Hi,


My aunt is a shopaholic and suffers from depression. She wanted to return some tops that she bought from Sears but lost the tags, she didn't need them anyway. Today she went to Sears and ripped off some tags from the clothes so she could return her tops. The sales people or camera caught her ripping off tags I guess and stopped her. They said we know you have the tags if you don't take them out of your bag we will call the police. She gave the tags to them right away and explained why she took the tags in the first place. The security came and asked if she stole any item other than the tags and she hadn't. They kept her name, address, phone number and picture and told her she can't go to Sears for 7 years or something. My aunt can't remember exactly as she was totally panicked. My question is are they going to contact the police with her info? Is it going to go in my aunt's record? And is she really banned in all Sears in the city for 7 year? What are they going to do with her picture. Would appreciate your help. My aunty and my mom are freaking out over this. My aunt has no previous record by the way. Thank you so much.

What happens really depends on your location. Yes, this can be considered shoplifting. Yes, she needs to stay out of all Sears stores for the length of time that they tell her to.

Your aunt should get some help for her obsession as well as her depression as well as contacting an attorney should they decide to press charges.

Actually, it wouldn't be shoplifting. It would be attempted theft by deception (attempt to fraudulently get a refund by pretending she had the tags with which the clothes came). I say this because the tags themselves have no intrinsic value.

Identify her if she attempts to come back to a Sears store, probably.

Does that mean she should be worried about them pressing charges? Or police contacting her? They didn't call the police then and let her go. And she really is banned for 7 years from Sears? Appreciate your help.

She's in Ontario, Canada by the way.

Yes, she is banned from Sears for 7 years.