots only gave me a banning order and the police adult community resolution clearly says if I accept the banning order the police will take no further action. Does this confirm that boots and the police have been satisfied and it is only the RLP I will now be in communication with now are the above finished with concluded in their eyes?

[des8]

Re: Shoftlifting at Boots

RLP should not be writing to anyone other than you about the incident . (Data protection act)
It does not involve your friend in anyway whatsoever.
Her house and property are safe, as is any of your property that remains in the UK.
Boots have handed the incident to RLP who will do all the chasing and threatening.
You will not hear from Boots agan
The police likewise will not bring the incident up again, (unless you are sometime in the future in a similar situation ... very unlikely I should think:tinysmile_grin_t

My suggestion is that you talk to your friend.
Take a deep breath and explain the situation to her.
Request she takes delivery of the letters, opens them and reads them, and then file them in a draw until you return to UK.
If she becomes concerned she could (if you give her your details for this site) come here for support.

[ns520904]

Re: Shoftlifting at Boots

thank you for reply and grateful for your support under the circumstances.
The only thought I did have was in the hope the "letter" arrives before the 15th June I am able to open this myself as I am seeing her to say goodbye on this day - at that point I feel slightly obliged to ask her if she is ok with the letters still coming or indeed would she ask me to pay the silly amount just to stop them coming - do you feel I should stay strong about the no reply scenario or if she asks me to pay it do so purely on the grounds of paying to save her the worry or should I convince her that sound advice means she will have no come back on the letters other than like you say more letters and stronger wording? Are you 100% sure nothing can come of the demand RLP will have
thanks again for your support

[Openlaw15]

Re: Shoftlifting at Boots

I was very recently stopped by the store detective at Boots who said he had spotted me two days ago taking goods from the shop.
When he caught me this day ( which was two days later) I have to say I am ashamed to admit that I had taken goods.
I have never done anything to even be over paying a bill in my life and have no logical reason for my actions I could have paid for the goods and am so remorseful with shame.
The police were involved and the an adult community resolution form was given to me stating "Accept Banning Order" which was for 12 months in that particular shopping centre.
He then gave me a RLP form which I said I could not read as I did not have my glasses on but he summarized by saying its where we recover all our losses including the CCTV costs and time and said its like "don't pay we will take it away" the whole situation was stupid I know and I deserve to have a consequence but after reading your forum which since the event I have done nothing else but try find reason for my actions its made me think about the whole process.
I feel I do deserve to pay for my actions, but I was not stopped when he said he spotted me the first time and yes guilty as charged the second (and never never again) he retrieved the goods which was makeup and vitamin tablets.
What should I do since the address they have is my old house address and my best friends address which I don't want her to know about this.
By the way the security guard asked for my national insurance number?

How much are they saying you owe for their alleged losses. I know this it's very hard to prove their losses and even if they can it doesn't mean they will be successful. About your friend, forget about the humiliation aspects think objectively. You made a mistake but you don't want your friend to be bombarded with threat letters, perhaps phone calls all with a threat theme. Instead tell your friend what you did and you are ever so sorry. Then she can forward any mail from RLP to you and then it's up to you what to do. Your friend could alternative write on the post 'not at this address' and then Royal Mail will stop delivering to that address.

[ns520904]

Re: Shoftlifting at Boots

thank you for your reply appreciate your time. As mentioned above I am moving abroad within the next two weeks with no plan to come back soon.
The advice on the thread says that if RLP believe I am not getting the mail they could look into this further so I would be relunctant to advise my friend to return any post as not at this address.
The alleged losses could only be based on what they presume on day one they did not stop me for and day two occasion they had the goods back on the adult community resolution form it states: £65.98 and £83.92 (I know you wont judge me but humiliated to even put the amounts in)

[des8]

Re: Shoftlifting at Boots

RLP don't calculate the figure they ask for on the value of the goods which may or may not have been taken.
For goods of only a few pounds (less than £10) they can dream up a figure in excess of £150.

Having accepted a Community resolution form for goods totalling c£150, I guess you should reckon on their request for a donation being in the £300 region.
The amount doesn't matter however.
The incidents have been dealt with by way of a community order, so ignore RLP.

Go abroad and arrange with your friend as suggested.

[ns520904]

Re: Shoftlifting at Boots

Sorry just double checking a thought - the adult resolution I signed has the dates and sums on it and at the time I did not think specifically about what I was signing as I just wanted the situation to go and go home remorsefully so. Although the security guard had a printed photograph of me showing me from the back and then showed the police and said this is you - you even have the same clothes on (which was a bit unfair as my coat was my coat naturally) - the very brief CCTV footage he showed me did by no means show me actually walking out of the store it was in the lower aspect and I recall him saying something about could not see because I accessed the lower ground floor via the internal stairs. I did tell him that I did not walk out the store with anything and was not stopped and checked but yet I did sign the resolution to the amounts he said I took. If there is CCTV to show a potential act of theft but you are not pulled to count for this can they use this as being caught?? Or indeed the fact I signed the resolution for the goods I have amitted my own liability to the fact?
sorry to keep asking you know how things play on your mind and this is.

[des8]

Re: Shoftlifting at Boots

The fact you signed the resolution is an admission of the offence.
However the resolution is an agreement between te two parties involved (you and Boots) that the matter has been dealt with.
There can be no criminal prosecution, there is no criminal record and it will not show on a standard DBS check.
It might be mentioned on an enhanced check, but this is very unusual.
The record is retained and might be referred to in the event you are caught in a similar postion in the future.

You could possibly have denied the first incident, and seeing how sketchy their "evidence" was, would probably have not been found guilty if it had gone to court.
However if you had denied it, and refused the resolution, you may well have been prosecuted for both incidents.
You haven't mentioned the circumstances of the second incident, so cannot comment on whether or not you had a viable defence.
"Security guards" are notorious for jumping to the wrong conclusion and browbeating customers.
However you are where you are and there is no appeal.0

Now please, for your own peace of mind, put this behind you and get on with the rest of your life.
Arrange with your friend to intercept your mail and deal with it in an appropriate fashion i.e. file in a drawer, but if in doubt she can come back here for support.