S. Chettri
1/5
MY WIFE WAS FALSELY ACCUSED OF SHOPLIFTING £1 PARACETAMOL, THEIR EVIDENCE WAS A VIDEO OF HER WHERE SHE PUT HER BUNCH OF KEYS IN HER POCKET AFTER LOOKING AT PARACETAMOL ON THE SHELF.
My wife went to this shop to get some bread but had to leave without it as the card machine wasn't working. As she drove away, the shopkeeper came to her car and said that she hadn't paid for paracetamol yesterday. She said she didn't take one because she was after Panadol and they only had the generic type. Shopkeeper said they had a proof and showed a video on their phone. She was in utter shock, she apologised and said how embarrassed and confused she was after watching the video and that she was in a hurry for sure but she had never been forgetful and had left without paying. She was crestfallen to say the least. Card machine was still not working so the shopkeeper took her to the barber shop next door and she paid for the paracetamol. She was told by the shopkeeper that it was a good thing that she came that day otherwise they would have published the video on their Facebook page!
My wife looked everywhere in our house to find this paracetamol, she had to check to be certain she wasn't going mad. She was satisfied she hadn't taken anything from the shop. I DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT SHE WOULD PUT AN ITEM IN THE POCKET BEFORE PAYING IT AND QUESTIONED THE VIDEO. THEY HAD NO OTHER PROOF LIKE AN INVENTORY LIST OF UNACCOUNTED PARACETAMOL PACK. I WAS APPALLED THAT THE SHOPKEEPER DIDN'T EVEN SYMPATHISE OR GAVE BENEFIT OF DOUBT THAT SOMEBODY COULD MAKE A GENUINE HUMAN ERROR AND INSTEAD SAID THE VIDEO WOULD HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN FACEBOOK AND RISK SOMEBODY'S REPUTATION FOR GOOD.
She went back to the shop the same day (she didn't want to wait for me to come with her) and explained to the same shopkeeper that she was not convinced she took any item from the shop without paying. She asked if there were any other camera angles of her from yesterday when she was in the shop. Shopkeeper said it was her boss who after watching my wife on camera put something in her pocket had checked with the shopkeeper if she had paid, and the Boss had the video. Shopkeeper told her that the video clearly showed her putting the paracetamol in her pocket. Shopkeeper played the video on their phone; AND THIS TIME MY WIFE RECORDED THE VIDEO WITH HER PHONE. SHE WATCHED IT ON HER PHONE, ZOOMED IN, IT WAS HER CAR KEYS!!! Shopkeeper also rewatched and then returned £1 to her, said sorry and said because of this incident they could trust people!
That day was very stressful for our family. My wife was humiliated and embarrassed thanks to Aidan's Premier's inability to carefully examine videos which they use as proof and publish on the internet! Most disconcerting thing was that they could have plastered my wife over the internet as shoplifter... and its consequences...It's a shame the shop opened not so long ago in Badshot Lea and it could have been our local community store - my family and friends will take our custom elsewhere.
