Shopping at your local supermarket should be an uneventful task.

But for mum Tara Louise, a trip to Coles with her two sons became an uncomfortable and somewhat humiliating experience after a simple act of kindness led to an unbelievable accusation of theft.

The Coles Builders Pokémon Edition promotion launched on 7 February, where Coles will give away free Pokémon toys to customers who spend $30 or more in one transaction.

The event unfolded as Tara, accompanied by her two sons, went through the checkout only to realise they had met the criteria to get one Coles Builders collectible.

Tara Louise shared her frustration over a Coles employee. Credit: @taralouisesmartsavings / TikTok

‘We were only entitled to one, so I knew there was going to be arguments coming,’ Tara said in her video online.

Tara's concern was unexpectedly relieved when a kind couple offered their own receipt, enabling her to claim a second collectible.

However, instead of a smooth transaction, Tara was met with an unforeseen accusation.

She approached the Coles employee with both receipts in hand.

‘I handed her the two receipts, [and] she then started to go through my groceries, looking in my bag and said, “Which was your receipt because there's two here?”’ she recounted.

Upon hearing the explanation that one was hers and the other was from the couple in front, the checkout staff flatly denied the transaction.

‘She said, “No, you can't have that, that's stealing. You're not allowed that, you're only allowed your own receipt,”’ Tara said.

Tara was taken aback and was ‘p***ed’ off by the employee’s attitude.

‘For them to call me a thief is so belittling and embarrassing in front of other people,’ she said.

‘Isn't that why they sign over the receipt so that you know that those cards have been collected?’ she asked.

Coles responded to the complaint, saying their team is ‘currently working to contact the customer to gift her with some of our collectible cases and a few additional Pokémons’.

‘We know how much our customers and their kids [love] collecting our unique Coles Builders Pokémon Edition and are aware of what the age-old sibling rivalry can be like in households,’ they said.

After Tara shared her experience online, several users agreed with Tara and shared their stories.

‘Couldn’t agree more, that’s disgraceful and worth the rant!’ one commented.

‘I did the same at Woolies, I asked the lady behind me with children if she was collecting whatever it was at the time, and the cashier said to me, “I don’t want to hear that, I can’t know that you are giving these away,”’ another said.

‘So I collected them, and as she came out, I gave them to her, and we were both so confused.’

You can watch Tara’s video below:

Credit: @taralouisesmartsavings / TikTok​

When reviewing the Coles Builders terms and conditions online, it appears that there is no stipulation prohibiting individuals from giving away their collectibles.

It is understood that staff retain discretion when examining receipts.

Key terms and conditions include:

• Coles will provide customers one Coles Builders Pokémon Edition for every $30 spent in a single transaction ‘after any applicable discounts and exclusions’.
• The promotional campaign is effective from 7 February to 26 March.
• The acquisition of a Coles Builders Pokémon Edition is ‘subject to stock availability and is at the sole discretion’ of Coles.
• Redemption of the collectible must be at the point of purchase and during the relevant transaction.

Key Takeaways

• A frustrated Coles customer claimed she was accused of theft by staff after a kind act from strangers allowed her to obtain an additional Coles Builders Pokémon Edition collectible.
• The customer, Tara Louise, had received an extra receipt from a couple to avoid sibling rivalry between her sons over the Coles Builders promotion.
• Coles responded to the incident by offering to gift Tara some collectable cases and additional Pokémon items.
• Despite the misunderstanding, Coles' terms and conditions do not appear to prohibit the giving away of collectibles, and staff can use discretion when reviewing receipts.

Have you had a similar experience? How was it resolved? Let us know in the comments below!

 

[Jo Piper3]

Last time I went to Coles and only spent $28 I was given 3. It pays to be polite. I gave them to a friend for her grandchildren.

 

[kerrikennel]

How is it stealing if the $30 of groceries has been paid for??

 

[MIC.M.]

Quite a while ago, I was in Coles Neutral Bay and my wife and I were treated rudely by an employee.
She was talking with another employee and had no concern as to what she was doing.
As we finished going through the checkout, I looked at the receipt and showed her.
She then said "You must see the funny side of this" and "To get over it" and continued to serve the next customer.
When I asked for a refund she said "In a minute!" as che continued to put put other products through her register.
I asked to see the manager to which she told me she WAS the Customer Service Manager,
I was so humiliated and embarrassed by the incident that I called Coles head office direct and told them what had happened and also informed them that their employee had the customer skills if a 4 year old.
If you have a problem at Coles, ring their Head Office and complain. If enough people do this, Coles just might do something about it.
P.S.
After my complaints and a few others from customers, that employee no longer works at that store.
Maybe Coles could do better staff training or at least counselling for their employees that just don't seem to get customer service.

 

[pascoevale]

First of all the Cole’s employees have no right to search your bags without police presence is it the same employee that made a elderly man reveal his hernia operation and humiliated him with customers and staff watching Tara the staff member and Cole’s location need to be known it is bullying this is why why staff in supermarket now bully people innocent they don’t care even make there own rules Name and shame let others know where these people are working so you can avoid them

 

[pascoevale]

Quite a while ago, I was in Coles Neutral Bay and my wife and I were treated rudely by an employee.
She was talking with another employee and had no concern as to what she was doing.
As we finished going through the checkout, I looked at the receipt and showed her.
She then said "You must see the funny side of this" and "To get over it" and continued to serve the next customer.
When I asked for a refund she said "In a minute!" as che continued to put put other products through her register.
I asked to see the manager to which she told me she WAS the Customer Service Manager,
I was so humiliated and embarrassed by the incident that I called Coles head office direct and told them what had happened and also informed them that their employee had the customer skills if a 4 year old.
If you have a problem at Coles, ring their Head Office and complain. If enough people do this, Coles just might do something about it.
P.S.
After my complaints and a few others from customers, that employee no longer works at that store.
Maybe Coles could do better staff training or at least counselling for their employees that just don't seem to get customer service.

Not necessarily bad training more like employee attitude this goes for both Cole’s and Woolworths its staff individual attitudes Don’t be quick to blame training

 

[Lisa]

oh come on this has to be the exaggeration of the year!! This is one for the snowflakes..she immediately jumped on social media even made a video about it....REALLY?? what to justify her hurt feelings??? Are we really a society that is so offended by a word...that we need strangers to justify our feelings....maybe it's time to stop living in fantasy land??

 

[CristinaV]

I think the time has come for companies to teach their staff some people skills.
Respect and politeness have been lost since covid as it seems to have given people the right to be rude, demanding and above all power hungry.

 

[Penny4]

Oh my! How those little boys were so skilled at charming their mother to become desperate to obtain Pokemon collectables for them. Then, this mother proceeds to go on social media to appear foolish.

 

[RFG]

I often get the collectable toys and hand them to someone shopping with kids. Never came accross a problem with this. On another note....What would happen if I offered to use my rewards card for an elderly person paying for their groceries, just so they could get the "member prices" discount. Can Woolies stop me from doing that? Maybe that is in their fine print.

 

[Penny4]

I often get the collectable toys and hand them to someone shopping with kids. Never came accross a problem with this. On another note....What would happen if I offered to use my rewards card for an elderly person paying for their groceries, just so they could get the "member prices" discount. Can Woolies stop me from doing that? Maybe that is in their fine print.

My mother does the same with collecting them and handing them out. I was thinking there's a fine print about fronting up with someone else's receipt. There has to some sort of order when parents rock up wanting collectables, otherwise it becomes manic at the front counter.

 

[Lizzie1149]

Good grief what a storm in. a teacup by the Coles employee. We have enough issues trying to keep our heads above water with the rising cost of living and these "freebies" are the "dangling carrot" to get customers into the stores and spending more. I've gotten extra Woolworths reward points from people who don't have a rewards card but are happy for me to scan my card to get theirs. Also gave some of the "freebies" to parents who want them. All this does is antagonise customers. These people who are employed by the supermarkets need a real lesson in customer service and what is and isn't acceptable and then is should be publicised on every web site and in 6 foot letters on the wall of every supermarket. I don not believe it is stealing if someone who had paid for their groceries and has an entitlement of a "reward" gives that "reward" to someone else

 

[Lizzie1149]

My mother does the same with collecting them and handing them out. I was thinking there's a fine print about fronting up with someone else's receipt. There has to some sort of order when parents rock up wanting collectables, otherwise it becomes manic at the front counter.

I'm still having issues with the fronting up with 2 receipts. All the times I've taken or given away these "rewards" they were available at the checkout. I didn't have to go anywhere else to get them

 

[pascoevale]

oh come on this has to be the exaggeration of the year!! This is one for the snowflakes..she immediately jumped on social media even made a video about it....REALLY?? what to justify her hurt feelings??? Are we really a society that is so offended by a word...that we need strangers to justify our feelings....maybe it's time to stop living in fantasy land??

Snowflake so you are completely comfortable with a stranger going through your bag taking things out believing you are a shoplifter and why not empty your handbag in front of other shoppers ok so you are happy for that fine

 

[Colette 3799]

I collect all these supermarket things for my grandkids and send them to WA for them. In the past I have been asked if I’m collecting them, given extra sometimes too. But with this promotion I have to actually ask for them and it seems they are reluctantly given. I did a couple of large shops where the first one I didn’t get any and the second one was short changed where they gave me short. First time ever I actually went back with my receipt and asked for them. Maybe the staff have been told to limit the issue of them for some reason

 

[AlanQ]

Sounds more like someone trying to get more of these pieces of future landfill for her kid(s) quicker than would be the estimated time and cost to get them all. No doubt her facebook post resulted in dozens or hundred of 'you can have my receipts'. No staff at any supermarket is going through ANYONES bags unless they have suspicions that they have been seen shoplifting.

 

[Clancieblue]

I always take the item being offered and give it to the first child I come across after asking the parent permission.

 

[Ronloby]

Would you have spent that amount of money if there were NO collection items to get? I bet not, the kids were hinting "WE want those things" so you bought more than you intended.

 

[Rob44]

More plastic rubbish. In 30 years time they will be antiques collected by collectors. Anyone want to buy my Nokia mobile phone? It used to work really well. And then someone changed the Gs.

 

[Mrtnst]

Are we really a society that is so offended by a word...

When the word is a public wrongful accusation of criminal behaviour, anyone has the right to be offended.

If you fail to protect the human rights of others you may not find anyone willing to protect yours if you need it.