Stolen purse

Not sure why I'm writing about this but it's really bothering me. Not good when I'm at work early tomorrow.
On Friday I was in a local supermarket and as I left the till I dropped my purse. The staff saw this happen but the guy behind me in the queue said he would go after me to return it. He then kept it.
I was at my car for a good few minutes so he had every chance to find me. (Very small supermarket with a clear car park)
There wasn't much money in it, along with my cards/driving license and some seeds and small gifts for my friends I was seeing this weekend. Personal not valuable.
Anyway, it's really bothering me. I saw and spoke to the guy because he asked me about the bulbs I was buying for my mum as I was paying. So I know what he looks like. I just feel really uncomfortable that someone could do this? And a bit sad. Also that the staff there essentially just let him walk off with it despite the fact they saw me drop it!?
The police are coming to see me tomorrow and they're going to get the CCTV. I suppose I just don't want him to get away with it. Irrespective of the amounts it's the principle.

 

Yes did that as soon as I realised.

 

They need to get the guy. People can't get away with stuff like this!

 

sad for you dear. I hope the police can find him.
I had my wallet stolen once from under my desk at work, right out of my purse. Police found it void of money, but my cards were there, of course canceled.
Once I found a wallet when traveling in a rest stop on the turnpike. I went to the cashier to tell them, the young kid said "he would take it, in case someone came back for it." There were 40.00 in it, no name at all. I said to him, I would hold it and gave him my business card, for that person to call and I'd mail it to them. Two years went by, no one called me, so I used the money.

 

The staff should not have permitted a stranger to run off with your purse, but retained it whilst he tried to find you - he had to return for his shopping didn't he, so he should have been told to return with you to collect it.

Complain to Customers Services at the supermarket's head office with details of your losses and all the inconvenience suffered. At the very least they should have sent security out after this guy if he grabbed your purse and ran off with it.

 

I really feel for you. I have had this happen to me and it made me feel sick that someone would do this. It hurts. My thoughts are with you.

 

Otherwise the next thing their sales assistants will be doing (if not already doing so) is letting other customers take credit cards left in the PIN reader out the store on the pretext of taking it to the customer who left it there, which would be really dangerous if they'd noticed what PIN was being entered and then deliberately distracted them before they removed their card.

If something can be done it will be done. This would just be a variation on various distraction techniques used at ATMs, but in a location where a card user might not be so wary, as it's not unusual these days to have other customers move right up into your space when you're paying. When I find the customer behind has got in front of the card reader whilst I'm packing I ask them if they are paying for my shopping, and if not to get back.

 

Just to add a little better experience. I left my bag with a lot of money (well over £5000 and cheques in it (ran my own business and they were to do with that) in a supermarket trolley late on Christmas Eve. I realised my mistake too late to return to the store that day. I had a hellish Christmas plus a few days waiting for the supermarket to reopen so I could find out if my bag had been found. I phoned the earliest I could the day the supermarket opened again and yes my bag and ALL the contents had been handed to the manager by the boy who looked after the trollies. I was over the moon and immediately visited the supermarket, asked to thank the boy in person and wanted to give him a reward. The manager said that wasn't company policy, however I just happened to bump into the lad on my way back to my car and slipped a few notes into his hand. I also wrote to the store's head office to say what honest staff they had. I had a very good New Year to make up for a less than happy Christmas.

 

An old lady once totally ruined my planned romantic meal with missus, by stealing my loaf of freshly baked crusty bread at the checkout.

EDIT: I should add, the old lady deliberately chatted to me while I was paying. She looked uneasy about something, and I had noticed that her bag was open near the end of the checkout. As I turned my back for a moment to put my PIN in the card reader, she scuttled off. It was a few minutes later, too late, when I realised she'd half inched some of my shopping, but in any case, even if I'd realised straight away, then what? A man in his prime challenging a 'frail old woman'? Who's side are the staff and other shoppers going to take.

 

Thats so sad to hear...Hope the supermarket has cctv and the police get this guy who took your purse

 

He was only buying a dozen eggs. I know, the staff messed up. Even the manager admitted this.
The policeman has just been to take a statement. He said the CCTV probably won't be great quality but we'll have to wait and see.
I definitely want to write to the head office, I'm not saying they are personally responsible for my belongings but you'd expect some kind of duty of care. As you said, they should have held onto whilst he went to tell me. Many a time I've come across the person before's card in the reader and handed it over to staff or he customer in front of staff. I just feel really uncomfortable about the whole thing, it's more than the inconvenience of it.

 

Indeed. There's no excuse for this these days. Hardware is cheap both for camera gear and recording, yet still CCTV has really rubbish pretty much useless resolution.