Event at whole foods and advice needed

[mombygrace]

I arrived at the store on Sunday 17th July morning with 3 children. Shopped as usual and bought my children 3 medium 4oz size gelattos. They went to the sitting area to eat the gelattos while I finished shopping. At the checkout point I paid for all the other items (totaling $67.81) but forgot to pay for the gelattos and went to put my cart back(in the store).

I was approached by a lady who later identified herself as a security staff. She asked if the kids outside were mine and I replied in the affirmative and then remembered I had not paid for the 3 gelattos. I immediately told the security lady that just realized I hadn't paid for the gelattos and offered to pay at the customer service point. I was told not to worry, that going to the security office was just a formality. I followed her and she asked for my drivers license which I gave her. She then asked me to sign 2 forms as a formality. I read the form which indicated I had stolen the items from the store and was therefore banned from the premises of all whole food stores forever. Despite various appeals to the manager and the security staff that I had not left the store without paying, I had bought other items and paid for them. It was an oversight which I had tried to correct without prompting. All my appeals fell on deaf ears. I asked them if they've never seen a frazzled, forgetful mum before, but all these met with a cold "thank you for cooperating with us" reply.

I insisted on paying for the items before leaving the store. I was not given a copy of the documents they bamboozled me into signing.

 

I shop there every week for my son's food ( he has allergies to wheat, barley, soy, dairy and peanuts). I regularly but milk and yogurt in bulk and on a number of occasion have returned to the store to pay for items THEY forget to charge me for ( e.g. adding a 13th carton of milk when I buy a dozen but not charging me for it). It was an honest mistake which should have been obvious since I paid for the items in my cart and remembered immediately the lady mentioned my kids.

 

 

What do you all think I should do about it? I am so upset as I have never felt so humiliated. Thanks.

[itsheresomewhere]

Call the headquarters.

[Orthodox6]

Your experience shocks me. It contradicts my experience with Whole Foods -- and I have been shopping there since they opened their very first store in Austin many years ago. I genuinely am shocked.

 

You probably were too rattled to obtain a copy of the forms that you signed before leaving the store. They have them on record, though, and surely you are entitled to have a copy upon request.

 

WFM often gives away items to a customer at the register. Sometimes because they have made a mistake in the initial ringing up of a price, sometimes just because the clerk is in a jovial mood. (They claim that they have the authority to do this.) I even have tried to decline the freebie, and been overruled.

 

I would document your experience in detail and send a certified, receipt-requested, letter to the home office.

 

Really, I still am shaking my head in disbelief by the end of typing this post.

[2cents]

First off, it is too late now but you should NOT have signed anything under duress. Since you did though, you might consider talking to someone in the upper levels of Whole Foods to explain your position and how you were treated.

 

If you were not allowed to leave until you signed the forms and were not charged or detained by law enforcement that is a huge problem and I think you need to report that! Were the police called? You need to find out if any police reports were filed and you need to have copies of what you signed.

[Orthodox6]

First off, it is too late now but you should NOT have signed anything under duress. Since you did though, you might consider talking to someone in the upper levels of Whole Foods to explain your position and how you were treated.

 

If you were not allowed to leave until you signed the forms and were not charged or detained by law enforcement that is a huge problem and I think you need to report that! Were the police called? You need to find out if any police reports were filed and you need to have copies of what you signed.

 

Good points.

 

If you are stonewalled, and do not object to "going public", a courteously-crafted editorial letter to your local newspaper sure could let the mice out in a rush.

Edited July 18, 2011 by Orthodox6

[Farrar]

I agree with others. I've never had anything like this happen to me in a store, but I have had bad experiences that were remedied when I talked to people at the central headquarters, where people are specially trained to deal with disputes in ways that people at local stores are not. Especially if *you're* willing to say, look, this was a mistake, I paid for everything and just want to move on and come back to the store no hard feelings to the rude treatment they gave me, then it seems absurd that they would lose you as a customer over this.

[Dobela]

:grouphug::grouphug: DId you know that most thefts in stores is for inexpensive items, small items, and done just like you did by paying for part but not all of the purchases? That may be why they were watching you closely. Or maybe they have had a rash of people not paying for gellato in the heat. But no matter what, I believe you were mistreated. I would call corporate offices, and if you want to make a threat real - an attorney who will get copies of those forms for you and possibly pursue other legal actions.

[Cindyg]

Man, my mom has walked out of stores WEARING their clothes and their jewelry! :blink: So far, this has resulted in no more than her returning them. I can't imagine them treating it like a criminal case! (But I do understand the shoplifting problem for stores.)

 

I'm so sorry this happened to you. I don't even have a Whole Foods in my area, but I'd be devastated if I found I could not shop there for life.

 

One small piece of advice: Is it possible that you have a small health food store in your area that is struggling to compete with Whole Foods? (We do.) Look hard. If you can find one, you might throw your business their way.

 

Other than that, do call the home office, and please let us know what happens.

 

What a horrible experience!

[LauraGB]

Good thing you didn't snag a grape in the produce aisle to see if they were good enough to buy - they might have hauled you out back and shot you.

 

I agree with everyone else to call the corporate offices. Seems kind of counterproductive to boot a consistent customer because of an honest oversight. Sorry this happened to you. :grouphug:

[PinkInTheBlue]

Why in the world did you sign these papers? This also is in complete contradiction with my experiences with Whole Foods. I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how uncomfortable you were.

 

I would strongly recommend you call headquarters immediately and tell someone what happened. Don't forget to tell them about the times you've returned to pay for mistakes THEY have made. Please call them.

[Joker]

Wow!! I've forgotten to pay for the gelatto as well before and when I tried to pay on my next visit they told me not to worry about it. I would call the corporate offices. I'm shocked!

[Jen in PA]

I would strongly recommend you call headquarters immediately and tell someone what happened. Don't forget to tell them about the times you've returned to pay for mistakes THEY have made. Please call them.

 

:iagree: And please keep us posted on the response you get. My dad used to manage grocery stores, and what you are describing is the sort of thing a store may be pushed to do when they have had internal accounting discrepancies which makes upper management think they are either fudging numbers or not tracking inventory properly. You should not be forced to suffer because of their errors!

[Jennifer3141]

Wow. Call the upper management immediately. You might also mention that you've been discussing with your mom friends across the country. :glare:

[SonshineLearner]

No doubt! Shocking is what this is!! You should keep us posted, and let them know that we are being kept up on the news!!! Apologies are the least of what you should be getting!!

[Orthodox6]

I wonder if the whole chain is tightening up in some draconian style.

 

One thing about the WFMs here -- and I regularly shop at three locations, depending upon where I am that day -- is that the staff are so outgoing that in each of those stores there are staff who recognize me with friendly conversation -- even to the point of recalling a conversation from a visit 2-3 weeks back, and resuming the topic.

 

That is backdrop to this "bit" that I ran into one of the check-out clerks in a bookstore, and learned that she had been fired -- after ten years -- because she forgot to clock out, and spent thirty minutes buying her own groceries. She was accused of "theft" and fired.

[Enough]

Yeah, wow, this store's treatment of you was stunning and deplorable and not like any I have ever had at Whole Foods. There is much about WF that I hate, but their customer service has always been above and beyond impeccable- ESPECIALLY when I've had 'harried mom' moments. I would absolutely call headquarters.

 

Having said that- I think Cindyg's advice about finding a small health food store is also a great idea. :)

 

One small piece of advice: Is it possible that you have a small health food store in your area that is struggling to compete with Whole Foods? (We do.) Look hard. If you can find one, you might throw your business their way.

 

[mombygrace]

Thank you all so much for your support. I was so apologetic and embarrassed, begging to pay for the gelattos and be allowed to leave. They said I should sign then I could leave. My kids were unattended so I was anxious to leave. It was so stressful that I did not think it through. I know I should not have signed the forms.

Thanks for the advice about calling the head office and documenting it all. I plan to find a local small store and also plan to use trader Joes more.

I really appreciate this group. :grouphug:

[Dobela]

Thank you all so much for your support. I was so apologetic and embarrassed, begging to pay for the gelattos and be allowed to leave. They said I should sign then I could leave. My kids were unattended so I was anxious to leave. It was so stressful that I did not think it through. I know I should not have signed the forms.

Thanks for the advice about calling the head office and documenting it all. I plan to find a local small store and also plan to use trader Joes more.

I really appreciate this group. :grouphug:

I had another thought- since they have a copy of your DL and you signed those forms - you should check to see what they will do with them. I hope they don't add you to some database with other real offenders that other stores or businesses will have access to. Or use them with the police some how.

 

I agree with your looking for other small local stores. We have one that isn't much bigger than a postage stamp. However, they will order for me just about anything I want from most manufacturers. And, if they know others would want the same products they try to keep them in stock in the store more..

[Lara in Colo]

Well, I haven't shopped there since one isn't nearby, but now I don't think I ever will.

[laundrycrisis]

Because they have a copy of your DL and you signed forms you do not have a copy of, honestly at this point I would get a lawyer involved. You have no idea if they may be taking any further steps. I agree that communication with the headquarters is called for but I would still want a lawyer looking into the other parts of it.

 

I am not familiar with the gelato setup (really, no pun is intended there). How is it you can walk off with a gelato that has not yet been paid for ? If their system relies on customers to remember to pay at the end of their shopping trip, and treats them as thieves if they forget, there is a problem in their setup. I would do my best to point that out and turn it back on them.

[WeeBeaks]

Oh my goodness, that is pretty shocking. The WF local to me is in a really ritzy area of town with the best customer service I have ever seen. I can't imagine something like this.

 

:grouphug:

[Little Nyssa]

This is terrible!

WF charges so much, the customers should be entitled to a little politeness!!!

Write to the headquarters immediately, a paper letter.

I bet they will apologize & reverse the banning.

If not, let us know. Maybe the WTMers will boycott!

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

Did they lock you in a room or hold a gun on you? How did they keep you from leaving until you'd signed their papers?

[QueenCat]

Because they have a copy of your DL and you signed forms you do not have a copy of, honestly at this point I would get a lawyer involved. You have no idea if they may be taking any further steps. I agree that communication with the headquarters is called for but I would still want a lawyer looking into the other parts of it.

 

 

:iagree:You need a copy of those papers. And you need to know what they are going to do with them. I strongly suggest contacting headquarters, now. And probably a lawyer, as your reputation could really be at stake here. This is not something to think on for a day or two. But also remember, they hear your version of events from people who really were trying to get away with it, so it's not always so obvious to them.

Edited July 18, 2011 by CathieC

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I would call the corporate headquarters. If that doesn't yield results, contact a lawyer. That they kept you from your kids and told you you couldn't leave without signing the papers is deplorable. I can't imagine being treated like that for an oversight. It's not like you were sneaking out with your pockets loaded down with vitamins and kale!

[kitten18]

I would call the corporate headquarters. If that doesn't yield results, contact a lawyer. That they kept you from your kids and told you you couldn't leave without signing the papers is deplorable. I can't imagine being treated like that for an oversight. It's not like you were sneaking out with your pockets loaded down with vitamins and kale!

:iagree:

[butterflymommy]

Contact local media to see if they are interested in your story-- local news station and newspaper. Also write to headquarters. I'm very concerned that you signed something under duress without legal representation. Do you have any friends who are attorneys, do you know any who might look into this for you?

[catz]

This is terrible!

WF charges so much, the customers should be entitled to a little politeness!!!

Write to the headquarters immediately, a paper letter.

I bet they will apologize & reverse the banning.

If not, let us know. Maybe the WTMers will boycott!

 

:iagree: I'm so sorry for you and your kids. I would definitely contact some higher ups. We have always had good experiences at WF locally too.

[Impish]

I realize it was a mistake on your part.

 

However, the reality of it is, theft did occur. The store I worked at had similar policies...ppl weren't approached until they had actually left the store, b/c they had until then to pay for the items.

 

Yes, you paid one you were 'caught'. (Talking from the store's pov, here).

 

Stores hear all sorts of excuses for shoplifting. So, they treat everyone the same. How can they be expected to tell the diff btwn an honest mistake and someone that's finally been caught on their 30th time through? They can't, so they have a blanket policy.

 

Contact the corporate office...but the management/security wasn't in the wrong here. They treated you as they would any other shoplifter, and that's the reality of the policies they have to enforce.

[Slartibartfast]

I am not familiar with the gelato setup (really, no pun is intended there). How is it you can walk off with a gelato that has not yet been paid for ? If their system relies on customers to remember to pay at the end of their shopping trip, and treats them as thieves if they forget, there is a problem in their setup. I would do my best to point that out and turn it back on them.

 

It is REALLY easy to leave with gelato. If the stores have gelato it is in a case by the bread and they give it to you in a cup, you cannot pay for it there you have to pay upfront.

 

I have also left without paying for gelato that I later insisted on paying for, this could have happened to anyone. My kids weren't even sitting down, they were right by me...with the gelato...that I had stolen. :blushing:

 

I am really surprised, WF employees are generally super friendly and very outgoing. I used to joke that to get dd to try a new food I have to have the WF deli guy give it to her. She ate everything he gave her! :lol:

[QueenCat]

It is REALLY easy to leave with gelato. If the stores have gelato it is in a case by the bread and they give it to you in a cup, you cannot pay for it there you have to pay upfront.

 

 

Not all of them are set up this way. Sounds like yours is set up like the food bars, where you package it and pay for it later, on the way out. The one we go to has the gelato stand just past the cash registers. The gelato stand and the coffee bar have their own registers.

[Slartibartfast]

Not all of them are set up this way. Sounds like yours is set up like the food bars, where you package it and pay for it later, on the way out. The one we go to has the gelato stand just past the cash registers. The gelato stand and the coffee bar have their own registers.

 

It is near the food bars but between the fancy cakes and the bread. The bakery people spoon it out for you. I would prefer their own registers, it can be hard to remember when you pick it up in the middle of the shopping.

[zaichiki]

Thank They said I should sign then I could leave.

 

My kids were unattended so I was anxious to leave.

 

Hold up. What?! They took you into the office without your kids, leaving them unattended, and then told you that you could go to the kids after you signed the papers?!

 

How old are your kids?

[LidiyaDawn]

So, they treat everyone the same.

 

…but they don't. Stores have the ability to make a decision based on the circumstances at hand.. they're allowed to (dare I say it) use some common sense.

 

[it seems very odd to me that they stopped her BEFORE she actually left the store.. my understanding is that loss prevention/etc can't approach you unless you have left the premises…and even before that, there's a specific set of things that they must observe regarding concealment, constant observation of the individual, etc - wouldn't apply so much here, as it's a food item served up right there, but in other cases it does.]

[zaichiki]

it seems very odd to me that they stopped her BEFORE she actually left the store.. my understanding is that loss prevention/etc can't approach you unless you have left the premises…and even before that, there's a specific set of things that they must observe regarding concealment, constant observation of the individual, etc - wouldn't apply so much here, as it's a food item served up right there, but in other cases it does.

 

I think the OP said she had gone back into the store to return her cart. OP: had you left the building at all? I think this is generally when security approaches for theft, isn't it?

[butterflymommy]

Hold up. What?! They took you into the office without your kids, leaving them unattended, and then told you that you could go to the kids after you signed the papers?!

 

How old are your kids?

 

This concerned me too.

 

This store has some terrible policies, starting with the fact that food is sold to be consumed immediately and paid for later. A mom with kids in tow and a huge order to pack up IS going to forget. I certainly would.

 

Then to separate the mom from the kids and coerce her to sign papers... yes the store has a right to protect itself from shoplifting but clearly there is a whole other dimension to this scenario. Personally if this happened to me I would consider suing WF. They need to clean up their procedures for the "eat in" items if nothing else.

[tammyw]

That sounds awful. It definitely sounds like they need to change their policy for eat-in foods, where they can pay right then and there. How awful to be submitted to that.

 

Haven't we all made an honest mistake at a grocery store? I'm certain we have.

[QueenCat]

This store has some terrible policies, starting with the fact that food is sold to be consumed immediately and paid for later. A mom with kids in tow and a huge order to pack up IS going to forget. I certainly would.

 

Then to separate the mom from the kids and coerce her to sign papers... yes the store has a right to protect itself from shoplifting but clearly there is a whole other dimension to this scenario. Personally if this happened to me I would consider suing WF. They need to clean up their procedures for the "eat in" items if nothing else.

 

 

In her OP, she said she sent them to the sitting area while she finished her shopping. It sounds like she chose to separate herself from the kids at that point, so I don't think security separated her from them. Hopefully, she'll clarify. That said, I can see how easy it would be to forget to pay for the consumables.

[angela in ohio]

In her OP, she said she sent them to the sitting area while she finished her shopping. It sounds like she chose to separate herself from the kids at that point, so I don't think security separated her from them. Hopefully, she'll clarify. That said, I can see how easy it would be to forget to pay for the consumables.

 

Yes, she said that she had sent her kids off to eat the gelato, so she was already separated from them when they approached her. They were no more unattended than they had been when she let them sit there. Let's not get wild eyed here, people. ;)

 

I would assume you caught a security guard wiith some issues and a manager who doesn't have a clue. Usually Whole Foods is lovely. Yes, you technically shoplifted, but as a pp said, they should be able to tell if this is just a one-time forgetful incident or a pattern of crime. :glare: Obviously, your first step would be to call the coporate office. I don't know what authority they have to hold you versus calling the police or whatever, so I would find out your local laws, too.

[gingersmom]

I can see it from both sides. I can side it being an honest mistake.

 

When my daughter was about 4 years old she put a box of candy from a candy store into the bottom of our stroller. I did not discover it until we were in the parking lot and I was folding up the stroller. I could easily see myself in the same situation.

 

On the other hand I am sure that Whole Foods sees lots of respectable looking women/men with children who intentionally steal.

 

I have seen it and even reported what I have seen.

 

I was at CVS in line at the pharmacy. The women in front of me gets a bag of cough drops, opens them, takes one, pops it in her mouth and puts the bag back on the shelf. I was shocked. I told the clerk when it was my turn and they found the bag on the shelf. She had just filled a prescription so they know who she was. I doubt they did anything.

 

I have seen people at the foodstore grab a bottle of soda, drink it and never pay for it.

 

Being you signed papers confessing I would think there is very little a lawyer could do.

[unsinkable]

I realize it was a mistake on your part.

 

However, the reality of it is, theft did occur. The store I worked at had similar policies...ppl weren't approached until they had actually left the store, b/c they had until then to pay for the items.

 

Yes, you paid one you were 'caught'. (Talking from the store's pov, here).

 

Stores hear all sorts of excuses for shoplifting. So, they treat everyone the same. How can they be expected to tell the diff btwn an honest mistake and someone that's finally been caught on their 30th time through? They can't, so they have a blanket policy.

 

Contact the corporate office...but the management/security wasn't in the wrong here. They treated you as they would any other shoplifter, and that's the reality of the policies they have to enforce.

 

I totally disagree.

 

Even the police have discretion to arrest or give a warning in misdemeanor situations.

 

I think what the store did was heavy-handed and overblown.

[Orthodox6]

On the other hand I am sure that Whole Foods sees lots of respectable looking women/men with children who intentionally steal. .

 

I see it myself at WFM. Recently I watched a woman "graze her path" through the produce section. I was entranced by her blatant stealing and apparent greed for more-and-more. I mentioned my surprise to the cashier, who sighed in understanding of an event not all that infrequent.

 

After reading all of these posts, I realize that I have not seen a "gelato bar" in any of the three WFMs that I use here in the Metroplex. The only thing one eats -- drinks, rather -- prior to check-out is coffee/tea from that bar. Most of the time one can pay right there, and just hang on to the receipt in case one is asked [about the cup in hand] at the checkout register.

 

So I'm trying to visualize what this setup was in the first place, as it seems familiar to some of you all. An ice cream (as in gelato) case, with a staff member standing behind it, serving cups/cones to customers who, by necessity of the product's nature, immediately consume it prior to arriving at the checkout line for groceries? . . . Is that the scenario? (thanks for explaining!)

 

P.S. I see very good sense in what Impish wrote. If a store manager, however, I would strive for balance somehow -- (Don't ask me how!) -- and a gentler approach -- even if constrained by store policy to be strict -- if the customer (as in OP) obviously was genuinely unstrung by the situation of shopping with young children in tow, who distracted her from remembering to pay because they (children) were hyper- and/or noisy. I'm speculating that an experienced store manager would have developed the "street smarts" to distinguish a genuinely flustered mother from a genteel-mannered con artist. Maybe that's what I mean when I also agree with the poster who suggested that sometimes even a straightforward misdemeanor could be "forgiven" on the spot. . . . Even so, being "banned for life" is excessive. What, by the way, would prevent the OP from shopping with cash? Or is her photograph going to hang on the wall ?!

Edited July 19, 2011 by Orthodox6

[74Heaven]

I am so sorry this happened to you. I get so distracted sometimes shopping with 3-5 young children that I could easily *see* this happening to me.

 

Because you immediately admitted your mistake, and are a regular customer, I would hope they would give you some slack. It would also be great if you could call on some of the employees who know you have went back in to pay when you've been undercharged OR if you still have those receipts.

 

Like I said, I could see this happening to me when I am very distracted. I have left stores w/o my purse, without the groceries I bought, etc. I have paid for something I forgot (like a pizza that the deli was preparing and that I paid for up front) and then left hte store w/o it. Last spring, when I was helping run a huge Bible club garage sale, I bought 3 iced coffees but could only carry 2 out with the pop and asst. groceries I was buying to sell at the garage sale. So guess what, I paid for all 3 and forgot to go back in to get the other 2 paid for coffees.

 

I am so sorry. Pray for wisdom from God and He will provide. He knows your heart!

 

Lisaj, mom to 5

[angel marie]

so sorry this happened to you. there is a special place for you in heaven!!! maybe in years to come, you may even laugh even if it's hard to believe right now.

[mombygrace]

Thanks for all your responses.

Replies to the other posters:

-I had not left the store. I put my cart away while in the store.

-There was no option to pay for the gellatos before the checkout. The lids would not fit over the bowls and it was already beginning to drip.

-I was apologetic and paid for the items immediately I was given a chance to do so.

-My kids are 14, 12 and 5 yrs old so they are old enough to be left alone for a little while. They usually sit where I tell them to until I get them. I spent another 5-10 minutes shopping and the food bar and checking out.

[mamato4girls]

First off, it is too late now but you should NOT have signed anything under duress. Since you did though, you might consider talking to someone in the upper levels of Whole Foods to explain your position and how you were treated.

 

If you were not allowed to leave until you signed the forms and were not charged or detained by law enforcement that is a huge problem and I think you need to report that! Were the police called? You need to find out if any police reports were filed and you need to have copies of what you signed.

:iagree:

[TN Mama]

I would have been flustered, too. I'm sorry for your awful experience. As another who has only had good experiences with WF, praying that their corporate office works with you - and asap.

[chicagoshannon]

It's not stealing unless you've left the store. They aren't legally allowed to even approach you about it unless you left the store. (at least that's the law where I live)

[CariS]

I'm sorry that happened to you. I can't say I'm surprised however. I've seen some carpy things go on at all three of the WFM I've shopped at, all while the employees smiled and were as polite as can be. I refuse to shop there any more.

 

:grouphug:

 

~Cari

[Dobela]

I was approached by a lady who later identified herself as a security staff. She asked if the kids outside were mine and I replied in the affirmative and then remembered I had not paid for the 3 gelattos.

 

 

-I had not left the store. I put my cart away while in the store.

 

 

Once the merchandise leaves the store, it is considered stolen. My guess is that once the kids went outside that is when they considered it stolen. Since you had not left the store but had not paid and showed no intent to pay, then that is why they went after you. However, I still think that they were too zealous and should have allowed you time to pay once you remembered, and shouldn't have steamrolled you into signing forms, and I think you should have been given copies of what you signed.