What are our rights if we were harassed by store security?
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What are our rights if we were harassed by store security?
My husband and I went to a national retail chain looking for similar outfits we bought our granddaughter from the same chain but at another location. The clothes were to tight and the other store doesn’t always have a great selection. My husband brought an outfit over for me to see. I explained that they were not infants and probably wouldn’t fit her. Well he didn’t put them back on the same rack where he got them like a lot of people do. First you need to know my husband has long hair and has been judged for it in the past. To make a long story short, security stopped him at the door, took us in a room and without closing the door for privacy started interrogating him and searching. All of this was because he didn’t put the item back where he got it. Is there anything wrong here?
Asked on July 11, 2014 under Personal Injury, North Carolina
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 10 years ago | Contributor
The treatment may be unfair and bad customer service, but there appears to be no viable legal claims based on what you write:
1) Not putting the item back where he'd gotten them from could create a not-unreasonable suspicion of shop lifting; therefore, it may not have been improper to interrogate your family.
2) Even if what was done was improper, you suffered no injury beyond some embarrassment, frustration, etc.--that is not the kind of injury the law provides a remedy for.
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