Been baned from a shop

[Pusscat]

Hi, I am writing here in the hope that someone can advise me as I don’t know what my rights are in this situation.

I have been informed by the manager of the Boots in the city centre where I live that I have been banned permanently as I have been seen shoplifting in the store on more than one occasion.
I deny this totally. I would never steal anything. I can afford to buy the things I need and if I couldn’t I still wouldn’t steal anything. I am 64 years old and have never stolen anything.
The only thing I have done in Boots is test samples of make up, which other people do and which the manager agreed is perfectly acceptable. She reckons that I have been seen putting items in my bag and not paying for them.

I asked to see the camera footage and she told me I am not able to see this due to security reasons. She gave me the number for their Head Office to contact them. She said that the matter hasn’t gone to the police, it would only be sent to the police if items costing £200 or more were stolen. She also said I can go to any other Boots in the city but not that store.
My question is, if I had been shoplifting, wouldn’t I be banned from every Boots store? If I had been shoplifting, wouldn’t they alert the police despite the cost of the items?

I have phoned Boots Head Office and they are going to arrange to send me footage of the video, they need to edit it first to remove images of other customers who might have been present at the time. At least this is something. But the woman I spoke to said she doesn’t know how I can go about challenging it and getting the store to the lift to the ban.

Not being allowed to visit this store is very inconvenient for me. I pick up my prescriptions from there as it is the most convenient place for me, plus buying items that I need.
This is also affecting my anxiety. Can anyone put my mind at rest? Would this be sent to the police and would I end up with a criminal record?

[PallasAthena]

Shops are private premises and can ban anyone from the shop if they want to. It's up to Boots whether their head office will.overrule the local shop manager. There isn't anything legally you can do to force them to lift the ban.

Wait until you get the footage and see if it shows you didn't steal and use that as the basis for asking head office to lift the ban.

Most shops don't bother to call the police for theft of small amounts. They know the police rarely arrive. So you can't draw any conclusions from the police not being called in this case.

[echat11]

Once you have the evidence you requested. Write a formal complaint to the
CEO of Boots. Explain that the allegations are 'ridiculous', that you regularly
visit the branch to get your repeat prescriptions and have done for XX number
of years. State that, 'at the same time the 'allegations' were made, you were told
by the Manager you could happily visit any other Branch of Boots but not your
local Branch'. State that the 'allegations' has caused 'upset' and could he / she
speak to the local Branch Manager.

Anthony Hemmerdinger
Managing Director
Boots UK
Boots.CustomerCare_Team@boots.co.uk

(They should pass the email on)

[Pusscat]

Thank you for your replies and the helpful information. I shall await the video, though I haven't as yet received an email with the form to complete first and then write to the manager of Boots Head Office.

[Pusscat]

Sorry to bring this up again but I have just realised that this Boots manager said at first that the video footage is with the police, then she said its just with head office and the police don't get involved with things like that. What are the facts? Can I get a criminal record for this. Why is she saying one thing and then another?

[PallasAthena]

Seems unlikely the manager would send the police CCTV of low level shoplifting not involving violence to staff if they didn't at the time even know the identity of the person (you). But no-one here can possibly know 'the facts'.

You can't get a criminal record unless prosecuted and convicted in a Magistrates court.

[Pusscat]

Thank you for your help. I suffer with anxiety and this is affecting my mental health. I called Boots Head Office at lunchtime and spoke to a manager who is going to get in touch with the store concerned and find out details. I did admit to taking a sample but its not theft. The fact that they didn't know about the incident makes me wonder as if its even been reported to Head Office. I hope I haven't drawn their attention to it now and it sparks something off but I need to know what's happening.

If they don't lift the ban I can deal with that (apart from the shame factor) but I am terffied of getting a police record for this.

[echat11]

Your not going to get a police record.

The whole point of samples is that customers 'try' products.
I don't know, but the Store Manager might be of the opinion,
that you have over sampled the 'samples' on your visits and
taken 'um-bridge' to that. That's easily remedied.

[Pusscat]

Thank you for your reassurance. The store manager, however, claims that she's seen me do this on several occasions.

[Pusscat]

Please advise - an update:

I am now confused. I explained before that I was approached by a security guard who informed me I had been banned. When I spoke to an assistant store manager she told me the same thing but contraidcted herself on what she was saying all the time.

I called the store the other day and spoke to a different manager who was very apologetic about what had happened, said it must have been a misunderstanding, told me I can' shop in the store whenever I want and she would tell all the staff and security guards that I can go in the shop. She said that the store manager has been signed off sick, as has the manager who told me I am banned and she would inform the stand in store manager to look into it. I was very relieved about this as it has caused me a lot of anxiety.

Today I receivced a call from the store manager who is standing in. She said that the whole thing has been dealt with incorrectly. That someone can't just be told they're banned on the shop floor. Procedures need to be adhered to first. She asked me if I have got dates of when the video footage took place which I don't have. I could only tell her the date when I was approached by the security guard. She said she will look into it, will try and ring the manager who banned me, even though she's off sick and try to get more details.

At first I had the impression that she was treating it as a complaint from me about how I've been treated, but then she went onto say I am not banned 'for the time being while the investigation is going on.' She is going to find the video footage and contact me again. She said that cases of shoplifting are always sent to the police before anyone is banned. Now I am worrying again. Can they take it to the police after all this time? I wasn't approached on the day that they supposedly saw me shoplifting. plus it hasn't been dealt with properly so can't this go against the store rather than me?

The relief I felt was short lived and now I am anxious all over again.

[ULA]

Thank you Pusscat for moving your post now #10 to continue on this thread, rather than start a new thread.

Tagging echat11 and PallasAthena who have provided advise on this issue already.

[echat11]

Firstly, easier said then done, calm down.

The reason why she has said what she has said, is because she doesn't know what's happened and is covering all bases.

a) She said that cases of shoplifting are always sent to the police before anyone is banned.

But you haven't stolen anything, you've just, mega sampled the test samples.

b) Now I am worrying again. Can they take it to the police after all this time?

Won't happen, your overthinking the situation.

c) I wasn't approached on the day that they supposedly saw me shoplifting. plus it hasn't been dealt with properly so can't this go against the store rather than me?

As above, you are overthinking it, count to 5,000 when you think about it.

[Pusscat]

Thank you for your reply. Something else I have just thought of. This manager who I spoke to today has never seen me so how can she look for images of me on CCTV?

I thought taking nore samples and trying testers could be seen as theft or is that just if someone takes a whole bottle of a tester, which I have heard that a lot of people do?

[echat11]

a) Thank you for your reply. Something else I have just thought of. This manager who I spoke to today has never seen me so how can she look for images of me on CCTV?

Answered above - 'The reason why she has said what she has said, is because she doesn't know what's happened and is covering all bases', she should come back to you in a few days and say it's all been a big mistake and apologise. A win / win for all concerned.

b) I thought taking nore samples and trying testers could be seen as theft or is that just if someone takes a whole bottle of a tester, which I have heard that a lot of people do?

Overthinking what has happened. What you can do with testers and samples is often signposted by the store.

Again if someone has taken a 'whole bottle of a tester' then it maybe seen as 'theft', but the store would have written if off before being used as a 'tester', so has no value to the store as such.

[Pusscat]

Just an update. I have been contacted by the store manager, she has done the investigation and can't find anything against me, I am not banned and go in the store any time I want. Thank you for your help.