Serial Shoplifter Jailed for £500k Refund Fraud
In the News
You can read about shoplifting on a daily basis , just open any newspaper or see it online
Normally it is an individual committing small scale theft, ie a few items from a supermarket or store
But this woman took shoplifting to another level
In four years she received refunds for items from various stores that amassed to £500,000 !!!
But that's not the biggest surprise , it was the fact she had no receipts when she took the items to customer service for a refund
She used to tell the assistants hard luck stories to get them to refund her without a receipt !!
A lot of the time she just picked up clothing from the shelves and headed straight for a refund
It is all hard to believe, i have tried to return items in the past and have always been told i need the receipt if i had misplaced it
How she got away with this over the years is amazing
Besides i am sure there is software built into the tills to recognise if an item has been sold previously when scanned ?
How was this not picked up , unless she removed the labels and security tags first ?
So i believe the stores should take part of the blame for allowing her the refunds , it should have been set in stone, no receipt, no refund
Justice was served to a certain extent , she got 10 years inside, possibly out after 5 years on good behaviour
I doubt she will get a refund on the time spent incarcerated though 
I saw this case on last nights news. Absolutely unbelievable and the fact she got away with this crime for so long!
That's mad she got away with it and for years. Once fair enough but 4 years. I agree the shops have to take the blame for some of it cos a lot of people genuinely can't get a refund without a receipt
Just goes to show you do not need a receipt to get a refund, I read about yesterday, unbelievable
martinlufc5637 I always was asked for one M , but then i never gave a sob story as she did
I thought the rule was no receipt no refund.I am very surprised that she was allowed a refund without a receipt.The shop should have been more vigilant.I would never expect a refund without a receipt.
It's wrong but quite impressive. I always feel like I am in the wrong whenever I return anything, I feel guilty for complaining, so she must have been very skilled at telling fibs etc
I cant believe how long she was able to get away with this for. I heard the story on the radio as I was on the way to work. I'd be interested to know how she finally got caught.
HannahSunderlan Maybe they dont want to say how H incase they give too much away and want to carry on catching more like her
That’s more money made than most people in salaried jobs - she may have gotten away with it had the value not been so high or exploited it for as long
I saw this on the news the other night. Glad that they are doing something about prolific shoplifters. I'm surprised as I've always been asked for a receipt when returning something.
Well technically you don’t need a receipt as far as i’m aware, as long as you have some form of proof of purchase (bank statement or something).
I remember when i worked at argos a good while ago, they basically said dont issue refunds on these items unless the customer is kicking off, this always struck me as rewarding bad behaviour
jms19 I can well believe that J, it's what some use to fuel the confidence is normally the problem, either drugs or booze , you see videos of them just strolling into a store , pick up everything they can and walk out
This women was an exception, she charmed everyone into giving her refunds
MelissaLee1 ...Love Steven Seagull pinching his favourite crisp,had to laugh when I watched the news at work & this ended the news..
It brighten mine & service users day! X
MelissaLee1 Steven seagull is very famous now M, he was even on the news last week, he never wants a refund as there's nothing left after he's finished
janphoenix51 you beat me to it J, i just saw your post after posting mine, i want a refund
telmel....No chance!
I'm sure you will come up with some quip..
I love how Steven Seagull has been banned after snatching 40 packets of his favourite crisp which just happened to be on the end if the display nearest the door!
I wonder if Steven Seagull would nick any other bags if the flavours were switched or does he go for that particular flavour?
Nice that Steven Seagull shares the spoils with his mates...Hope they put the litter in the bins afterwards!! X
janphoenix51 I am sure if they had fish and chips flavoured he would go for that first J , its their favourite food apparently
Wow that's unbeleivable what she did, I obviously frequent the wrong shops 
. I always know no receipt or proof of purchase means no refund for me these days.
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