16 year old caught Superdrug shoplifting- advice needed

[yeonkie]

Hi guys, this will be the first time I’m using legalbeagles so I’m kind of nervous. But I’m just going to explain everything that happened.

Okay, so on Christmas Eve (so dumb I know) I decided to go to Superdrug to look around. I had the items I wanted to purchase, but then I had realised I didn’t have my purse with me. So I started to panick & then my dumb self thought let’s just try and take it. So I was obviously taking my time around the store in time to take the goods, then I noticed a man kept watching me and i started to get suspicious but he was in casual clothing so I thought nothing of it.

When I did the awful thing, I left Superdrug. Then the same man came walking after me and told me to come in & took me to the back. He emptied my bag, took my details like address and took a picture of me. Then he called my mom. I was so scared as it was the first time I’ve ever done such a thing. But the man in the end told me that I would be getting a fine which I need to pay over the phone & that for 12 months I’m banned from Superdrug and other stores with a certain logo on their windows. And that if I tried to enter those stores they’d ask me to leave, if I resist or cause issues, police would be called.

So my questions are:
- Do I have to pay the fine?
- if I don’t pay will debt collectors knock my door persistently till I pay? And I will I be on their record forever until the fine is payed off?
- Do I have to go to court by law if I keep ignoring these fine letters?
- Sonce they took my photo, will these certain stores still remember my face even if I turn up now? It’s been like 3 / 4 weeks?

Im such a shy and anxious person. This act was definitely not me and I would never in a million years ever have thought of doing that. Its been eating me inside and I’ve been crying over it for ages because my mom is a single mother with children and affording a high fine is difficult. I feel so guilty

[james_law]

Dont go back into your superdrug store and dont pay the fine.

[ostell]

So my questions are:
- Do I have to pay the fine?
What fine? They can't issue a fine, they have no authority. So no Payment

- if I don’t pay will debt collectors knock my door persistently till I pay? And I will I be on their record forever until the fine is payed off?
There is no debt so no debt collectors and they will forget after a few letters.

- Do I have to go to court by law if I keep ignoring these fine letters?
To repeat, these are not fines and there is no law saying you must pay a private company just because they say so.

- Sonce they took my photo, will these certain stores still remember my face even if I turn up now? It’s been like 3 / 4 weeks?
Do you really think the other stores will have someone looking at a book of photos and comparing it to everyone entering? Just don't go into the original store for a while, until there is a staff change

Just don't do it again !!!

[yeonkie]

Okay thank you so much. It’s literally been eating me for the past couple of weeks. So ignoring the fine will eventually go away and they’ll forget?

[des8]

It is not a fine
It is just a demand for unjustified dreamt up charges.
They will write a series of threatening letters, sometimes using scary red ink, and employing legalese language to justify their demands.
They are nothing more than vigilantes trying to impose their version of justice.
Ignore them and eventually the letters will stop