Mum furious over her son's experience at Kmart: ‘He was treated like a thief’
- Replies 31
With several stores located countrywide, Kmart is a favoured retailer by many Aussies. Renowned for its diverse product offerings and affordable prices, no wonder it’s a go-to choice for many shoppers.
But picture this: A staff from Kmart blocked your son from leaving and being suspected as a thief for stealing, even if they proved they bought the item.
This unsettling experience was the story of a mother and son who were shopping in Kmart Redlands.
On 25 October, 19-year-old Zac, from East Brisbane’s Thornlands, had purchased some work clothes via the store’s self-serve kiosk and proceeded to the exit—only to be blocked from leaving by staff.
It was believed that Zac had stolen the $80 worth of clothes he had purchased, despite his mum, Claire O'Malley, showing a relevant bank transaction of the purchase from minutes prior.
According to O'Malley, staff had made her son feel 'unfair and humiliated'. Fellow customers had watched on with 'judgy looks' under the presumption of Zac’s guilt.
‘I feel that he was victimised…they were treating him like he was a thief,’ O'Malley said.
‘He found no help from (staff) who tried to take the items from him and said he could come back the next day,’ she added.
The argument lasted between 15 and 20 minutes, which had left her son 'overwhelmed with stress and anxiety'.
This entire misunderstanding was only cleared up when a fellow shopper admitted to taking Zac's receipt from the self-serve checkout by mistake.
O’Malley shared her frustration about the encounter on social media. Several Redlands residents commented and shared their similar experiences, and supported O’Malley and Zac.
One commented that they blamed the confusing store’s layout, as the checkout kiosks were strategically placed in the centre of the shop, rather than next to the exit.
One community member noticed this and even commented on it. She said it was ‘funny’ that there were more staff when they suspected a customer of stealing when there should be more staff to help customers at checkouts.
Another Redlands resident commented that Zac’s 'deserves an apology' from the retail store.
This wasn’t the first time Kmart received backlash online. In a previous article, Kmart also angered a small business owner for ‘stealing’ her idea of Christmas-themed pool inflatables. She took to social media her frustration, which was watched by many. Read more about the story here.
Members, what do you think of this story? Have you also experienced or know someone who went through the same thing when shopping at Kmart? Let us know in the comments below!
But picture this: A staff from Kmart blocked your son from leaving and being suspected as a thief for stealing, even if they proved they bought the item.
This unsettling experience was the story of a mother and son who were shopping in Kmart Redlands.
On 25 October, 19-year-old Zac, from East Brisbane’s Thornlands, had purchased some work clothes via the store’s self-serve kiosk and proceeded to the exit—only to be blocked from leaving by staff.
It was believed that Zac had stolen the $80 worth of clothes he had purchased, despite his mum, Claire O'Malley, showing a relevant bank transaction of the purchase from minutes prior.
According to O'Malley, staff had made her son feel 'unfair and humiliated'. Fellow customers had watched on with 'judgy looks' under the presumption of Zac’s guilt.
Claire O’Malley (left) and her son Zac (right) had an altercation at Kmart as Zac was being accused of stealing clothes. Credit: Facebook
‘I feel that he was victimised…they were treating him like he was a thief,’ O'Malley said.
‘He found no help from (staff) who tried to take the items from him and said he could come back the next day,’ she added.
The argument lasted between 15 and 20 minutes, which had left her son 'overwhelmed with stress and anxiety'.
This entire misunderstanding was only cleared up when a fellow shopper admitted to taking Zac's receipt from the self-serve checkout by mistake.
O’Malley shared her frustration about the encounter on social media. Several Redlands residents commented and shared their similar experiences, and supported O’Malley and Zac.
One commented that they blamed the confusing store’s layout, as the checkout kiosks were strategically placed in the centre of the shop, rather than next to the exit.
One community member noticed this and even commented on it. She said it was ‘funny’ that there were more staff when they suspected a customer of stealing when there should be more staff to help customers at checkouts.
Another Redlands resident commented that Zac’s 'deserves an apology' from the retail store.
This wasn’t the first time Kmart received backlash online. In a previous article, Kmart also angered a small business owner for ‘stealing’ her idea of Christmas-themed pool inflatables. She took to social media her frustration, which was watched by many. Read more about the story here.
Members, what do you think of this story? Have you also experienced or know someone who went through the same thing when shopping at Kmart? Let us know in the comments below!
.png){kind=icon}
