Security at Savacentre

Someone needs to have a word with this lot.

This is the third time since the beginning of this year that, for whatever reason, I’ve triggered the alarm upon leaving the shop and been rapidly ‘jumped’ by their over-zealous security guards who must be bored stiff. The first two times I complied and let them search my bag and produced the receipt but this afternoon I made a scene and snapped at one of them which saw management appear from nowhere who followed me out to my van where they made some half-arsed excuse about the increased volume of customers having an effect on their sensors (yeah, right).

I’m a familiar face (without my mask) and admittedly am a bit scruffy in comparison to other customers because during the week I’m normally in work clothes but even the desperate don’t shoplift wearing a hi-viz with company livery on the back and drive a work van with same said livery painted all over it underscored by a landline. I’ve met cats and dogs who are smarter than Bell Green Sainsbury’s management.

Double check that there’s nothing else in your bag (not from there) that might have a tag on it. A few years back, an alarm kept going off in Zara despite me not having bought anything. Turned out it was a box that had a security strip on it from another store that apparently hadn’t been deactivated properly - but bizarrely only seemed to do it there.

The second time all I had in my possession was a punnet of tomatoes that I carried out in my hand.

Shoplifters come in all shapes and sizes but I’ve seen those clowns turning over a pram as if they were customs officers looking for a drugs mule. I’m willing to accept that the sensors are old and might need replacing but the security staff need to be reigned in.

This happens quite often in supermarkets. I just keep walking, if the alarm goes off.

Never been an issue in the Forest Hill or Crystal Palace branches.

My wife repeatedly set it off a few months before we left. We thought it was her plate in her arm but it seemed to be something in her purse but it stopped happening so we never found out exactly what it was.
Most of the time security just plain ignored us. We stood like lemons waiting for the inevitable security guard but they mostly looked disinterested and we walked off.
Don’t get me started on the self service pay as you shop “tills” - we got stopped and bag checked every fecking time to the point where we stopped using them as it was slower. I did have a rant once in there but it wasn’t the poor girl’s fault - computer says no.

I’m not even sure you are meant to stop. I used to hesitate as if I was waiting to be checked but when it’s busy it’s not even clear who set the alarm off (to me at least). Now I just keep walking, but not too fast. I’m not stealing stuff and if they want to check me they are welcome to, I just expect them to make the effort to come to me.

Edit - it’s probably worth checking for security tags if you are buying clothes.

I’ve noticed the alarm going off a lot in the Savacentre. It is unnerving. But the thing that gets me is the Smartshop!
Nearly everytime I have done one (& admittedly have had a lot of shopping) I’ve had to have my bags checked for 18 items (once) but mostly have had to have the lot scanned all over again. Total waste of time scanning it in the first place!
As for security tags on clothes…on the morning of my mother in laws funeral my son discovered (he was only 20) he had a security tag left on the trousers! After a call to Next they did offer to come round & remove it, but he just returned the suit afterwards with his receipt & got a refund.
Also had the same with a dress for my daughter from Debenhams years ago. That time my husband managed to get it off as I was worried about going back in case the alarm went off!