Tesco shoplifting

[Seb]

Hi, i am so ashamed to say this but today i got caught stealing lipstick at tescos. They had no security labels on them and it was a complete moment of madness, first time ive done something like this and i feel awful.
Was stopped at the doors and a man asked if he could talk to me (bearing in mind he wasnt security or in a tesco uniform). He said that he saw that i hadnt paid for the lipstick and called for a female member of staff. I gave him the items straight away and he asked if i had the money to pay for them, which i said i did.
He then escorted me to the back room with another staff member and told me to write down my details, which i did. He then said that i would be banned from the store and let me go - no mention of paying for the items or police.he was very friendly and polite, and mentioned that he wasnt security. I think he may have been training as the manager was there too.
I am just concerned now as to what may happen next - will my details be passed on or will i receive a fine or will i just be banned from the store. Please help!

[Amethyst]

Re: Tesco shoplifting

Oh dear, hopefully that's the beginning and end of your criminal career then, it's not nice being apprehended, even if the security guy was nice as pie, it gives you a shock, and hopefully a kick up the bum not to do it again - it's just not worth it.

Yes Tescos will have banned you from the store, not really sure how they do that, but probably best to just stick to Lidl for a while. The police have not been involved so you won't have a criminal record and nothing with show on any future DBS checks, and you won't be fined.

You may however receive a speculative invoice from a civil recovery company called RLP. Probably for around £130. You can completely ignore this. There may be 4/5 letters that will sound ridiculously offical and scary. You can ignore all of them.

Have a read in the Civil Recovery section of the forum ( I'll get you a link ) and you'll get an idea of what others have been through and how they deal with it
Here - > http://legalbeagles.info/forums/foru...oss-Prevention - if you find a thread called The Scary Letters have a read and you'll know what to expect.

( sorry Des if I've crossed posts with you - I suspect you'll say the same thing anyway )

[des8]

Re: Tesco shoplifting

Hi and welcome.

Don't worry about the ban if you ever get one... there are better places to shop!

You will not be fined.
Fines are imposed in the courts in the uk.

What you will receive is a begging letter from a civil recovery firm.
I think Tesco currently use DWF LLP, a firm of solicitors.
This letter is designed to scare people who are unaware of the law.
It will be written in legalese, and demand a large sum of money for some imagined costs that you are supposed to have caused Tesco.
There will be a veiled threat of court action and or debt collectors. They stop short of threatening to take your children to sell into slavery.

However those threats no longer materialise following a court case some years ago when a civil recovery firm's client lost heavily in court.

You are strongly advised to ignore any letters you receive from this firm.
In spite of their entreaties do not write or phone them as they take this as an encouragement and continue to send threatening correspondence.
JUST IGNORE

[Amethyst]

Re: Tesco shoplifting

Sorry I noticed you were on the thread half way through typing, and thought bahhh two answers better than one.... lol. I forgot Tesco used DWF now.... be interesting to see if they claim for security personnel as the guy who apprehended wasn't security lol. Don't think there is anythign different between DWF and RLP in essence, same bunch of tosh letters leading to nothing.

[Seb]

Re: Tesco shoplifting

Thank you both for your replies, puts my mind at ease a bit. Will ignore any letters they send me and try and put this incident behind me! Thanks again.

[Kati]

Re: Tesco shoplifting

They stop short of threatening to take your children to sell into slavery.

Pity ~ I've got two teenagers that would make good chimney sweeps

I have to agree with Ame and Des [MENTION=105526]Seb[/MENTION] ... just ignore them xx

[Mat123]

Hi SEB,

Any updates on what you did? Did you pay the fine and if not, did anything happen?

[des8]

Please don't dignify these demands for money as fines.
They are unjustified speculative attempts to extort money.

OP hasn't been back so assume he has been diligently ignoring those letters.