Legal Question in Consumer Law in Virginia

false accusation of shop lifting

A shopper goes to a discount ''outlet'' store, buys an item, pays for it, gets a receipt. The cashier puts the item in a plain paper bag. The shopper then goes to a different store that sells the same item, but at a higher price. The shopper puts the bag with the item purchased at the discount store in the shopping cart. When he goes to pay for his purchases, the cashier notices the item in the plain paper bag. As soon as the shopper pays and attempts to leave the store, he is stopped by security and accused of shoplifiting. He procduces the receipt from the other store, but the security people say that he could not have bought the item so cheaply, and is arrested for shoplifing. It takes him many hours and a trip by his wife to the other store, before it is determined that the item was not stolen, and the shopper is let go. What recourse does he have against the second store that accused him of shoplifting?


Asked on 1/17/07, 7:02 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

Re: false accusation of shop lifting

False arrest, false imprisonment, defamation, negligent infliction of emotional distress, are, perhaps, some of the possible charges which the falsely accused shopper might be able to bring against the second store.

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Answered on 1/17/07, 10:59 pm


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