A great-grandmother has been left “distraught” and feeling like a “criminal” after receiving a lifetime ban from all Sainsbury’s stores following an alleged altercation with a staff member.
Retired Rita Seymour, 79, claims she was accused of being “rude” while attempting to purchase a Euromillions Lottery ticket. She alleges a staff member then started “shouting” at her, accusing her of “pinching” her shopping before ushering her out of the store.
Ms Seymour said she was informed the ban applies nationwide due to “inappropriate” behaviour during “a number of incidents over time.” However, the great-grandmother vehemently denies any other incidents occurred.
Mrs Seymour, who has lived in Hook, Hants, since 1981, visits the Sainsbury’s store in her hometown once a week to do her shopping.
But she is no longer allowed inside her local supermarket after the chain barred her following accusations that she was rude to a member of staff.
Mrs Seymour, who used to work in customer services, said: “It’s really upset me, I’ve done nothing wrong.
“It’s a horrible thing to feel inside, I can’t go in there anymore. It’s like being a criminal.”
The drastic action from Sainsbury’s came following a visit to the supermarket in June for her weekly shop, during which Mrs Seymour often spends between £80 and £100 on groceries.
Mrs Seymour, whose husband is disabled, said she paid for her shop before heading to the small items counter to buy a Euromillions Lottery ticket.
The mother-of-one, who has four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, said she asked the staff member several times for her lottery tickets but received no response.
She then said she heard the staff member talking on her headset saying, ‘this customer is being rude to me.’
The pensioner said store managers then began ‘shouting’ and ‘flailing their arms’ before attempting to activate a body-worn camera, which Mrs Seymour admits she pushed out of the woman’s hand and onto the floor.
She said: “I am not the guilty party, I wasn’t nasty to her. I’m [nearly] 80 years of age, I wouldn’t start trouble with anybody.
“I’ve been in customer service all my life and I’ve never been spoken to like this.”
She said that the staff asked her if she had ‘pinched’ her shopping, but she showed the receipt before she said she was ushered out of the store.
Mrs Seymour, who has heart disease, said she was left ‘so shocked’ by the incident.
When she returned the next day, she said she was issued a letter stating: ‘the invitation to enter and shop at all Sainsbury’s or Argos stores, including any adjoining land, petrol stations or car parks owned by them, is permanently withdrawn.’
She said: “I have been so dumbfounded. I was shaking when I left there; I could have cried.
“They have knocked my confidence, I felt like hiding away, I didn’t know who to turn to make it right.”
Mrs Seymour complained to Sainsbury’s South head office, but she said it responded to say it sides with the staff.
A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s said it takes ‘any form of abusive and inappropriate behaviour seriously.’
Now, she faces a 30-minute walk to shop at Tesco instead, whereas Sainsbury’s was just eight minutes from her home.
She is determined to fight the ban, describing herself as ‘just an ordinary customer.’
She said: “I would never tell lies. I have lived here 45 years, and I haven’t got a blemish on my character.
“I am not a troublemaker, but to be treated like that, I won’t give in. Why should I put up with that?”
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said, “We want everyone to feel welcome when they shop with us and our colleagues work hard to create a positive in store experience.
“We take any form of abusive and inappropriate behaviour seriously, and following a number of incidents over time, a decision was taken to withdraw this individual’s right to shop at our Hook store.
“This action was not taken lightly, but the safety and wellbeing of colleagues and customers always come first.”
Mrs Seymour said she has not been involved in any other incidents at the store.
