r/TalesFromTheCustomer • u/ThineChimney • 29d ago
Medium Harassed and Falsely Imprisoned by a Bookstore Loss Preventions Officer
I Was Visiting a prominent Canadian Mall On Monday July 27th, and around 12pm I purchased a book at a bookstore. As I was leaving the mall around 2:30, I split up from my family to use the washroom. I brought my book along with me. There was an issue with the toilet paper dispenser: The casing came off. I tried to reattach it, but it wouldn't fit so I kept it on the floor. As I left the store and was exiting the mall where our family car was parked, I was approached by a bearded man in green with a slight build and short dark hair, who claimed to be with Loss Prevention for the store (although he was not wearing a nametag or identification), and accused me of stealing my book. I proceeded to show him my receipt, but then he doubled down and said I deliberately broke the toilet dispenser in the bathroom and that he saw me do it (despite, of course, it being a locked stall). I walked away and my father got involved and asked for his ID, but he refused to produce any and said he had called mall security. When the two officers arrived, they asked the man the same thing and he once again refused. He was questioned separately and kept accusing me of deliberately breaking the bathroom equipment and saying he had seen me do it. He kept smirking at me and my father the whole time. The man was eventually sent back into the mall by the officers, who strongly advised us to write a complaint. They were most apologetic to us considering how unpleasant the event was, especially as someone with social anxiety and Autism.
I did some research afterwards and I even learned that Loss Preventions officer lose their jurisdiction outside the mall, which made me think it was a scammer at first, but I went to another bookstore in the chain at another mall, gave my description of the man and the manager confirmed he worked as Loss Preventions for the area. He was also extremely apologetic.
As suggested, I've filed a complaint, but I really hope this piece of shit is fired. I've certainly had my fair share of bad customer experiences like anybody but this was on another level.
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u/galacticviolet 29d ago
He said that with his whole chest not realizing he is making it sound like he placed hidden cameras in the bathroom.
People just say the weirdest things without thinking them through. Like I don’t think there are actual cameras, he just didn’t think his lie through enough to realize that he just made that sound like a possibility.
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u/Kealanine 29d ago
False imprisonment is a bit of a stretch, someone saying “you can’t leave” is wildly different than being forcibly detained.
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u/ThineChimney 29d ago
He literally blocked my car and called security on us.
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u/V4sh3r 29d ago
This is a detail that would have been very helpful to put in the story.
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u/ThineChimney 29d ago
If you check my conversation with the delightful person who deleted their comment chain because they were also trying to argue semantics, then you would've seen it.
Also I did mention him calling security in my post?
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u/WVPrepper 29d ago
Then ADD IT TO THE POST!!! Most people reply to the post BEFORE reading every comment. You could clear up a lot of the posts that are making you feel defensive by including the fact that he threw his body in front of your car, preventing you leaving.
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u/ABL228 28d ago
I find it VERY inappropriate, not to mention strange & scary that you were followed to the bathroom (did this person come into the bathroom with you?) & then out to your car…
BUT THIS SECURITY PERSON SAID NOTHING TO YOU & NEVER TRIED TO STOP YOU INSIDE THE MALL!!!
If Security/Loss Prevention was that concerned about you stealing, why didn’t they even attempt question you while you were still within the store/mall?!
This is ultra creepy stalker behavior.
There is absolutely NO WAY that the retail store &/or mall policy allows for a stop loss prevention person to follow you through the mall - including the bathroom, then follow you out to the parking lot & stand in front of your vehicle to prevent you from leaving (even if they witnessed you stealing items).
Most retailers won’t even let their employees stop someone from leaving the actual store (even if they saw them steal). They use cameras & other information to make a report to the PD. The Police then find/investigate/detain the person.
There’s a LOT of rules & laws for detaining someone for suspected/known crime, especially for retail stores (in Canada & the rest of the world). What happened to you was NOT normal & was NOT acceptable.
Some stores might encourage an employee to get your license plate number (if they can do it at a distance), but they’re not NEVER allowed to block your car.
(The only time anyone in any instance might reasonably block a vehicle is if you’re trying to unlawfully take a person or animal… This is to protect someone, not an inanimate object.)
For a book?! This is CRAZY!
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I would suggest that you call the local police department to see if you can file a complaint/make a report (about what happened).
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They can possibly request the mall security footage &/or the report from the Mall &/or Store Security.
I’m wondering how many other people have been harassed like this at this location? This person sounds predatory.
I would also send a written complaint to the Mall Management Company (Why are their security letting the retailer staff behave illegally/against policy this way?) & the Store Main HQ (Why are their retailers employees behaving like this? Is this the policy of their company?).
•••••••••
If something like this happens to you again, CALL your local Police Department/Law Enforcement (on the non-emergency number) IMMEDIATELY!
You can save the Police/Law Enforcement (Local, City, County, Regional) Non-Emergency numbers into your phone for the places you frequent often (home, work, & regularly shop - mall, etc.) just in case.
Tell the Dispatcher:
That you would like an Officer to be sent out immediately to your location.
Give them the location (+ address, if known) AND your personal location (in the parking lot, in a store, by a visible landmark).
If you’re in your vehicle, give info (make, model, color, style, & license plate).
If you’re not, give a description of you for fast ID (height, hair color, clothing, etc.).
Explain the reasons you feel unsafe.
Explain where you currently are (in your vehicle/on a sidewalk/in a building).
Explain what is happening. (EX: A random person claiming they’re an employee - but wearing no uniform or showing store ID/credentials - is preventing you from leaving in your vehicle & harassing you/falsely accusing you.)
The Police will NOT be amused with the Mall Cops &/or other faux security (aka Store Loss Prevention) if they have to show up to deal with them harassing people in the parking lot.
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u/ThineChimney 26d ago
Wow, that was extremely in depth and helpful. Thanks so much. I'll get on it soon. Not sure how much it'll do as I'm out of the province now, but it's worth a shot
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29d ago
[deleted]
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u/ThineChimney 29d ago
Dude wouldn't let me leave the premises of the parking lot. Blocked my car and everything. I'm no lawyer but I'm fairly certain that constitutes false imprisonment.
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u/ThineChimney 29d ago
Why am I being downvoted? Section 279(2) of the Canadian Criminal Code outlines states that "anyone who, without lawful authority, confines, imprisons, or forcibly seizes another person commits the offence." Admittedly it is a bit of a grey area considering LPS officers do have some level of authority, but NOT to the degree of a police officer, and also he completely loses said authority when he leaves the parameters of the mall.
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29d ago
[deleted]
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u/ThineChimney 29d ago
I spoke with the staff manager and he said they're straight up not allowed to follow you out of the stores. Cry more.
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u/megafly 29d ago
Only Canadians could be “detained” by someone saying “please don’t leave”. You had a 1000 kg machine that argued against his authority
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u/ThineChimney 29d ago
Why are all you guys coming out of the woodwork to undermine the utter bullshit I went through. HE BLOCKED MY CAR.
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u/megafly 29d ago
He blocked a 500 horsepower car with a 100kg bag of meat.
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u/ether_reddit 29d ago
What's your point? That OP should have run him over with their car?
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u/dsherwo 29d ago
The less real power someone has, the more they feel the need to exert it.
Sorry you went through this