The Citizens Advice service helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice, and by influencing policymakers.
Every Citizens Advice Bureau is a registered charity reliant on trained volunteers and funds to provide these vital services for local communities.
Citizens Advice Bureaux have been dealing with increasing cases of clients who, accused of shoplifting or employee theft, are then pursued for substantial sums of money as compensation for the loss and damage caused by your wrongful actions”. Criminal charges are rarely brought and often the police aren't even called. In some cases the intent to shoplift is questionable. Clients are then surprised to receive a letter demanding a large sum of money, weeks after the event, when they had thought the issue was resolved.
Citizens Advice has published a report, Unreasonable demands?, which investigates this practice (known as ‘Civil Recovery’) and the companies involved.
We believe the manner in which these requests for payment are made, and the threat of escalating costs and court action may constitute ‘deceitful’, ‘unfair’ and ‘improper’ business practice, as defined by the OFT.
Whilst Citizens Advice doesn't condone crime of any kind and does not underestimate the cost to retailers, we believe that if retailers are disatisfied with the level of governmental action against retail crime, and seek civil redress, they must do so using means that are transparently fair and proper. Unreasonable demands? sets out recommendations to the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office, The British Retail Consortium and others that civil recovery should be limited to cases involving serious or persistent offences for which there has been a criminal conviction.
our guidance (
27kb).
Adviceguide, our online information service.
