Their reply to “Random” Pak’nSave Bag Searches. No comment on women with handbags or what happens if I did have something in my bag that I had bought from another supermarket.
Dear Matt,
I can confirm that our bag policy is applicable regardless of a customer’s age and is simply designed to prevent an ongoing shoplifting issue which we are trying to manage. We have a prominent sign in-store which clearly states that ‘We reserve the right to check all bags and may require you to leave large bags with a staff member while shopping.’
While I do appreciate having your bag checked is an inconvenience, unfortunately due to the level of shoplifting we experience in-store, it is an unavoidable part of how we are forced to do business, we would certainly prefer to not check customer’s bags but sometimes even with cameras and other security measures we are left with no option. I apologise if you felt you were unfairly treated and I hope you will continue to shop at my store.
My staff remain committed to giving our customers the best possible shopping experience, and by endeavouring to keep shoplifting to a minimum we hope we can deliver the lowest everyday prices.
On 15 December I shopped at Riccarton Pak’nSave with a group of other young people.
After purchasing items at a self-checkout directly in front of one of your staff (really, she was right beside me), she requested to search my bag. I had not touched the bag during my visit so this request was not based on any actual evidence that I had attempted to steal something, like from a store detective or a camera.
It was extremely obvious that this was not a random search, as she called it. It was because of my age. Three other people from our group were selected for a “random” search. I wonder how many women with handbags were searched that day? I know my friend that came through the self-checkout after us wasn’t.
I declined the request.
I waited for the rest of our group and left the store. I was followed by a store manager who put his arm touching up against me, and tried to stop me from leaving. I declined again, which I have the right to do, no matter your signage, and walked away.
It’s disgusting to treat your paying customers like this.
Do you consider that bags contain personal possessions? That most people wouldn’t decline your request to search, because it makes them look and feel like a criminal? That searching personal possessions could reveal, say, a private medical condition?
I wonder what the purpose of these “random” searches are. Say I did consent to the search, I had items in my bag that I didn’t buy or steal from Pak’nSave, but that you sell. I didn’t have the receipt. What would happen then? Would you accuse me of stealing those items? Would you call the police on me? If not, why are you searching young people? Scare tactics? That isn’t the definition of a reasonable search.
If it is your policy to target young people or people with backpacks (read: young people), it needs to change. It is discriminatory and wrong.
If you weren’t the only supermarket at Westfield Riccarton, I wouldn’t shop with you again.
Update: Last rep I spoke to talked over me and implied I just wanted free stuff. First time I’ve lost my cool in a customer service call. But, if all else fails, send an email and a text message to the CEO: “Thanks. I have received the email and I will get it dealt with ASAP.”
Update 2: “I will arrange for a 50Gb datablock to be added to your account, and for your broadband access plan charges for November and December to be credited.” Took a couple of days, but a positive response to a negative situation.
Our internet is currently slowed to dial-up.
We are on a 40GB plan with Slingshot which will change to a new plan next billing cycle.
We get free off-peak data usage.
We used to be on plan with a lower GB limit.
Because of that old plan, we regularly bought data blocks, which roll over from month to month.
The last time we bought a data block was in February – 20GB.
This month is the first time we have used up 100% of our data since January.
‘My Account’ shows that no datablocks were used up this month (0.00GB allowance)
Bro, you know I can’t use your ghost data
This means that some time between February and this month the data block disappeared from the account. It wasn’t used up this month when we used 100% of available data. And it shouldn’t have been completely used up any other month because the last time we used 100% of available data was before the data block was purchased.
I suspect it disappeared when we changed plans at the start of this month.
Slingshot called us about changing to a new plan. They spoke to the account holder first, then spoke to me. I ended up changing the plan, but this wasn’t noted under the account.
Not the account holder
I called them about this and they refused to speak to me about it at all because I’m not the account holder, even though I didn’t want them to share any information with me – I have it all up in ‘My Account’ anyway, and I’m calling from the phone number associated with the account (I know, I know, caller ID can be [email protected]#$!!11 but again, I wasn’t asking for personal information).
After I told them I’d just pretend to be the account holder because they were being ridiculous, and proceeded to do so they “terminated” the call and said they’d call the account holder on their cellphone. In an act of hilarity, it ends up that my cellphone number is the one listed on the account. That call was terminated too.
The account holder gets home, talks to them and adds me to the account. He gets lectured by the rep that the reason I wasn’t able to talk to them about it was to protect the account holder’s personal information, even though I wasn’t asking for any personal information (and would’ve been able to tell them the account holders name, address and DOB anyway).
WE HAVE TABLES TO PROVE IT
After lots of holding I’m told that they are definitely right and that we have gone well over our data usage (even though that overage would’ve happened on speedy dial-up). I suspect that they can only see what I can see in the history part of billing – the total amount of data used per month: plan + data blocks + free off-peak + zero rated, because past data usage isn’t split up into categories.
Just because it says we used x amount of GB more than our plan doesn’t mean that we actually went over the plan’s allowance, because of free off peak. That’s also supported by a lack of 100% data usage used emails.
The rep said they could email me what they are seeing showing the significant overage. I say great. He says that it will take two days and mentioned printing. I state the ridiculousness of this and ask to speak to whoever he talked to. I get put on hold and he quickly comes back saying they can actually send it within 30 minutes – 6pm.
The spreadsheet
At 7pm I get an email from tier 2 customer support. Attached is a spreadsheet of our hour by hour data usage over this billing period. Interesting to look at, but not helpful to the situation. The issue isn’t with us using up all of our plan data this billing period, which I’m not debating and I can clearly see from ‘My Account’. What I am debating is that we shouldn’t have been slowed to dial-up because there should have been a data block on the account.
Their reply to “Random” Pak’nSave Bag Searches. No comment on women with handbags or what happens if I did have something in my bag that I had bought from another supermarket.
