RLP letter please help?!!! 😩

[pink_angel_33]

Okay so I'm just going to come out and admit that a few months back I was really stupid and got caught shoplifting in primark. I was approached by the guard and taken to a back room where I was required to give over my details and driving licence as I.D. I then received my first letter yesterday requesting £149.50 from me for this ridiculous act and now my parents have seen and read the letter too. They don't know about the senseless act that I've committed but they are on at me to try and settle this with rlp even though I am guilty. I really don't know what to do, should I just pay the fine without my parents knowing? Will they send me more letters regarding this issue? I'm so scared I really don't know what to do, it was such a silly thing to do and I'm really regretting it now. Please help 😭

[Kati]

Re: RLP letter please help?!!! 😩

tagging [MENTION=39710]des8[/MENTION] xx

[wales01man]

Re: RLP letter please help?!!! 😩

Its not a fine its a threatogram we have seen several on here together with threats which they never carry out. IF you are guilty of a crime is for the Police and courts to punish you after you have a chance to defend your self RLP are not Police and I have not read on here of them taking any action after the letters put this down to stupidity and don't do it again

[des8]

Re: RLP letter please help?!!! 😩

Hi and welcome

As Wales already advised, ignore RLP.

Whilst one does not condone shoplifting, this has to be looked at in context.
As you were caught at the time I asume the goods (of low value) were returned to Primark in a saleable condition.
The security guard would have been paid regardless of your actions.
Primark have lost nothing.

So why should a third party (RLP) be allowed to act like vigilantes and impose their form of justice?
The answer of course, is they are not.

In the UK we have criminal justice procedures, which if it was deemed necessary in your case would entail possibly an appearance in front of magistrates.
You don't mention police involvement so this is not going to happen.

We also have civil procedures, where a judge decides if recompense is due to (in this case) Primark.
Last time (in 2012) RLP recommended that their clients should sue in civil courts, they lost heavily and haven't tried since. (see here for details: http://legalbeagles.info/civil-recov...s-of-hearings/ & http://legalbeagles.info/civil-recov...ment-09-05-12/)

Rlp have no authority, all they try is to intimidate people into parting with cash.
Ignore them, if you write to them disputing their claim they take it as encouragement to impose more pressure.
They will send a series of letters over a 6-9 month period, and may even pass your details to a debt collector.
Ignore them all, even when they get their scary red pen out.
Eventually they may write begging for a lower amount, just to settle the matter.
Ignore that as well!
The only papers you should never ignore are genuine court papers, (which will not be arriving about this matter!)

As your parents are already aware of the matter, and presumably you are young (well younger than I) and still living at home, I think you would be well advised to confide in them completely.
After all this was not the crime of the century, and whilst it might be embarassing for you. I would hope you would get their support, and it will help relieve the pressure.

Your "crime" is very low on the scale. IMO the actions of RLP are more despicable, because they prey on the vulnerable under the guise of imposing some form of justice.
You might like to show your parents this thread.

Good luck, and just keep ignoring them.