Thursday 17 September 2015

A very unpleasant Lidl surprise for local customer


A Chalkhill resident has complained to Lidl customer services after what he claims was an unjust and humiliating experience at the supermarket’s branch in Blackbird Hill, Kingsbury.

A very unpleasant surprise.

Early on Monday morning a  member of staff approached A and accused him of shoplifting. No attempt was made to search A or say what evidence existed to prove the allegation.  The incident took place in front of the public and a checkout assistant joined in saying that A was ‘always shoplifting’ although there had been no previous incident or allegation against A who is a regular customer.

The incident caused A great distress and brought on a fit of nervous tremors in the store. He says that a proper process should have been followed in which the police would be called and video tape or witness statements sought and his person searched before a charge was brought.  This would have given him the opportunity to defend himself.

Instead he was addressed in what he says was ‘ a very aggressive and arrogant manner’ and told that he had been shoplifting and must leave the store or the police would be called.

A, who says he feels a ‘strong sense of injustice’, wants local people to be warned by what happened to him and is seeking an apology from Lidl.

Lidl Press Office have not responded to a request for their reaction.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Disgraceful treatment - I shall stop shopping at Lidl

Anonymous said...

Lidl's the only supermarket that now pays the living wage.

Martin Francis said...

Yes, although some other supermarkets have pointed ou that they don't pay for breaks etc. However I don't think the fact that they pay the LW means that we should not take up the behaviour described in this story.

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group said...

Searching the person and/or calling in the police can be a double-edged sword. But threatening to call in the police can emphasise the groundlessness of the complaint of 'shoplifting'.

Maybe the staff experience a chain of bullying and wanted to pass it on to a scapegoat? Some people seem to only feel powerful by hurting and excluding others. I know that from personal experience through my schooldays and early waged work experience as a person with a disability. That led me into delighting in telling homophobic jokes as a means of trying to be included and get the collective finger pointed elsewhere.

Dude Swheatie of Kwug