Going to try this again

[MakaylaGreen]

Start off with saying i have worked for three years as a cashier i have seen many shoplifters over the years.I have seen many different ways that they have tried to steal items from the store.

My rant is why do stores ban just backpacks? today my husband who always carries a back pack and is still wearing a winter coat but thats another story went to Canadian Tire.The same store he has gone to for months to pick up a item and had no problem until he got to the till paid for his item and was about to leave.That is when he was chased after so they can dig in his back pack...of course my husband had nothing in his bag it was empty but they cause a huge stink.

If i thought somebody stole something and it was in there back pack i would just ask them at the till if i could just take a peek..not ring them though and then chase them down.That are we would have a sign and ask people to leave there back pack with us at the front.

I don't understand why its just people that carry back packs that are harassed i have seen some womens purses out there that are just as big as a backpack and people could shove items into steal.In my store yeah we had a few people that would use a backpack to steal but we had one guy who would put stuff under a stroller and alot of people actually took cloth bags and store plastic bags and tried passing them off as paid for.That are they would grab a box from the front and try and hide stuff under neath the box or in it.

Point is yeah somebody could stuff a backpack with stolen goods but if they don't have a backpack they could shove things in a million different places.

My husband now knows not to carry his backpack in that location but everywhere else they dont blink a eye but i wish instead of waiting for him to cash out then chase him down..they should of just looked in his bag when he was at the till or asked him to leave it with them at the front.

[tjthemanto]

If the alarm didn't go off or if they didn't see him put anything in the bag .. I don't think they have any right to search him.

Either they are accusing him of theft or they are not. He should ask them are you accusing me of theft ??.Yes or No .

See the link below for his rights .

http://lifehacker.com/5853355/know-y...or-shoplifting

They have to actually see him shoplift ..they can't just act on mere suspicion.

[harbie]

tjthemanto is correct. Waaaaaaaaaaay back in the day I used to work for CT and it was that unless you saw the person put something in their bag/pocket,etc AND you never lost sight of them AND the walked out the front door onto the sidewalk out front you couldn't even ask if they took something.

I might be inclined to contact HO and make them aware that this particular dealer is doing something like this.

[Darth Penguin]

Given that many stores ban not just back-packs but other large bags..why didn't he ask if he could leave it at customer service? I'm guessing your beloved was biking, busing or walking which is why he didn't leave it in a car..

[lecale]

.

[lecale]

.

[tjthemanto]

Given that many stores ban not just back-packs but other large bags..why didn't he ask if he could leave it at customer service? I'm guessing your beloved was biking, busing or walking which is why he didn't leave it in a car..

Customer Service will take no responsibility if something happens to the bag or if something gets stolen from it. You have to leave it there at your own peril.

If they don't trust me then I don't trust them with my stuff either.

If they guarantee the safety and contents of my bag only then I will leave it with them.

Some WM stores will sometimes tie a plastic zip on open bags if you walk in .. I am OK with that..they untie it or cut it on your way out.

[tjthemanto]

I have these awesome canvas bags and I usually stop at a few stores before taking the bus home which means I am taking loaded bags into stores with me. When I first got the set of bags I was treated like a shoplifter everywhere, so they were a mixed blessing. Most places got over it pretty quickly. Zehrs made me unpack all my freaking bags and produce receipts though and of course I had paid for everything...the manager was fascinated with my receipts because I had paid so little (with coupons) for so much. "Yeah," I told her, looking her right in the eye, "I got some real STEALS didn't I?" She turned red and I never got checked there again lol. If you have done nothing wrong, hold your head high, and the most embarrassed person in the store won't be you.

Also , way more stuff can be stuffed in Winter jackets than some of these bags ..so what next ? ..are these stores going to have a coat check at the entrance next

[Shwa Girl]

OP, I agree. Working cash, a guy had a case of pop on the bottom of the cart. I asked him if he still wanted the pop. He said I was the first person in 2 years that caught the pop and he bragged that he had gotten free pop for that time. I told the customer service manager and they took note of him when he went to the parking lot. From then on, he paid for pop because he was being watched.

[Shwa Girl]

There was a man and woman team in Loblaws. They hid behind the card section way in the back corner of the store. The instore flower bouquets where there too. He acted as a look out. I heard the rustling o the flower rapper and saw her try to put them under her long winter coat.

I told the manager and they watched them leave the store one at a time at different locations. The couple did not realize that there was a camera in the card section and the manager could see them on video. The manager sauntered to the parking lot casually and took down the license plate before they drove off.

[Darth Penguin]

Guess it must be just for teens then ..lots of places here and in my local major towns don't allow "sac-a-dos pour les ados" and school bags have to be left at CS..

[Candini]

If I`m not mistaken, a store could get into a LOT of trouble for searching people who they just think look suspicious.

[DianneS]

Given that many stores ban not just back-packs but other large bags..why didn't he ask if he could leave it at customer service? I'm guessing your beloved was biking, busing or walking which is why he didn't leave it in a car..

I get your point, but the post reads a little bit like her husband was at fault. Why should customers who carry backpacks-- and there are many, many of them -- feel that they have to prove to CS that they are not thieves. I carry a huge purse/work bag that would be way easier to fill than a backpack if I were shoplifting. No one has ever asked me to leave it at customer service. The whole idea of guilty until proven innocent just irritates me.

[Chantel]

My rant is why do stores ban just backpacks? today my husband who always carries a back pack and is still wearing a winter coat
Because unfortunately especially in the winter months in Canada, huge coats are not optional. Everyone carries big bags and purses now too, so it's kind of hard to single out backpacks, but that's life.

That is when he was chased after so they can dig in his back pack...of course my husband had nothing in his bag it was empty but they cause a huge stink.

That's false arrest, if the LPO didn't SEE him take anything, he cannot make an arrest. The LPO cannot even go after the guy for concealment. No theft has happened until the person has left the store with an unpaid item, either in their stomach in the case of food or in a bag. If it wasn't an LPO and it was just an employee, they should be in double trouble. False arrest is something you can sue over.

If i thought somebody stole something and it was in there back pack i would just ask them at the till if i could just take a peek..not ring them though and then chase them down.That are we would have a sign and ask people to leave there back pack with us at the front.

That in itself is dangerous. You're a cashier, you do not get paid well enough to deal with how a thief may react to you asking that. The old LPO where I work would tell me stories of all the things that have happened to him, people have tried to stab him, punch his face, stick him with a needle, and one ran over his foot with their car. DO NOT confront a shoplifter if you're not a trained LPO. Nothing they're stealing is worth you getting hurt over.

Thoughts above in red

[CouponKitten]

i'm not a lawyer, but....
this has happened to me before too, and this is what i learned:
if they're not the cops, they can't search your bag. period.
i would call the customer service line for that store and complain. hard.
if you're lucky, they might send you a gift card or something.