Banned From Grocery Store

[drgingersnap]

I hope this topic goes here.

The other day I was banned from a Treasure Island grocery store in Chicago, IL. I had been browsing for a while, talking to employees about getting empty boxes for my move tomorrow, and just generally walking around slowly getting stuff and placing it in the official store bag. I admittedly was there for a while, maybe 90 minutes, but I graduate college a couple days before and didn't have much t do. I notice someone following me and went up to him and asked where something was, and he asnwered politely so I assumed I was just paranoid. About 10 minutes later i'm looking at something in an aisle and hear a man storming toward me shouting "You! Pay for that shit and get out of my store, you ****er! I know you're shoplifting." He claimed to be the manager and had five police officers watching me. I asked to speak with an officer because I thouht this was absurd, and he said "I never said that." I asked how I could be shoplifting if I was still in the store, and offered to let him search me, but he continued to curse in front of my fellow students and make a bit of a scene. He went to talk to another fellow and I followed and told the other guy I didn't understand what was wrong and they said "you've been here too long." I asked if they had a sign or a policty about how long you could shop, and they told me to shut the **** up, pay, and never come back. I said I wasn't buying anything if they were going to streat me like this and handed them the bag. I asked the name of the first man, and he said "Joe Blow" which I said sounded suspicious, so he said "it's the name on my license, want to see it?" and I said he, but he replied "you're not the ****ing police, I don't have to do shit." I was extremely calm during all this since I was so confused, but left, looked for any police cars in the parking lot to flag down but didn't see any, so I went homel

I called the store and asked the guy's name and the woman was very understanding and shocked herself and proised to call back with the info. She didn't so I called the next day and the phone was handed to another man who refused to tell me, or say why, and seemed to be joking around like he didn't care. I suppose they might not tell me so I don't track him down, but it seems odd they would give no answer at all. The first day I also called corporate and left message for the president and explained that I had a complaint, and also sent an email. She didn't reply the next day, and I was feeling concerned aboutt he uncaring attitude of the managment who seemed to find this all hilarious, so I called again and another message.

I just don't feel they care or want to do anything about it. I understand grocieies are low margin industry, so they might be over cautious, but could still treat people with dignity. Mayeb a "hate to do tis, but could you pay for this stuff now, we've bee having theft issues" or any number of polite ways. Instead the blamed me with no evidence, embarrassed me in front of everyone, banned me, and showed glee in yelling at me.

Was this legal, or just poor business practice?

[cyjeff]

Actually, it is both legal and a poor business practice.

However, it IS legal... and they have the right to restrict the entry of anyone into their store.

You are not law enforcement. No one has to provide you with anything... up to and including identification.

Do you really think you have the right to demand a stranger's id whenever you wish?

Really?

Getting your boxers in a bunch over this really won't change anything.

[cyjeff]

Wait... I think I see where we are going here...

You think that how you are treated means that you won the lottery and can get the store to pay you.

No.

[LawResearcherMissy]

I was feeling concerned aboutt he uncaring attitude of the managment who seemed to find this all hilarious, so I called again and another message.

Heh. You've clearly never worked retail, if you're expecting someone to care. Retail is not the snugglenets.

Yes, what happened to you was poor business practice. Yes, it was completely and totally legal.

No, you're not entitled to know the name of the person who yelled at you - it really and truly is not your business, and the store is not going to reveal it to you because of privacy rules in place to protect their associates from stalkers.

No, the president of the company is not going to respond to you AT ALL, let alone the same day you sent e-mail. S/he's got more important things to concern herself with.

If you're looking for an apology, I suggest that you send a paper letter expressing your disappointment in the treatment you received. Do so calmly and courteously, and you may receive a gift certificate with the apology. But don't expect more than that.

[drgingersnap]

How come when I post questions on this forum trying to learn information I don't know and am interested in, half the posts are accusatory? This site is "legal help." I'm not looking for a lawyer, I'm just curious about what my rights are. I already sent them a letter just trying the director about the experience and saying I certainly had no intention trying to get the law involved, but would just appreciate knowing that they were doing something to stop this trend. The University of Chicago Maroon paper has had an article about the ridiculousness of this place at least once a month for the past four years, even when it had a different owner, but south side chicago has a real problem with grocery stores, meaning none want to move into low income areas, and you get these relative monopolies that have no interest in ethics or decency because they don't have to. I am not particularly confident that the director will do anything about at all even if she says she will, because most people at their office seem to find it more humorous than serious. I don't really care about knowing this guy's name, but corporate asked for it, and so I need the local store to at least send it to the director. It just seems odd that they wouldn't give me an answer for why they wouldn't tell me, and while I can guess it's a privacy issue, the whole vibe of that place seems to be them protecting each other so they can continue to act as they please without any corporate interference, since they have a captive customer base with no options but to keep coming back and being treated like criminals.

I'm getting an article published about all the stuff that the management at this location has been doing to disrespect the clients, but there have already been dozens of such articles.

What sort of legal right to I have as far as informing people of this sort of thing without being accused of slander or libel? Could something like putting up fliers, chalking on campus, organizing protests, and whatnot get me in trouble since there hasn't been an admission of guilt yet, so they could accuse me of lying?

[LawResearcherMissy]

I'm not looking for a lawyer, I'm just curious about what my rights are.

And we told you what they are. You have the right to stay out of that store - it's private property.

This isn't the snugglenets, either.

since they have a captive customer base with no options but to keep coming back and being treated like criminals.

Baloney. If you're unhappy with the service at Treasure Island, shop at Jewel-Osco or Whole Foods or Aldi or Trader Joe's or any of the dozens of independent grocers throughout the city. You can't swing a dead cat in Chicago without whacking at least two grocery stores.

Vote with your wallet. Ask your friends to vote with theirs.

What sort of legal right to I have as far as informing people of this sort of thing without being accused of slander or libel?

A post like this, a letter to the editor of your campus newspaper (or the Sun-Times or the Trib, but I wouldn't expect publication there because this is not an earth-shaking problem here) are all fine, so long as you tell the absolute truth, no embellishments.

Could something like putting up fliers, chalking on campus, organizing protests, and whatnot get me in trouble since there hasn't been an admission of guilt yet, so they could accuse me of lying?

Putting up fliers and organizing protests? Because you got yelled at in the grocery store?

Don't you think that's a little much? Sure, OK, if you've got nothing else to do with your time, I guess. But seriously? You're overreacting.

Let it go. You got yelled at in the grocery store by some dim bulb on a power trip. It happens.

[drgingersnap]

There's so much judgment here when I'm just looking for facts, not advice. The customers are certainly not captive, but there isn't another store for miles and it serves a lot of the poorer neighborhoods around hyde park where people have to take a 45 minute bus ride just to get here. The University negotiated to bring them here and put in some clauses about fair pricing and whatnot since they own the property and aren't really for-profit, so it's not like an Osco that can do whatever it wants. At least that's how it has been explained to me by the dean's department, but I suppose it could be wrong. I certainly know that a major publication could care less, the the school paper is pretty big around here where the vast majority of residents are involved in the University. It took several years to negotiate bringing a new store here to replace the old, bad Co-op, so everyone's pretty much pisses that the store isn't living up to the promises it made. This is a campus, not exactly the real world, so I know there isn't anything illegal going on, I was thinking there could be some policy issues. I would expect the school to at least be able to pressure them into some sort of management training and actually set down guidelines for the situations in which people can be ejected, like a specific time you can stay there instead of "it's been too long when I ****ing say it's been too long," and just some basic codes of conduct that would be publically posted. Again, this is a semi-college world, not the real world.

Another thing I've been wondering about which I'm sure is going to get an idiotic comment is whether this could be considered slander? He screamed at me while I was surrounded my lots of people I knew, friends, coworkers, professors, etc. I don't mind him yelling at me, that was just sort of weird. I'm more upset that now I have to go around trying to convince people I didn't steal. I absolutely wouldn't sue, but I'm just sort of curious about whether I could point that out when I next talk to them.

[LawResearcherMissy]

"Idiotic" comment?

You're asking us to give freely of our time to help you, and you call it "idiotic"?

Good luck with your protests. You're not getting any more help from me. Look it up yourself.

[cyjeff]

I agree.

Unless we start every post with "poor sweet baby" or "You need to bring this guy DOWN", you call us idiotic.

If rude help has gotten you this upset... you have let a wonderfully sheltered life.

Trust me, life has much larger disappointments in store for you.

Until then, no more help from me.