Tesco apology

[Watt]

Pre Xmas i visited a Tesco store and purchased a few items.

 

I paid for my items and was exiting the store when i was stopped by the store Security officer and the Duty Manager.

 

I was informed that i had been stopped because i had been recognised on their instore security camera as someone who had insulted their staff the week before

whilst hastily exiting the store without paying for goods.

 

They held me in the exit area for quite some time(20mins) whilst insisting that i was guilty of theft

and that i should admit it as they could prove it with their instore security camera footage.

 

I insisted on my innocence and eventually they let me leave the store.

 

I felt publicly embarrassed and personally intimidated both physically and verbally.

Upon leaving the store i felt physically sick.

 

I contacted their customer services centre with full written details of this event.

 

I have received correspondence from them aplogising for the upset and inconvenience the event caused me

and stating that the persons involved are having their training re-evaluated.

They also enclosed as a gesture of goodwill a gift card to the value of £20.

 

I am very unhappy with the whole situation and their response and feel they haved dismissed my complaint much to lightly

and would appreciate any advice on the best way for me to pursue this matter more severely.

 

Thanks again.

[BankFodder]

Yes, their apology is an insult.

 

I would send an SAR to get all of the personal data which they hold on you.

 

I would calculate what you consider is the value to you of the harm which they caused you and then consider suing them for false imprisonment.

This is a type of trespass to the person. You do not need to prove actual harm. Damages will be awarded on the basis of actual harm (if any), hurt feelings and humiliation and then an exemplary award.

 

I would suggest that you calculate a nominal value for making you late or whatever - maybe £20, not exceeding £500 in the discretion of the court for the insult, and not exceeding £500 in the discretion of the court - exemplary damages.

 

Don't muck around. Don't get involved in protracted correspondence. Don't threaten a legal action if you are not prepared to take it. Send them an LBA outlining what you want - say, £820 and the basis upon which you want it - and give them 14 days to pay or else you will sue them for a more appropriate sum in the county court.

Tell them that you are not prepared to get into any negotiation and you will not acknowledge anything other than full settlement and that the next thing they will hear from you will be the County Court Claim form.

 

You will need to start a part 8 claim - http://hmctsformfinder.justice.gov.uk/HMCTS/GetForms.do?court_forms_num=&court_forms_title=part+8&court_forms_category= and it will cost you about £150 which you will get back when you win.

 

Warning, Tescos will be prepared to spend far more than £1020 trying to resist you and to delay you and tire you out.

Don't stand for any nonsense.

[assisted blonde]

What do you expect them or want them to do?

[Watt]

Thank you for your replies. I continue to pursue this matter and appreciate the advice. Any more advice/comments appreciated also.

What do i want from them or expect them to do? Personally, i felt very hurt by the experience. I now want to hurt them. In my opinion the only way you can attempt to change them is to hurt them financially and by negative publicity. I may only be able to do this in a small way considering their massive size and the little me but i intend to have a go.

I also want them to review their systems so that this cannot happen to me again or indeed to anyone else.

[assisted blonde]

In that case do what all good law students do get yourself to a solicitor and make a claim for wrongful arrest:-) if you were physically restrained from leaving the store then you may have a case, as for reviewing their systems they are probably ok its the people that impklement them that make the mistakes so the fact they have said they will address the training is a step in the right direction.

[steampowered]

Someone probably did walk out of the store without paying while insulting the staff, and no doubt the manager was upset by this. The manager genuinely thought you were that person and did not want to let that person get away with it. He was wrong to detain you and needs some more training but he did not do it out of spite, he did it because of mistaken identity. Noone has been deliberately hurtful here so I honestly do not think it is worth trying to get "revenge". This kind of thing does unfortunately happen from time to time. Going down the legal route might win you an extra hundred quid but it would also waste hours of your time and could drain you emotionally.

 

That said, I can see why you think Tesco's response is a little inadequate. Personally I do not think it is too bad, I think I would be happy with their apology and confirmation that the duty manager will be spoken to. Money wouldn't give you "revenge" because you would be getting it from Tesco as an organisation, not the duty manager and security officer who are responsible - it doesn't come from their paycheck.

[Surfer01]

Someone probably did walk out of the store without paying while insulting the staff, and no doubt the manager was upset by this. The manager genuinely thought you were that person and did not want to let that person get away with it. He was wrong to detain you and needs some more training but he did not do it out of spite, he did it because of mistaken identity. Noone has been deliberately hurtful here so I honestly do not think it is worth trying to get "revenge". This kind of thing does unfortunately happen from time to time. Going down the legal route might win you an extra hundred quid but it would also waste hours of your time and could drain you emotionally.

 

That said, I can see why you think Tesco's response is a little inadequate. Personally I do not think it is too bad, I think I would be happy with their apology and confirmation that the duty manager will be spoken to. Money wouldn't give you "revenge" because you would be getting it from Tesco as an organisation, not the duty manager and security officer who are responsible - it doesn't come from their paycheck.

£20 indicates that they could not care less about their customer relations therefore IMHO they need to be spanked! It is not pleasant to be accosted in front of other shoppers and then to be falsely accused of something you did not do. Even worse when youa re dragged off to some office and interoggated like a criminal! This can be very intimidating and unnerving for any honest person.

[ericsbrother]

Personally I would reject £20 for injury to feelings if it was cash so to be offered vouchers would have going back and inserting them in the managers in tray. No, £50 cash and a bunch of flowers delivered by one of their vans would be my minimum.