A 79-year-old great-grandmother has been banned for life from all Sainsbury's and Argos stores across the UK after an altercation over a Euromillions lottery ticket — a punishment she says has left her feeling like a 'criminal'.
Rita Seymour, a retired customer service worker from Hook, Hampshire, was told her invitation to shop at any of the group's 1,500 stores, including their car parks and petrol stations, had been 'permanently withdrawn'. The ban followed a visit to her local Sainsbury's in June for her weekly shop, where she typically spends between £80 and £100 on groceries.
“Rita Seymour, 79, banned from all Sainsbury's and Argos stores after being accused of rudeness while buying a Euromillions ticket.”
Ms Seymour said she had paid for her shopping and approached the small items counter to buy a lottery ticket. 'I asked the staff member several times but received no response,' she told reporters. Instead, she claims she heard the employee talking into her headset, saying: 'This customer is being rude to me.'
Managers then arrived, and Ms Seymour says they began 'shouting' and 'flailing their arms' before one tried to activate a body-worn camera. The pensioner admits she knocked the camera out of the woman's hand and onto the floor. 'I am not the guilty party, I wasn't nasty to her. I'm [nearly] 80 years of age, I wouldn't start trouble with anybody,' she said. 'I've been in customer service all my life and I've never been spoken to like this.'
Staff accused her of 'pinching' her shopping, but she showed her receipt before being ushered out. The following day, she returned and was handed a letter stating the permanent withdrawal of her right to enter any Sainsbury's or Argos store, as well as any adjoining land, petrol stations or car parks.
Ms Seymour, who has heart disease, said: 'It's really upset me, I've done nothing wrong. It's a horrible thing to feel inside, I can't go in there anymore. It's like being a criminal. I was shaking when I left there; I could have cried. They have knocked my confidence, I felt like hiding away, I didn't know who to turn to make it right.'
The supermarket chain said the ban was based on 'a number of incidents over time', but Ms Seymour denies any other altercations. 'I have been so dumbfounded,' she added.
A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: 'We want everyone to feel welcome when they shop with us and our colleagues work hard to create a positive in store experience. We take any form of abusive and inappropriate behaviour seriously, and following a number of incidents over time, a decision was taken to withdraw this individual's right to shop at our Hook store. This action was not taken lightly, but the safety and wellbeing of colleagues and customers always come first.'
For Ms Seymour, who has lived in Hook since 1981 and has a disabled husband, the ban means she now faces a 30-minute walk to Tesco instead of her local Sainsbury's.