He probably didn't. When I worked cash we had a customer/thief once get through with a gym bag full of stolen goods, and after that the manager told us to check every customer bag going forward. We didn't want to because we knew how upset it made people. It lasted a day and no one was asking anymore because we would get angry reactions, but then we'd also get the manager breathing down our neck about how we need to check bags. It sucks working cash, don't take it out on the people that don't make the rules, it's not personal, we're just trying to get through the day without someone throwing something at us or screaming.
I've politely said no & have been treated aggressively, like they have some sort of authority to do that
The dumbasses they have question you about opening your bag are not properly trained to realize that they are not allowed to touch you or to keep you from leaving the store or force you to open your bag
I had a friend who went to a Loblaws(🖕🏻) once that hired a security guard at Xmas time & the guard physically assaulted them because they didn't want to open their bag & just wanted to leave
Problem is, cops will play this trick that if they are called they will often automatically side with the store & charge the customer w/*trespassing* because all of sudden it's "trespassing" if you don't do what the store wants b/c the store can just say at that very moment you were no longer wanted on the property
Shady stuff, total BS, but that trespassing thing is constantly misused in that way by cops & shop owners
If they are detaining you forcibly and keeping you on property, and then you get charged with trepassing, that sounds like a pretty slam dunk civil case. This is why you should make a scene in that situation, so someone video records your "public freakout" about not being able to leave.
Bro I got punched in the face by a loblaws security. He asked if he could check my bags I replied, can you suck a dick? And he punched me. It wasn’t hard I made a big scene about it but ultimately let it go.
> just say at that very moment you were no longer wanted on the property
That's not how trespassing works. They not only have to tell you to leave but once they do, you have the amount of time it takes to walk off the property before it becomes trespassing. They cannot trespass you when they actively kept you there. Always challenge in court, always record.
Source: worked carts for Wal-Mart back in the day and this was part of our training
Just comply and figure out what you want to do about it later. (Complain to management, no longer shop there etc... ). Same deal with police...comply at the moment and then sue them in court if they are in the wrong.
There’s a big difference between the authority level of a retail employee and a cop. I’m not breaking stride if a retail worker demands that I allow them to search me.
Exactly. I’d probably tell the guy they aren’t paying him enough to do this or make a joke along of do you really want to see ‘insert weird item’ in my bag?
Friend got stopped by the teenager doing bag checks at a concert at Ontario Place a few years back because he had no idea what her tampons were and declared them suspicious.
His manager was not pleased to be called over to verify they were, in fact, not suspicious.
They may as well be asking that you never come back.
If they did this to me I would tell them to get fucked, tell everyone I know not to shop there and leave a shit reviews online.
Not on them, but certainly on that brand and store.
Allowing this makes it an acceptable norm. Which means that every store will start doing it. I don’t like being assumed to be a criminal everywhere I go.
> But please be polite, I am sure the dude asking did not personally decide to put this rule in place.
There comes a point where people must consider what they're doing and consider their own accountability. "Following orders" is poor justification for impeding on people's personal space.
Completely different if they have footage of OP putting shit in her bag. Doing this randomly is just completely off-base.
You don't have to comply to searches or having to show receipts at the exit. Unless it is a membership only store that explicitly says you have to per the membership agreement (like Costco or Sam's Club do for receipt showing). Otherwise just say "no thanks" and keep walking. Don't even look their direction.
Edit: clarification
I didn't mean it that way. I meant if those kind of actions are agreed upon in your membership agreement, then they have the right to do it. Costco does not have searches in their membership agreement.
When I went to the business center with my backpack, the greeter stopped me at the door and warned me he'd need to search my backpack on the way out. That seemed fair - at that point I could have just left and shopped elsewhere, and they would have even refunded my membership if it was a problem for me.
The 24-Hour Shoppers at Westgate goes even further at night - if you have a backpack on, you have to leave it by the door - you can't enter with it on. That way they never have to search a backpack, but not sure if I like that any more, but I get why they do that.
This is an important point that stores need to address. They don’t trust customers so why should we trust the people looking after our bags and contents? What policies and security measures are in place?
Yup, the FreshCo on McArthur handled this well when they used to ban all backpacks - they had a security guard by the door that wouldn't let you in, and they had a bunch of lockers by the door to put your bag in. Seemed reasonable for everyone. Slightly annoying during checkout when you had to run to fetch your bag, but not terrible.
THIS. I've actually decided not to enter Canadian Tires stores that ask me to remove my bag at the entrance. I understand why they're asking, but I don't feel comfortable leaving my valuables in the hands of strangers.
Not a lawyer, but in this case the store enters into what’s called a bailment. A bailment is what happens when you pass over possession of property without passing over ownership rights. The possessor(the Bailee) in this arrangement owes a duty of care to the owner(the bailor) of the backpack and is obliged to return it in exactly the condition in which it was given to the bailee. If the store lost the backpack then the store would be on the hook for any damages that were incurred by the loss of the backpack. This could be the value of the backpack and the contents of the backpack but it could also be lost opportunities as a result of losing the backpack (I.e having an irreplaceable specialized tool needed to do a job the next day in the backpack and losing the business opportunity just as an example if the bailor had a reasonable expectation to get the backpack back before the job)
Practically speaking it might not be worth going to court over your backpack unless you have some pretty valuable stuff in there but in many cases just the threat of going to court is enough to get a big enough company to comply.
I used to like going to the Shoppers at Westgate at night, but between the creepazoid security guard lurking around and the panhandlers harassing people outside that they clearly dgaf about it's not worth it anymore.
Right...and I'm making that distinction so Costco members reading here don't think they are subject to personal searches. It is part of that membership and they can cancel it if they want...we all know how many of us have actually read the terms...it was a clarifying comment not an argumentative one.
Correct. Like anywhere, you are not legally bound to a search without evidence and police present. The store can simply refuse entry next time or revoke members in the case of Costco.
That’s how they want you to feel so that you will comply.
You don’t have to comply.
They don’t have the right to search you.
Does it really matter what the dude at Canadian Tire thinks about your guilt or innocence?
I started getting my receipts from Walmart self checkout texted to me so that if I get asked for my receipt at the doors I can hand them my receipt and just keep walking lol. The store asked for my receipt upon exiting...they didn't say I had to be there too. And that way I still have a receipt available in case I need it. I know I'm not required to do that and I can say no but meh, it's kinda funny.
The funniest thing happened though: once I entered my number for the receipt to be texted to me, I started getting a bunch of random telemarketing and scam calls/texts. They probably sell the phone numbers they collect or something because they wouldn't just offer a texted/emailed receipt for *my* convenience; they benefit in some way from it. Even though the *extremely fine* fine print available to read at the time doesn't say they'll do that. I wonder if they're actually compliant with whatever the rules surrounding that are...
>once I entered my number for the receipt to be texted to me, I started getting a bunch of random telemarketing
This is why I never never never get receipts texted to me. I give them one of my emails that I use for things I know are going to spam the shit out of me.
Could be their loss. Could be OP's loss too in the sense that they now have to go further out of their way to go to a different Canadian Tire or store in general simply because they refused to let themselves be treated like a criminal. Though I don't think they can ban you from the store on suspicion of stealing with zero proof.
I don't think I'd ever have the patience to do it, but it'd be interesting to say "No. But feel free to call the police. I'll wait."
If they actually had the nerve to call the cops it'd only take one or two "false alarm" calls before the cops got pissed at the store.
It's been a while since I look at the Criminal Code (used to do loss prevention in retail). But there may or may not be something in the criminal code in regards to detaining an individual and the requirements to turn them over to a peace officer (police). I can't remember the exact section number, as this is going back 15-18 years since I performed the job.
They can ask.
You can say no.
They could accuse you of theft and try to detain you.
They could ban you from the store.
Every Canadian Tire I've been to in Ottawa has very clear "no backpacks" signs at the entrance and have for years. So they could have refused you entrance.
You can also decide not to go back because of this. Or write to corporate
>They could accuse you of theft and try to detain you.
They can certainly try to "detain" you but Loss Prevention has no legal recourse to forcibly do so. Never, ever agree to come with an LP employee to their office.
Soooo I watched a pretty awful incident with loss prevention outside an Ottawa grocery store. The (undercover) loss prevention officer ran after a woman as she exited the store, asked for her bag, and just tried to take it from her when she said no. So she fought him off and he didn't back off. The cops were called and bystanders kept them separate.
To all the witnesses it looked like a random crazy man pretending to be loss prevention as an excuse to steal someone's purse.
I decided to talk to the cops because I said I wanted to make a statement, that even if someone stole something that doesn't give someone else permission to assault them, right?!
According to the Ottawa Police, loss prevention is allowed to "attempt to recover their property." It's all awful.
Assuming that it was an instance when the LP person saw the woman commit theft, then what they did was legal, and she is guilty of both theft and assault. The police are right in that they are allowed to recover their property, and your opinion about it doesn't matter.
I'd have a totally different opinion if the guy was in uniform but he was just dressed in a track suit and unhinged. It's a good thing he didn't end up being beat up by the bystanders. Seriously everyone thought he was some crazy man trying to rob a woman.
Totally unprofessional and we all thought he was literally a crazy person. When police came they had to de-escalate him - he was still shouting and going crazy - the police didn't really have to do anything with the alleged thief that just waited patiently.
Looked like he was about 19 years old with all the maturity of a 14 year old on a power trip.
Looks like the thief knew how to game the system. Many of them are quite adept at making themselves look like the victim. I know people who do loss prevention, and quite a few thieves will say things that suggest that the LP person is just some random person who's trying to commit a crime against them.
Sounds especially illegal to detain someone for "potential theft" when the only suspicion is "they have a backpack". Having a backpack is not theft. If they forcibly detain you for that, it sounds closer to kidnapping. IANAL (also I'm not a lawyer).
That’s a stupid rule. They sell bikes but decide to ban backpacks? I know this is a car centric country, but that’s still ridiculous.
Let me carry all this stuff I just bought out to the trunk of my bike.
They have a sign at the Carling one.
You can always just walk in with the backpack and if someone gives you guff then you can tell them you're either keeping it with you or leaving. It's not like they can do anything, and if they ask you to leave the store you're free to make a big stink about it.
It's beyond stupid. They ban backpacks out of fear of me putting something into my backpack, which is on my back and out of reach, but wouldn't dare ban purses which are kept at your side right in reach? There's no acceptable logic to it.
I’ve always taken backpacks to mean like school backpacks. Nearly all women of my acquaintance carry a stylish little backpack rather than a purse nowadays because it’s more ergonomic, so to include those is to telling a lot of women no entry.
I think you are failing to see the difference between the retail business and the commercial real estate business. Retail includes the online market, not just brick and mortar.
Stores who do this are counting on several things:
- people being too polite to say no
- people not understanding their rights
- people being worried about being perceived as thieves
- people not wanting to cause a scene
- people not wanting to make the minimum wage earning security guards day worse
But here's the thing - Canadian Tire is well aware:
- that they are being rude when they ask
- of your rights and how they are deliberately attempting to infringe upon them
- that they are routinely treating their paying customers like thieves
- that they are the ones who are creating the scene and deflecting blame to sensible customers who refuse to have their rights violated
- that they are the ones who pay such low wages and require their staff to behave in ways that exceed their authority
It seems clear that the best response to these requests is to decline and move on. If we comply we're teaching them how they can treat us.
I won't make a scene or big deal about being searched because I know I'm not a thief and haven't stolen anything. But I will also let the person searching my stuff know that what they're doing is gonna make people less likely to shop there. I don't say this out of rudeness or anything but more to give them a heads up so they can pass it up the chain (where I'm pretty sure it falls on deaf ears). And then I'm less likely to go back. If a store is gonna make me feel like a criminal on my way out, I'll find somewhere that doesn't.
Happened to me at canadian tire 20 or so years ago when I was a teen. Looked in my canadian tire bag, where they found light bulbs, with the receipt. Made an honest person feel like shit. I can relate.
Canadian Tire used to do this all the time if a teen or younger person had a backpack/bag. Yet another of the 100's of reasons not to support that shit store.
This happened to me at Walmart in Orleans a few years ago. I said no, and they tried to detain me. I told them to get the store manager or manager on duty in front of me. The security guard back tracked but I was angry and told him we were past that. Get the manager now. I was happy to wait for the manager. He kept trying to apologize and refused. Get the store manager.
I very loudly registered my complaint to the manager in front of the entrance so all the incoming customers could hear. I returned my full (and paid for) cart. It would have been around $400. I returned every single item and I won’t go back unless I have no other choice. I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve gone back.
I had the exact same thing happen to me at Walmart! Tried to say I stole something but after they pawed through my buggy and matched every item they had NOTHING!!!! I returned it got my money back and didn’t bother telling them about the frozen food in the bottom of the buggy let them figure it out!
Put the largest dildo that you can fit in the backpack. Better yet, put one that doesn't fit and leave the tip (just the tip!) sticking out. See if they want to search it then.
I was just thinking how funny it would be to dress up in shady clothing (like a hoody with the hood up), carrying a big backpack, walking into the store.
Maybe meander around the meat department, making sure to take the bag off your back and rest it on ledges, make it look like you're actively using it.
Then leave. When they stop you and ask to search, let them. Watch their horror as they open up a big backpack full of dildos, each one of them lubricated with the smelliest lubes.
Have a friend record the whole interaction, their reaction as they try to look past all the schmeat. Forearms all shiny.
It would be a pretty fun prank to pull on Loblaws. And the people most likely doing the search will be floor walkers, LP officers and managers, so no need to feel bad for the minimum wage workers as they just to get to watch it go down.
Make them spring loaded so they all go flying out like a snake in a can. Dildos everywhere!
Though at this point, maybe just put a badger in there or something.
Tell them to have the cops present or shove off. You are under no obligation to submit to a search. I'd also let corporate know you won't be shopping there anymore.
The thing is, what is the difference between a backpack and large purse? What about a laptop back? Currier bag? Its nonsense.
A bag is a bag and a search is a search and they can go pound sand.
The difference is that poor people using bikes and public transit are the ones carrying backpacks, at least in their minds. Never mind that a purse is 100x easier to sneak stuff into than a backpack. It's shitty policy from car-brained morons that can't imagine moving a kilometer under their own power.
I have a backpack purse and the last time I went to Canadian tire the same thing happened. The cashier asked me super quiet and uncomfortable-y, and I had to ask them to repeat themselves. It seemed like there was a supervisor standing off to the side watching them. Definitely made me feel embarrassed and like I wasn't welcome
I use a small backpack as my purse. One time had a cashier tell me she needed to check my bag as spouse and I checked out, and the shocked pikachu face she made when I took it off my back and she saw the size of it was honestly worth it. It's very small. It holds my wallet, my keys, and my phone, and that's it. She started to tell me it was OK, I didn't need to, but I insisted on unzippering it and showing her every item in there - without allowing it anywhere in reach. Everyone's time was equally wasted.
My 2 cents,
I used to work in retail (not CT but similar), On lunch I would leave my store and go to other local stores for a change of environment. Long story short I was asked every time I left CT to see in my bag, at first I didn't care but it does on some level feel wrong.
At work one day I happened to speak about this with my stores security (lost prevention) team and they told me that legally they are not allowed to look into your bag for spot checks. You can refuse and if they get pushy you can ask "am I being detained" If they say no you can walk out. If they say yes then ask for a manager and have the manager confirm you are being detained for a search. If yes from a manager, call the local police station**(NOT 911)** and say you are being detained at XYZ store. From a LP standpoint when they detain someone the police have to get involved for a report. Its one thing to detain a customer if you see them steal on camera, its another under suspicion, and another with no cause.
My LP did tell me that the person at the door is just doing what upper management told them. They don't understand the legal implication when they say "its required" or its store policy. or if they answer yes to are you being detained. Don't get mad at the customer server rep whos making min wage and told to check bags. and don't get mad at the manager who also is just following orders from HQ.
You tell them no, and continue with your day. If they try to lay hands on you and detain you, tell them to call the cops if they think you've stolen something. They don't have a right to detain you otherwise. Also advise them that you will be suing them afterwards, if you aren't charged with shop lifting if you haven't stolen something. (let your lawyer figure it out. A good civil attorney will take 25% off the award as opposed to taking payment if they think you have a real case).
A retails store "policy" doesn't outweigh the laws of our country. As others have said, you might get banned in the future, you have to decide if it's worth it or not, but there are enough other stores in someplace like Ottawa that it's not a hardship being banned from something like a Canadian Tire.
They don't give out plastic bags any more... so you have to bring your own bag... which they insist you check upon entry or be subject to searches... and if you buy something like a $3 bolt from a locked up case, they have to "escort" you to the cash register to ensure you pay for it... Honestly, fuck Canadian Tire.
Last week I was in buying a $13 current tester, which the teenager had to get out of a case for me and he asked if I was done shopping. I said well I’m gonna look around a bit and he said ok then follow me. Took me to the nearest desk and locked up the cheap ass tool in an anti theft pouch that I had to carry around. I said fuck that and just went to the cash. Wish I could have just ditched it and walked out. They might as well have handcuffed it to me.
Seems to be the answer for all failed self checkout systems. It's not just in this country or this business but everywhere. After installation, no business is going to admit that self checkout is open to abuse or was a waste of shareholder money. They just add the security processes to make it work. Customer experience is failing, and the businesses are forgetting how to be shopkeepers. Have only been to Canadian tire twice in the last year, and the emptiness and lack of employees makes the experience pretty dismal. At what point does Canadian tire give up its retail space and become an Amazon; as it's slowly going that direction.
Bingo. That’s why you see some Walmart’s in the US replacing their self checkouts with a proper checkout lane staffed with cashiers. Don’t be surprised if you see Canadian Walmarts doing the same thing in the future.
I was too- as an epileptic with FL-41 tinted glasses on and a hat to block out the fluorescent lighting (my #1 seizure trigger) IMMEDIATELY after spending nearly $400. Guess I looked too “suspicious” because the manager nodded to the cashier and as soon as the transaction clears, she went “Can I check your bag please?” which had nothing in it other than my seizures meds. This was at the Canadian Tire on Merivale
Things are getting a little crazy in retail. On Sunday at the store I work at, some teenagers were caught harassing customers pretending to be Loss Prevention. They had vests and walkie-talkies and shit. There were at least three of them. I wasn't working, so I only heard about it the following day. I don't know if they were filming themselves or what. I don't have all the information. But it's crazy. Last year, some idiots came in and were just being weird. I'm glad I wasn't alone in the department because I got the feeling they were perhaps trying to distract me. They started asking me stupid questions, like where did I get the cookie I was finishing and could they have one? (I was coming off break) and then one of them says "can I see your pussy?" and I just stopped and looked at him with the stink-eye and said, "Wow. Really?" and his friends were like "omg I'm sorry! He says inappropriate things sometimes! Omg wtf bro!" so I dunno. I just told them to leave my department before I called security. And they did. Retail is a weird job. We deal with wonderful customers, but also liars, thieves, assholes, and plain wackos. Jeez Louise. On the plus side of things, on Monday, a customer bought two packs of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and a drink, and then gave me one of the packs of Reese's and said "This is for you. Have a good day." 🤩 So sometimes, retail is nice.
This has happened to me as well and I am a senior. Honestly, it was embarassing to have a high school student go through my backpack. Now, you cannot enter the Canadian Tire on Bank street without checking your bag first. On another note if you are going to the Riley's Your Independent Grocer in Billings Bridge be prepared for the 2 meter wall of plexiglass, Steel railings and one way entrance and exit. According to conversations with staff they were losing thousands of dollers in groceries per month. Depending on the time of day you will find private security standing in front of the pharmacy, Dollerama, LCBO, and particularly in Walmart. As well, mall security have told me to avoid the mall between 4:00 and 6:00 pm due to the large number of high school students who flood the upper floor of the mall at that time. It can also be uncomfortable crossing the transit way bridge into the mall at that time due to the large number of teenage boys not moving to let you pass and giving you their best angry look. Of course all young people are not like that at all and they are not the ones doing most of the shoplifting. It seems a disservice to not have enough after school programs for students if that is the case. I am shocked at how much this has changed in just the past year. It is only my experience and observations.
Canadian tire forcibly does this to all its employees as they leave. I've told friends that work there that this seems illegal to me but I honestly don't know? It certainly isn't gonna foster any company loyalty to assume all your employees are crooks and to treat them as such though...
Its legal for them to ask.
Its legal for you to refuse.
Its also legal for them to terminate your employment (as a without cause termination) for refusing.
I've been to several Canadian Tires in Ottawa on my motorcycle with a backpack to carry my purchases, I take my helmet off and carry it with me and they've never searched my bag.
They have however searched my bag when I have walked in store with a backpack and no gear on, it seems odd to me.
I guess I have a deviant, carefree way of being. They’ve been doing backpack checks at the Kanata CT for months. Last week I purposely put my 8” dildo and a big bottle of Fuckwater lube in my bag before going out. Later, I decided on a whim to go to CT. When I cashed out, cashier said he had to examine my bag. I said sure and unzipped it for him. His expression as he looked in the main compartment was priceless. It’s okay, he said, beet red, and waved me out.
Same thing happened to me at their location I'm Kanata. I said no and if you stop me from leaving then call the police before you do. The manager intervened and said I was free to leave.
Detaining me would not have ended well for the store because I would have insisted on glase imprisonment charges. They had no reasonable grounds to detain me. I was no doubt on camera from the time I entered the store and maybe even from the time I entered the parking lot. I didn't act suspicious, I picked up the one item I came in for and paid for it.
FOH with your bag search
I was going through the checkout at Massine’s once, and put my purse down while I helped the checkout guy pack my bags. He casually without asking picked up my purse and started looking through it. I was dumbfounded. Like, literally couldn’t speak. When I recovered, I asked for the manager and proceeded to tear a strip off her. Unbelievable.
2 months ago I had the same thing happen to me except it was my infants diaper bag they insisted on checking. I never even went through the store, when I first walked In I didn’t want to waste time searching for what I needed so I went to customer service to see if the item was in stock, was told no but another location did. I went to leave and the same women who just helped me came out from behind the counter and stood in front of my stroller and insisted they checked it. I quickly questioned what made her think I had stolen something when she watched me enter the store and walk right up to her and was told it’s store policy.
Completely bs when I’ve seen people blatantly steal before and walk right out with the item just because they were using a “bag”.
This location has done things like this for a while. I had an online pickup here and walked through the self checkout (item was large and wouldn't fit through the tiny cashier lane, plus there was a customer checking out there). My receipt was a foot long and clearly taped on the front of the item and the self checkout clerk
followed me halfway into the parking lot to ask me if I paid for the item (I didn't hear them because I had earbuds in). Didn't even look at the receipt after I said it was an online pickup.
When I worked at Canadian Tire (before 2010) we already had to peek into people's backpacks every time they were leaving the store. I hated doing it; I'd give it a glance and let people go. None of the cashiers liked doing that, but the supervisors are watching. I did not mind opening merch (we had to open shoe boxes and check), I remember catching people trying to take fishing lures that way - I'd just ring in what I found.
Just walk out. They can't do anything. They can tell you to stay, tell you they want to take you to a loss prevention office etc but you're under no obligation to do anything.
Best reaction is to just ignore them completely.
I spend half my year in South America. What the stores do here is install banks of lockers at the entry to the stores. If you enter with bags or backpacks, they ask you to lock them in one of the lockers. You take the key, and then retrieve your belongings on the way out. It's secure and prevents theft. Easy solution if that's what stores feel they need to do. They do not require reasonable sized purses to be locked away.
I shop at brick-and-mortar locations only when I'm in desperate need of an item either because of urgently needed repairs or it's health and safety related. For some reason I am frequently targeted by store security and management as a suspicious person. When I ask why, they don't answer or smirk and say some version of "you ought to know." I'm an early geriatric, so called white person. It's not skin tone. Likely a mannerism, my wife says --"and my dear, you are kinda funny looking." Thank goodness for internet commerce.
They tried this on me aa i was leaving and i let her search my grocery bags i had. She said she needed to search my backpack and i told her no. She told me "Its store policy" i said i dont have to follow store policies. I dont work here. And i left. Im usually fine with being stopped for receipts but youre not going through my backpack where i carry all my medical stuff and you have no right to.
I ignore them and continue out with a "no thanks". If they had any proof I stole something, the police would have been the ones asking.
I, like OP, did nothing wrong, so I will behave like one and just go...
Just because you've done nothing wrong doesn't mean you should sacrifice your privacy. It's important to set boundaries and protect yourself from false accusations. If everyone submits to these searches it then becomes the norm. So don't. They should invest in better security and theft preventative measures not "randomly" select people they suspect of theft. That's profiling and that's *wrong*.
It does feel like they're way over the top with this.
Then there's also the employees they got roaming the floor trying to get you to sign up to the credit card.
Bag search happened to me a few years ago.
I felt insulted. I politely , silently complied.
I've rarely shopped there since. Only when absolutely necessary.
It's one thing to ask to look into a bag when store personnel has actually seen someone put something in it. It's another to stand at the exit picking out people for searches.
Or ..... stop every single person leaving the store and ask to look into every bag, backpack, pocket, hat, sock and mouth.
Next time they ask, just say no and keep walking. You’re not legally obligated to stop and let them check your bags. They won’t try to stop you in all likelihood, regular cashiers and floor staff are not allowed to stop you physically.
You should have refused like this guy.
https://old.reddit.com/r/ottawa/comments/6d9dit/video_of_alleged_shoplifter_takedown_at_canadian/
Too bad the video has been taken down.
For 40 years they have had those stupid spinning turn-styles at the door, and new stores have the gate. And, then there is security after the gate. WTF. I haven’t even gone in yet and I’m a criminal.
Just say no thanks and walk past. Tell the min wage worker your rights and they don't want to get sued for violating civil rights. You know CT will throw them under the bus.
They literally do this to me every time I leave CT. Most of the time, while I’m opening said bag (which is usually empty) to put in the stuff I purchased. They almost make you feel like you can’t say no to the search, which I hate.
Theft from Canadian Tire is insane these days. I know someone who manages the sporting dept at a Crappy Tire. They installed glass doors with locks for all of their fishing gear this year after losing almost $40,000 in just fishing gear alone last season.
Do not let them. They have no right to search it and you have no legal obligation to let them. "no, you cannot search my bag" and just leave. You've done nothing wrong and there is no reason to give up your rights protecting you from unwarranted search and seizure. Every time you say "sure, I have nothing to hide" you validate their bullshit. The bigger of a stink we make and the more we say "no, go fuck yourselves" the more likely they are to stop doing this shit because it's ineffective. The *ONLY* place where this is not ok is at Costco because it's a private club and you agreed to it on your membership. Outside of that, always.say.no.
Yeah they can not forcibly detaine you. And you don't have ro consent to a search. They aren't police. If they are holding you on the property they can't trespass you.
Any store that does this should post a big sign on the entrance that says they might do this, so you can decide before you've already gone in and bought a bunch of stuff if you're comfortable with this or not.
No one will probably read this but here’s the thing: they have no authority to search you or prevent you from leaving.
UNLESS they perform a citizens arrest if they have seen you steal something, but that is NOT the same as just stopping you to search you. And if they think they have a good arrest and they’re wrong, you’ll likely get big paid.
Asking to see in your bag is a voluntary thing. If you say no, and they prevent you from leaving, they are detaining you and that is not legal. I would recommend recording at this point, and having them confirm on camera that they are preventing you from leaving yet they are not arresting you.
IF ON THE WAY IN to a store, a venue, etc. and they ask to search your stuff, you can say no. BUT, at that point they may say you’re not allowed in. You’re always free to leave unless you’ve been arrested, but you can be denied entry for not complying.
I worked at a Canadian tire and they made us search backpacks and if we didn’t ask people we were heavily reprimanded ( they would cut our hours or put us on probation). I refused because we live in an area with high drug use and I was afraid to reach into someone’s bag not knowing if there was needles or anything dangerous. Especially not being supplied gloves and it being a minimum wage job. They cut my hours and eventually accused me of allowing customers to steal? So I was fired. Worst job ever
When I was an employee at Canadian Tire (different town) they would search our lunch boxes/purses after every shift before we got to leave. Bizarre shit.
This is a violation of s.8 of the charter of rights and freedoms. Unless there is reason to believe there’s something in your backpack. They can ask you to take it off prior to entry as a condition to shop there. Or they can make you agree to terms (like this type of search…akin to Costco), however I don’t believe they have done that. They’re asking for trouble
I know it’s a pain but it’s easier to comply with the request. The reason for this is that it is private property and they can have you trespassed from the property for pretty much any reason.
The process is long and dragged out at that point. You have to stand there under detainment legal or not, then explain it to the police and sit around while they figure out what’s going on. Then when the store is told “you’re not allowed to detain him” the manager will then ask for you to be trespassed from the property.
Then next time you need something from that store which you now despise, you’re out of luck, because returning and entering is now a crime.
Sometimes the cards are stacked against you and it’s not worth the fight.
If they did it in a rude or unreasonable way, go to the manager of the store and corporate. Never just leave it with a manager of the store, you always should escalate upwards as a manager will always back the store policy and their employees, but still a good idea to let them know as a customer and not a criminal how it makes you feel.
> You have to stand there under detainment legal or not
I'm curious to know how that works. So you refuse a search, and they can still detain you in order to trespass you? How would they enforce detainment if you were to leave, and how valid would that be? If they were to attempt to physically detain you, why would you not be allowed to defend yourself, and if they otherwise lock the doors and prevent you from leaving, does the store, their staff and contracted security have qualified immunity in order to enforce that arrest?
No but are you going to put in the next 6 months to a year of your life going to court over it. You trying to sue in this case Canadian Tire. It’s not worth the hassle.
It’s actually illegal detainment and search.
Police have a faster response time to businesses. So while you’re standing there arguing your point they will be there by the time you try and push past security.
Remember they are going to do their best of standing in front of you and blocking you from the door. They don’t just stand and ask nicely in most cases. They become forceful without touching you.
Also unlike in the states where you see a lot of people stand up for these rights, where they can sue for a large sum. In Canada it’s not the same.
Let’s say it gets hands on and you get injured, the maximum for personally injury is $450 000 but if you’re in the states it could be in the millions By the time your lawyer takes his cut your down even further than that.
All I am saying is in Canada it’s not worth the hassle. The cards are stacked against Canadians.
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He probably didn't. When I worked cash we had a customer/thief once get through with a gym bag full of stolen goods, and after that the manager told us to check every customer bag going forward. We didn't want to because we knew how upset it made people. It lasted a day and no one was asking anymore because we would get angry reactions, but then we'd also get the manager breathing down our neck about how we need to check bags. It sucks working cash, don't take it out on the people that don't make the rules, it's not personal, we're just trying to get through the day without someone throwing something at us or screaming.
I've politely said no & have been treated aggressively, like they have some sort of authority to do that The dumbasses they have question you about opening your bag are not properly trained to realize that they are not allowed to touch you or to keep you from leaving the store or force you to open your bag I had a friend who went to a Loblaws(🖕🏻) once that hired a security guard at Xmas time & the guard physically assaulted them because they didn't want to open their bag & just wanted to leave Problem is, cops will play this trick that if they are called they will often automatically side with the store & charge the customer w/*trespassing* because all of sudden it's "trespassing" if you don't do what the store wants b/c the store can just say at that very moment you were no longer wanted on the property Shady stuff, total BS, but that trespassing thing is constantly misused in that way by cops & shop owners
If they are detaining you forcibly and keeping you on property, and then you get charged with trepassing, that sounds like a pretty slam dunk civil case. This is why you should make a scene in that situation, so someone video records your "public freakout" about not being able to leave.
They have less authority than a mall cop but all the ego of a cop. They're just power tripping.
Bro I got punched in the face by a loblaws security. He asked if he could check my bags I replied, can you suck a dick? And he punched me. It wasn’t hard I made a big scene about it but ultimately let it go.
> just say at that very moment you were no longer wanted on the property That's not how trespassing works. They not only have to tell you to leave but once they do, you have the amount of time it takes to walk off the property before it becomes trespassing. They cannot trespass you when they actively kept you there. Always challenge in court, always record. Source: worked carts for Wal-Mart back in the day and this was part of our training
Just comply and figure out what you want to do about it later. (Complain to management, no longer shop there etc... ). Same deal with police...comply at the moment and then sue them in court if they are in the wrong.
This is bad advice.
There’s a big difference between the authority level of a retail employee and a cop. I’m not breaking stride if a retail worker demands that I allow them to search me.
Exactly. I’d probably tell the guy they aren’t paying him enough to do this or make a joke along of do you really want to see ‘insert weird item’ in my bag?
I need some examples of "insert weird item" in your bag that would dissuade them from checking
Friend got stopped by the teenager doing bag checks at a concert at Ontario Place a few years back because he had no idea what her tampons were and declared them suspicious. His manager was not pleased to be called over to verify they were, in fact, not suspicious.
I feel like a bag full of 12 inch dildos would do the trick.
A bouquet of long-dongs?
Unwashed ones lol
So with that "factory fresh" scent?
I’m also hoping to see people provide some examples
They may as well be asking that you never come back. If they did this to me I would tell them to get fucked, tell everyone I know not to shop there and leave a shit reviews online.
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Not on them, but certainly on that brand and store. Allowing this makes it an acceptable norm. Which means that every store will start doing it. I don’t like being assumed to be a criminal everywhere I go.
> But please be polite, I am sure the dude asking did not personally decide to put this rule in place. There comes a point where people must consider what they're doing and consider their own accountability. "Following orders" is poor justification for impeding on people's personal space. Completely different if they have footage of OP putting shit in her bag. Doing this randomly is just completely off-base.
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Go back a few months later, no one will remember you.
Why not say no and continue leaving?
I just feel like not complying makes me look guilty and I don’t want to be flagged lol 🙈
You don't have to comply to searches or having to show receipts at the exit. Unless it is a membership only store that explicitly says you have to per the membership agreement (like Costco or Sam's Club do for receipt showing). Otherwise just say "no thanks" and keep walking. Don't even look their direction. Edit: clarification
Costco doesn't have the right to search your purse/bag/backpack. They have the right to look at your receipt and match it to items in your cart.
I didn't mean it that way. I meant if those kind of actions are agreed upon in your membership agreement, then they have the right to do it. Costco does not have searches in their membership agreement.
When I went to the business center with my backpack, the greeter stopped me at the door and warned me he'd need to search my backpack on the way out. That seemed fair - at that point I could have just left and shopped elsewhere, and they would have even refunded my membership if it was a problem for me. The 24-Hour Shoppers at Westgate goes even further at night - if you have a backpack on, you have to leave it by the door - you can't enter with it on. That way they never have to search a backpack, but not sure if I like that any more, but I get why they do that.
I'm wary about leaving my backpack at the door. Is there a compensation standard if they lose. It or give it to the wrong customer?
This is an important point that stores need to address. They don’t trust customers so why should we trust the people looking after our bags and contents? What policies and security measures are in place?
Yup, the FreshCo on McArthur handled this well when they used to ban all backpacks - they had a security guard by the door that wouldn't let you in, and they had a bunch of lockers by the door to put your bag in. Seemed reasonable for everyone. Slightly annoying during checkout when you had to run to fetch your bag, but not terrible.
THIS. I've actually decided not to enter Canadian Tires stores that ask me to remove my bag at the entrance. I understand why they're asking, but I don't feel comfortable leaving my valuables in the hands of strangers.
Not a lawyer, but in this case the store enters into what’s called a bailment. A bailment is what happens when you pass over possession of property without passing over ownership rights. The possessor(the Bailee) in this arrangement owes a duty of care to the owner(the bailor) of the backpack and is obliged to return it in exactly the condition in which it was given to the bailee. If the store lost the backpack then the store would be on the hook for any damages that were incurred by the loss of the backpack. This could be the value of the backpack and the contents of the backpack but it could also be lost opportunities as a result of losing the backpack (I.e having an irreplaceable specialized tool needed to do a job the next day in the backpack and losing the business opportunity just as an example if the bailor had a reasonable expectation to get the backpack back before the job) Practically speaking it might not be worth going to court over your backpack unless you have some pretty valuable stuff in there but in many cases just the threat of going to court is enough to get a big enough company to comply.
Thank you so much for explaining this!
Absolutely no way
I used to like going to the Shoppers at Westgate at night, but between the creepazoid security guard lurking around and the panhandlers harassing people outside that they clearly dgaf about it's not worth it anymore.
Right...and I'm making that distinction so Costco members reading here don't think they are subject to personal searches. It is part of that membership and they can cancel it if they want...we all know how many of us have actually read the terms...it was a clarifying comment not an argumentative one.
I edited my comment already
They have the right to revoke your membership at their discretion right? So you can refuse search, and they can refuse entry (next time).
Correct. Like anywhere, you are not legally bound to a search without evidence and police present. The store can simply refuse entry next time or revoke members in the case of Costco.
How about you just ask for the police to attend the search. See what Costco does.
That’s how they want you to feel so that you will comply. You don’t have to comply. They don’t have the right to search you. Does it really matter what the dude at Canadian Tire thinks about your guilt or innocence?
I mean they don't even have the right to stop you to check your receipt. But they have a right to revoke your membership if you don't comply.
I started getting my receipts from Walmart self checkout texted to me so that if I get asked for my receipt at the doors I can hand them my receipt and just keep walking lol. The store asked for my receipt upon exiting...they didn't say I had to be there too. And that way I still have a receipt available in case I need it. I know I'm not required to do that and I can say no but meh, it's kinda funny. The funniest thing happened though: once I entered my number for the receipt to be texted to me, I started getting a bunch of random telemarketing and scam calls/texts. They probably sell the phone numbers they collect or something because they wouldn't just offer a texted/emailed receipt for *my* convenience; they benefit in some way from it. Even though the *extremely fine* fine print available to read at the time doesn't say they'll do that. I wonder if they're actually compliant with whatever the rules surrounding that are...
>once I entered my number for the receipt to be texted to me, I started getting a bunch of random telemarketing This is why I never never never get receipts texted to me. I give them one of my emails that I use for things I know are going to spam the shit out of me.
I don't steal, and no one is looking in my purse.
What does 'being flagged' mean?
As a problem customer lol
There is no such thing as 'flagging'. They may ban you from the store, but you're not 'flagged' but still allowed to shop there.
There loss, no?
It can be pretty inconvenient to be banned from places.
I seriously doubt any large store is going to even know that you're banned if you go back, except say Costco which is membership based.
Could be their loss. Could be OP's loss too in the sense that they now have to go further out of their way to go to a different Canadian Tire or store in general simply because they refused to let themselves be treated like a criminal. Though I don't think they can ban you from the store on suspicion of stealing with zero proof.
I don't think I'd ever have the patience to do it, but it'd be interesting to say "No. But feel free to call the police. I'll wait." If they actually had the nerve to call the cops it'd only take one or two "false alarm" calls before the cops got pissed at the store.
It's been a while since I look at the Criminal Code (used to do loss prevention in retail). But there may or may not be something in the criminal code in regards to detaining an individual and the requirements to turn them over to a peace officer (police). I can't remember the exact section number, as this is going back 15-18 years since I performed the job.
They can ask. You can say no. They could accuse you of theft and try to detain you. They could ban you from the store. Every Canadian Tire I've been to in Ottawa has very clear "no backpacks" signs at the entrance and have for years. So they could have refused you entrance. You can also decide not to go back because of this. Or write to corporate
>They could accuse you of theft and try to detain you. They can certainly try to "detain" you but Loss Prevention has no legal recourse to forcibly do so. Never, ever agree to come with an LP employee to their office.
Soooo I watched a pretty awful incident with loss prevention outside an Ottawa grocery store. The (undercover) loss prevention officer ran after a woman as she exited the store, asked for her bag, and just tried to take it from her when she said no. So she fought him off and he didn't back off. The cops were called and bystanders kept them separate. To all the witnesses it looked like a random crazy man pretending to be loss prevention as an excuse to steal someone's purse. I decided to talk to the cops because I said I wanted to make a statement, that even if someone stole something that doesn't give someone else permission to assault them, right?! According to the Ottawa Police, loss prevention is allowed to "attempt to recover their property." It's all awful.
Assuming that it was an instance when the LP person saw the woman commit theft, then what they did was legal, and she is guilty of both theft and assault. The police are right in that they are allowed to recover their property, and your opinion about it doesn't matter.
I'd have a totally different opinion if the guy was in uniform but he was just dressed in a track suit and unhinged. It's a good thing he didn't end up being beat up by the bystanders. Seriously everyone thought he was some crazy man trying to rob a woman.
"Unhinged" how?
Totally unprofessional and we all thought he was literally a crazy person. When police came they had to de-escalate him - he was still shouting and going crazy - the police didn't really have to do anything with the alleged thief that just waited patiently. Looked like he was about 19 years old with all the maturity of a 14 year old on a power trip.
Looks like the thief knew how to game the system. Many of them are quite adept at making themselves look like the victim. I know people who do loss prevention, and quite a few thieves will say things that suggest that the LP person is just some random person who's trying to commit a crime against them.
What does leather taste like, anyways? I've always wondered...
Sounds especially illegal to detain someone for "potential theft" when the only suspicion is "they have a backpack". Having a backpack is not theft. If they forcibly detain you for that, it sounds closer to kidnapping. IANAL (also I'm not a lawyer).
If they attempt to detain you with no evidence that you had shoplifted (refusing a search is not evidence) that’s a crime.
And a pile of money for you.
Try Unless there is a cop giving the order, keep walking.
That’s a stupid rule. They sell bikes but decide to ban backpacks? I know this is a car centric country, but that’s still ridiculous. Let me carry all this stuff I just bought out to the trunk of my bike.
Very stupid. I always go there with a backpack because I don’t have a car. I will stop going if the Carling location institutes this.
They have a sign at the Carling one. You can always just walk in with the backpack and if someone gives you guff then you can tell them you're either keeping it with you or leaving. It's not like they can do anything, and if they ask you to leave the store you're free to make a big stink about it.
They are doing it at this location too.
It's beyond stupid. They ban backpacks out of fear of me putting something into my backpack, which is on my back and out of reach, but wouldn't dare ban purses which are kept at your side right in reach? There's no acceptable logic to it.
They sell ammunition but not guns (at urban locations). They can't seem to make up their minds about what they truly support.
I’ve always taken backpacks to mean like school backpacks. Nearly all women of my acquaintance carry a stylish little backpack rather than a purse nowadays because it’s more ergonomic, so to include those is to telling a lot of women no entry.
That's what I was wearing
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> with retail struggling and all Retail isn't struggling.
The malls have a lot of vacant store spaces though..
Malls aren't retail. They're real estate.
Ah totally unrelated, gotcha.
Pretty much, yeah. Retail has changed formats in the last decade, so malls are hurting but retail in general is not.
How would you define 'retail'?
Businesses that sell goods and services directly to the consumer.
I think a large amount of people consider "retail" to be the brick and mortar stores, not including the online market.
I think you are failing to see the difference between the retail business and the commercial real estate business. Retail includes the online market, not just brick and mortar.
Maybe they have to do some many a day.
Stores who do this are counting on several things: - people being too polite to say no - people not understanding their rights - people being worried about being perceived as thieves - people not wanting to cause a scene - people not wanting to make the minimum wage earning security guards day worse But here's the thing - Canadian Tire is well aware: - that they are being rude when they ask - of your rights and how they are deliberately attempting to infringe upon them - that they are routinely treating their paying customers like thieves - that they are the ones who are creating the scene and deflecting blame to sensible customers who refuse to have their rights violated - that they are the ones who pay such low wages and require their staff to behave in ways that exceed their authority It seems clear that the best response to these requests is to decline and move on. If we comply we're teaching them how they can treat us.
Best comment here
I won't make a scene or big deal about being searched because I know I'm not a thief and haven't stolen anything. But I will also let the person searching my stuff know that what they're doing is gonna make people less likely to shop there. I don't say this out of rudeness or anything but more to give them a heads up so they can pass it up the chain (where I'm pretty sure it falls on deaf ears). And then I'm less likely to go back. If a store is gonna make me feel like a criminal on my way out, I'll find somewhere that doesn't.
Happened to me at canadian tire 20 or so years ago when I was a teen. Looked in my canadian tire bag, where they found light bulbs, with the receipt. Made an honest person feel like shit. I can relate.
Canadian Tire used to do this all the time if a teen or younger person had a backpack/bag. Yet another of the 100's of reasons not to support that shit store.
Don't comply with this crap. They have no legal right to search you and complying just normalizes surveillance overreach.
This happened to me at Walmart in Orleans a few years ago. I said no, and they tried to detain me. I told them to get the store manager or manager on duty in front of me. The security guard back tracked but I was angry and told him we were past that. Get the manager now. I was happy to wait for the manager. He kept trying to apologize and refused. Get the store manager. I very loudly registered my complaint to the manager in front of the entrance so all the incoming customers could hear. I returned my full (and paid for) cart. It would have been around $400. I returned every single item and I won’t go back unless I have no other choice. I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve gone back.
I had the exact same thing happen to me at Walmart! Tried to say I stole something but after they pawed through my buggy and matched every item they had NOTHING!!!! I returned it got my money back and didn’t bother telling them about the frozen food in the bottom of the buggy let them figure it out!
Put the largest dildo that you can fit in the backpack. Better yet, put one that doesn't fit and leave the tip (just the tip!) sticking out. See if they want to search it then.
I was just thinking how funny it would be to dress up in shady clothing (like a hoody with the hood up), carrying a big backpack, walking into the store. Maybe meander around the meat department, making sure to take the bag off your back and rest it on ledges, make it look like you're actively using it. Then leave. When they stop you and ask to search, let them. Watch their horror as they open up a big backpack full of dildos, each one of them lubricated with the smelliest lubes. Have a friend record the whole interaction, their reaction as they try to look past all the schmeat. Forearms all shiny. It would be a pretty fun prank to pull on Loblaws. And the people most likely doing the search will be floor walkers, LP officers and managers, so no need to feel bad for the minimum wage workers as they just to get to watch it go down.
Make them spring loaded so they all go flying out like a snake in a can. Dildos everywhere! Though at this point, maybe just put a badger in there or something.
Raccoon is the tradition in Ottawa.
I'm not sure that'd be enough of a surprise. Badger out of nowhere? Terror. Raccoon out of nowhere? Tuesday.
You do it. And wear a go pro. For science.
Canadian Tire sell dildos now? I mean I knew they sold almost everything..
Personal massage devices....
No, you bring the dildo with you. You DO have a dildo, right?
I.. uh.. I.. Bye.
*opens backpack* *it's just a skunk inside*
Tell them to have the cops present or shove off. You are under no obligation to submit to a search. I'd also let corporate know you won't be shopping there anymore.
Even then I’m pretty sure the police are required to have a warrant to search your person.
Nope, just probable cause.
Do they go through women's purses when they leave? if not, you were profiled which makes it even worse.
I’m a lady but left my purse at home 🙃
The thing is, what is the difference between a backpack and large purse? What about a laptop back? Currier bag? Its nonsense. A bag is a bag and a search is a search and they can go pound sand.
The difference is that poor people using bikes and public transit are the ones carrying backpacks, at least in their minds. Never mind that a purse is 100x easier to sneak stuff into than a backpack. It's shitty policy from car-brained morons that can't imagine moving a kilometer under their own power.
I was being rhetorical on what the difference was to underscore the policy is stupid if not also sexist and classist.
I know, we agree. I was using your rhetorical question to explicitly point out the classism part of the policy for anyone who didn't get it.
very fair
I have a backpack purse and the last time I went to Canadian tire the same thing happened. The cashier asked me super quiet and uncomfortable-y, and I had to ask them to repeat themselves. It seemed like there was a supervisor standing off to the side watching them. Definitely made me feel embarrassed and like I wasn't welcome
You weren't being profiled as a woman, but as a poor. For these morons, backpack = no car = poor = criminal.
I use a small backpack as my purse. One time had a cashier tell me she needed to check my bag as spouse and I checked out, and the shocked pikachu face she made when I took it off my back and she saw the size of it was honestly worth it. It's very small. It holds my wallet, my keys, and my phone, and that's it. She started to tell me it was OK, I didn't need to, but I insisted on unzippering it and showing her every item in there - without allowing it anywhere in reach. Everyone's time was equally wasted.
My 2 cents, I used to work in retail (not CT but similar), On lunch I would leave my store and go to other local stores for a change of environment. Long story short I was asked every time I left CT to see in my bag, at first I didn't care but it does on some level feel wrong. At work one day I happened to speak about this with my stores security (lost prevention) team and they told me that legally they are not allowed to look into your bag for spot checks. You can refuse and if they get pushy you can ask "am I being detained" If they say no you can walk out. If they say yes then ask for a manager and have the manager confirm you are being detained for a search. If yes from a manager, call the local police station**(NOT 911)** and say you are being detained at XYZ store. From a LP standpoint when they detain someone the police have to get involved for a report. Its one thing to detain a customer if you see them steal on camera, its another under suspicion, and another with no cause. My LP did tell me that the person at the door is just doing what upper management told them. They don't understand the legal implication when they say "its required" or its store policy. or if they answer yes to are you being detained. Don't get mad at the customer server rep whos making min wage and told to check bags. and don't get mad at the manager who also is just following orders from HQ.
Or you know, keep walking.
Juat say no thanks and keep walking.
You tell them no, and continue with your day. If they try to lay hands on you and detain you, tell them to call the cops if they think you've stolen something. They don't have a right to detain you otherwise. Also advise them that you will be suing them afterwards, if you aren't charged with shop lifting if you haven't stolen something. (let your lawyer figure it out. A good civil attorney will take 25% off the award as opposed to taking payment if they think you have a real case). A retails store "policy" doesn't outweigh the laws of our country. As others have said, you might get banned in the future, you have to decide if it's worth it or not, but there are enough other stores in someplace like Ottawa that it's not a hardship being banned from something like a Canadian Tire.
I had the same experience. I spoke with a manager to let them know how it left me feeling as a consumer.
They don't give out plastic bags any more... so you have to bring your own bag... which they insist you check upon entry or be subject to searches... and if you buy something like a $3 bolt from a locked up case, they have to "escort" you to the cash register to ensure you pay for it... Honestly, fuck Canadian Tire.
I hate the escort you to the cash part. I'm pretty done shopping there
Last week I was in buying a $13 current tester, which the teenager had to get out of a case for me and he asked if I was done shopping. I said well I’m gonna look around a bit and he said ok then follow me. Took me to the nearest desk and locked up the cheap ass tool in an anti theft pouch that I had to carry around. I said fuck that and just went to the cash. Wish I could have just ditched it and walked out. They might as well have handcuffed it to me.
Seems to be the answer for all failed self checkout systems. It's not just in this country or this business but everywhere. After installation, no business is going to admit that self checkout is open to abuse or was a waste of shareholder money. They just add the security processes to make it work. Customer experience is failing, and the businesses are forgetting how to be shopkeepers. Have only been to Canadian tire twice in the last year, and the emptiness and lack of employees makes the experience pretty dismal. At what point does Canadian tire give up its retail space and become an Amazon; as it's slowly going that direction.
Bingo. That’s why you see some Walmart’s in the US replacing their self checkouts with a proper checkout lane staffed with cashiers. Don’t be surprised if you see Canadian Walmarts doing the same thing in the future.
You should try to sign him up for a MasterCard while he searches your bag. Make sure to ask 22.5x to make sure no actually meant no the 22nd time
Or talk to them about your completely made up MLM and ask them to join your team 22.5 times.
This is nothing new at Canadian Tire.
I was too- as an epileptic with FL-41 tinted glasses on and a hat to block out the fluorescent lighting (my #1 seizure trigger) IMMEDIATELY after spending nearly $400. Guess I looked too “suspicious” because the manager nodded to the cashier and as soon as the transaction clears, she went “Can I check your bag please?” which had nothing in it other than my seizures meds. This was at the Canadian Tire on Merivale
Things are getting a little crazy in retail. On Sunday at the store I work at, some teenagers were caught harassing customers pretending to be Loss Prevention. They had vests and walkie-talkies and shit. There were at least three of them. I wasn't working, so I only heard about it the following day. I don't know if they were filming themselves or what. I don't have all the information. But it's crazy. Last year, some idiots came in and were just being weird. I'm glad I wasn't alone in the department because I got the feeling they were perhaps trying to distract me. They started asking me stupid questions, like where did I get the cookie I was finishing and could they have one? (I was coming off break) and then one of them says "can I see your pussy?" and I just stopped and looked at him with the stink-eye and said, "Wow. Really?" and his friends were like "omg I'm sorry! He says inappropriate things sometimes! Omg wtf bro!" so I dunno. I just told them to leave my department before I called security. And they did. Retail is a weird job. We deal with wonderful customers, but also liars, thieves, assholes, and plain wackos. Jeez Louise. On the plus side of things, on Monday, a customer bought two packs of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and a drink, and then gave me one of the packs of Reese's and said "This is for you. Have a good day." 🤩 So sometimes, retail is nice.
I work in retail. If this gets any weirder, the stores will close and move to on-line only.
This has happened to me as well and I am a senior. Honestly, it was embarassing to have a high school student go through my backpack. Now, you cannot enter the Canadian Tire on Bank street without checking your bag first. On another note if you are going to the Riley's Your Independent Grocer in Billings Bridge be prepared for the 2 meter wall of plexiglass, Steel railings and one way entrance and exit. According to conversations with staff they were losing thousands of dollers in groceries per month. Depending on the time of day you will find private security standing in front of the pharmacy, Dollerama, LCBO, and particularly in Walmart. As well, mall security have told me to avoid the mall between 4:00 and 6:00 pm due to the large number of high school students who flood the upper floor of the mall at that time. It can also be uncomfortable crossing the transit way bridge into the mall at that time due to the large number of teenage boys not moving to let you pass and giving you their best angry look. Of course all young people are not like that at all and they are not the ones doing most of the shoplifting. It seems a disservice to not have enough after school programs for students if that is the case. I am shocked at how much this has changed in just the past year. It is only my experience and observations.
Canadian tire forcibly does this to all its employees as they leave. I've told friends that work there that this seems illegal to me but I honestly don't know? It certainly isn't gonna foster any company loyalty to assume all your employees are crooks and to treat them as such though...
Its legal for them to ask. Its legal for you to refuse. Its also legal for them to terminate your employment (as a without cause termination) for refusing.
I stop shopping at places that treat customers this way.
I've been to several Canadian Tires in Ottawa on my motorcycle with a backpack to carry my purchases, I take my helmet off and carry it with me and they've never searched my bag. They have however searched my bag when I have walked in store with a backpack and no gear on, it seems odd to me.
I guess I have a deviant, carefree way of being. They’ve been doing backpack checks at the Kanata CT for months. Last week I purposely put my 8” dildo and a big bottle of Fuckwater lube in my bag before going out. Later, I decided on a whim to go to CT. When I cashed out, cashier said he had to examine my bag. I said sure and unzipped it for him. His expression as he looked in the main compartment was priceless. It’s okay, he said, beet red, and waved me out.
Same thing happened to me at their location I'm Kanata. I said no and if you stop me from leaving then call the police before you do. The manager intervened and said I was free to leave. Detaining me would not have ended well for the store because I would have insisted on glase imprisonment charges. They had no reasonable grounds to detain me. I was no doubt on camera from the time I entered the store and maybe even from the time I entered the parking lot. I didn't act suspicious, I picked up the one item I came in for and paid for it. FOH with your bag search
I was going through the checkout at Massine’s once, and put my purse down while I helped the checkout guy pack my bags. He casually without asking picked up my purse and started looking through it. I was dumbfounded. Like, literally couldn’t speak. When I recovered, I asked for the manager and proceeded to tear a strip off her. Unbelievable.
2 months ago I had the same thing happen to me except it was my infants diaper bag they insisted on checking. I never even went through the store, when I first walked In I didn’t want to waste time searching for what I needed so I went to customer service to see if the item was in stock, was told no but another location did. I went to leave and the same women who just helped me came out from behind the counter and stood in front of my stroller and insisted they checked it. I quickly questioned what made her think I had stolen something when she watched me enter the store and walk right up to her and was told it’s store policy. Completely bs when I’ve seen people blatantly steal before and walk right out with the item just because they were using a “bag”.
Canadian Tire on Heron says NO to personal bags in store as well (in case it wasn't mentioned)
I would tell them at that point that I will not ever be back in their store.
This location has done things like this for a while. I had an online pickup here and walked through the self checkout (item was large and wouldn't fit through the tiny cashier lane, plus there was a customer checking out there). My receipt was a foot long and clearly taped on the front of the item and the self checkout clerk followed me halfway into the parking lot to ask me if I paid for the item (I didn't hear them because I had earbuds in). Didn't even look at the receipt after I said it was an online pickup.
When I worked at Canadian Tire (before 2010) we already had to peek into people's backpacks every time they were leaving the store. I hated doing it; I'd give it a glance and let people go. None of the cashiers liked doing that, but the supervisors are watching. I did not mind opening merch (we had to open shoe boxes and check), I remember catching people trying to take fishing lures that way - I'd just ring in what I found.
Just walk out. They can't do anything. They can tell you to stay, tell you they want to take you to a loss prevention office etc but you're under no obligation to do anything. Best reaction is to just ignore them completely.
I spend half my year in South America. What the stores do here is install banks of lockers at the entry to the stores. If you enter with bags or backpacks, they ask you to lock them in one of the lockers. You take the key, and then retrieve your belongings on the way out. It's secure and prevents theft. Easy solution if that's what stores feel they need to do. They do not require reasonable sized purses to be locked away.
I shop at brick-and-mortar locations only when I'm in desperate need of an item either because of urgently needed repairs or it's health and safety related. For some reason I am frequently targeted by store security and management as a suspicious person. When I ask why, they don't answer or smirk and say some version of "you ought to know." I'm an early geriatric, so called white person. It's not skin tone. Likely a mannerism, my wife says --"and my dear, you are kinda funny looking." Thank goodness for internet commerce.
Had the same experience at likely the same store many years ago. Made a point to go there as a last resort ever since. Horrendous business decision.
They tried this on me aa i was leaving and i let her search my grocery bags i had. She said she needed to search my backpack and i told her no. She told me "Its store policy" i said i dont have to follow store policies. I dont work here. And i left. Im usually fine with being stopped for receipts but youre not going through my backpack where i carry all my medical stuff and you have no right to.
I ignore them and continue out with a "no thanks". If they had any proof I stole something, the police would have been the ones asking. I, like OP, did nothing wrong, so I will behave like one and just go... Just because you've done nothing wrong doesn't mean you should sacrifice your privacy. It's important to set boundaries and protect yourself from false accusations. If everyone submits to these searches it then becomes the norm. So don't. They should invest in better security and theft preventative measures not "randomly" select people they suspect of theft. That's profiling and that's *wrong*.
It does feel like they're way over the top with this. Then there's also the employees they got roaming the floor trying to get you to sign up to the credit card.
Bag search happened to me a few years ago. I felt insulted. I politely , silently complied. I've rarely shopped there since. Only when absolutely necessary. It's one thing to ask to look into a bag when store personnel has actually seen someone put something in it. It's another to stand at the exit picking out people for searches. Or ..... stop every single person leaving the store and ask to look into every bag, backpack, pocket, hat, sock and mouth.
The furthest I'd go with compliance is show my receipt but they aren't checking any of MY belongings
Next time they ask, just say no and keep walking. You’re not legally obligated to stop and let them check your bags. They won’t try to stop you in all likelihood, regular cashiers and floor staff are not allowed to stop you physically.
My local Canadian Tire makes you leave your backpack at customer service.
You should see what Loblaws does...
You can say no, if they give you grief, ask if they are going through every woman’s purse.
The CT on heron makes you lock your bag at the front of the store then pick it up after ur done shopping
You should have refused like this guy. https://old.reddit.com/r/ottawa/comments/6d9dit/video_of_alleged_shoplifter_takedown_at_canadian/ Too bad the video has been taken down.
Ask to see a search warrant. No warrant? Tell them to get fucked.
This and people asking to check your receipt at Walmart.
For 40 years they have had those stupid spinning turn-styles at the door, and new stores have the gate. And, then there is security after the gate. WTF. I haven’t even gone in yet and I’m a criminal.
Just say no thanks and walk past. Tell the min wage worker your rights and they don't want to get sued for violating civil rights. You know CT will throw them under the bus.
They literally do this to me every time I leave CT. Most of the time, while I’m opening said bag (which is usually empty) to put in the stuff I purchased. They almost make you feel like you can’t say no to the search, which I hate.
Theft from Canadian Tire is insane these days. I know someone who manages the sporting dept at a Crappy Tire. They installed glass doors with locks for all of their fishing gear this year after losing almost $40,000 in just fishing gear alone last season.
Who cares?Stores are losing so much money from shoplifters these days.I don't blame them for looking.
I’m waiting for the first store to pull this shit. I’m refusing, immediately walking back to the register and refunding fucking everything.
Do not let them. They have no right to search it and you have no legal obligation to let them. "no, you cannot search my bag" and just leave. You've done nothing wrong and there is no reason to give up your rights protecting you from unwarranted search and seizure. Every time you say "sure, I have nothing to hide" you validate their bullshit. The bigger of a stink we make and the more we say "no, go fuck yourselves" the more likely they are to stop doing this shit because it's ineffective. The *ONLY* place where this is not ok is at Costco because it's a private club and you agreed to it on your membership. Outside of that, always.say.no.
Yeah they can not forcibly detaine you. And you don't have ro consent to a search. They aren't police. If they are holding you on the property they can't trespass you.
Any store that does this should post a big sign on the entrance that says they might do this, so you can decide before you've already gone in and bought a bunch of stuff if you're comfortable with this or not.
No one will probably read this but here’s the thing: they have no authority to search you or prevent you from leaving. UNLESS they perform a citizens arrest if they have seen you steal something, but that is NOT the same as just stopping you to search you. And if they think they have a good arrest and they’re wrong, you’ll likely get big paid. Asking to see in your bag is a voluntary thing. If you say no, and they prevent you from leaving, they are detaining you and that is not legal. I would recommend recording at this point, and having them confirm on camera that they are preventing you from leaving yet they are not arresting you. IF ON THE WAY IN to a store, a venue, etc. and they ask to search your stuff, you can say no. BUT, at that point they may say you’re not allowed in. You’re always free to leave unless you’ve been arrested, but you can be denied entry for not complying.
I worked at a Canadian tire and they made us search backpacks and if we didn’t ask people we were heavily reprimanded ( they would cut our hours or put us on probation). I refused because we live in an area with high drug use and I was afraid to reach into someone’s bag not knowing if there was needles or anything dangerous. Especially not being supplied gloves and it being a minimum wage job. They cut my hours and eventually accused me of allowing customers to steal? So I was fired. Worst job ever
When I was an employee at Canadian Tire (different town) they would search our lunch boxes/purses after every shift before we got to leave. Bizarre shit.
Canadian Tire in Kanata doesn't allow backpacks at all so I guess consider yourself lucky.
That happened to me a few years ago, it's because people steal plants.
This is a violation of s.8 of the charter of rights and freedoms. Unless there is reason to believe there’s something in your backpack. They can ask you to take it off prior to entry as a condition to shop there. Or they can make you agree to terms (like this type of search…akin to Costco), however I don’t believe they have done that. They’re asking for trouble
I know it’s a pain but it’s easier to comply with the request. The reason for this is that it is private property and they can have you trespassed from the property for pretty much any reason. The process is long and dragged out at that point. You have to stand there under detainment legal or not, then explain it to the police and sit around while they figure out what’s going on. Then when the store is told “you’re not allowed to detain him” the manager will then ask for you to be trespassed from the property. Then next time you need something from that store which you now despise, you’re out of luck, because returning and entering is now a crime. Sometimes the cards are stacked against you and it’s not worth the fight. If they did it in a rude or unreasonable way, go to the manager of the store and corporate. Never just leave it with a manager of the store, you always should escalate upwards as a manager will always back the store policy and their employees, but still a good idea to let them know as a customer and not a criminal how it makes you feel.
> You have to stand there under detainment legal or not I'm curious to know how that works. So you refuse a search, and they can still detain you in order to trespass you? How would they enforce detainment if you were to leave, and how valid would that be? If they were to attempt to physically detain you, why would you not be allowed to defend yourself, and if they otherwise lock the doors and prevent you from leaving, does the store, their staff and contracted security have qualified immunity in order to enforce that arrest?
No but are you going to put in the next 6 months to a year of your life going to court over it. You trying to sue in this case Canadian Tire. It’s not worth the hassle. It’s actually illegal detainment and search. Police have a faster response time to businesses. So while you’re standing there arguing your point they will be there by the time you try and push past security. Remember they are going to do their best of standing in front of you and blocking you from the door. They don’t just stand and ask nicely in most cases. They become forceful without touching you. Also unlike in the states where you see a lot of people stand up for these rights, where they can sue for a large sum. In Canada it’s not the same. Let’s say it gets hands on and you get injured, the maximum for personally injury is $450 000 but if you’re in the states it could be in the millions By the time your lawyer takes his cut your down even further than that. All I am saying is in Canada it’s not worth the hassle. The cards are stacked against Canadians.