I want to express my upset and utter humiliation from my experience today in TK Maxx, Newry. The…read moretreatment I received from the management on duty was horrific.
Last week, on the 15/05/2024, I drove 45 minutes from home, to visit TK Maxx in Newry. I picked up three items of clothing from the girls section, one of which was a four piece, so two outfits on one hanger. I also picked up a toy school bus and a children's book. With my toddler and a trolley in tow, I transferred the entirety of my basket onto the counter, and the cashier scanned/dealt with and bagged all of these items for me. She continued to charge me and produce my receipt, which she then also put into said bag for me. I left the store immediately, with the bag of items the cashier had passed back to me. It wasn't until later when we got home, that I noticed one of the outfits on the 4-piece still had the security tag attached to it. This was an inconvenience as I mentioned previously, we live 45 minutes from the store.
Today, the 23/05/2024, I returned to TK Maxx in Newry with my toddler, to get the security tag removed. I had a little browse around the store first before heading up to the checkout with the item in question in the same bag, along with the receipt I received on the 15/05/2024. When I got to the checkout, I explained my situation to the girl on the till and provided her with my receipt, she said she could remove it for me no problem. However, as she checked my receipt, she mentioned that the item's code wasn't on the receipt and asked was it possible I may have got a separate receipt, or purchased it on a different day to the items that were on the receipt. I told her, "no, that's the only receipt I received, and I got them all together on the same day". She notified her supervisor / manager of the situation, who came to take over the situation. This is where my experience became utterly humiliating, that resulted in me shocked and crying in my car afterwards.
I want to note first, that I never thought to double-check my receipt before going back into the store on the 23/05/2014, as I just presumed everything else was in order, given that everything was bagged by the cashier on the 15/05/2024.
As numerous other members of staff and customers watched on, the supervisor / manager on duty went on to quiz me and totally gaslight me regarding the events of 15/05/2024. Initially she wasn't that bad, merely suggesting that perhaps the item just wasn't scanned, which would explain why it wasn't on the receipt (Although, I never received an apology nor ounce of empathy).
After "going to look into it", she went on to become increasingly condescending, and blatantly told me that "this item never crossed the desk", insinuating that I shoplifted the item or kept it in my possession while the other items were scanned and paid for. Which I know was absolutely not the case. I suggested they look back on the CCTV footage, which she promptly replied "I did, that's why I could tell there was a yellow toy truck". I was totally taken aback by her statement and attitude, because if she analysed the CCTV footage sufficiently, she would see that I did in fact pass every item in my basket over the desk to the cashier on duty, and left immediately after, with only the bagged goods that were given to me. I also don't understand how she could insinuate me shoplifting a 4-piece clothing set, while I was on my own, with no other bags or anything, and a two year old toddler in one hand and the bagged items given to me in the other hand? She was gaslighting me and insinuating that I didn't put the items on the desk at the till, and intentionally left with them after. In total and utter disbelief of how I was being treated, surrounded by onlookers having stood there with my toddler for what felt like forever, I clarified, "so there's nothing that can be done?". To which she replied smugly, "there's nothing we can do here, sorry", as she placed the item back in the bag and pushed it back over the counter to me.
I would love if someone of higher status than this woman looked over the CCTV footage of my entire time at the store on the 15/05/2024, to observe that the staff here were in the wrong and acknowledge that I have been both horribly mistreated and wrongly accused.
I have been to this store dozens of times, have left a lot of money here. However, unfortunately, following my treatment in TK Maxx, Newry today, I will never be returning.
