Today I went to Kmart Ashfield.
The woman conducting the bag searches was very rude and impatient. When she wanted to see into my backpack she said "bag" - no "please" or "can I"
Has anyone had any trouble with bag searches with Kmart, in particular with the Ashfield(NSW) branch?
If so what did you do?
I find it so unpleasant I'll avoid this store altogether. Also there are no signs either inside or outside saying that Kmart would be conducting bag searches.
As a former long time Kmart employee, I can assure you that no one likes working the door. You think it's going to be a cruise until you realise that you're standing in basically the same spot for hours on end. The regular hours door greeters at my store used to go a little stir crazy and they were always making up conspiracies about shady looking customers.
I totally agree! I am a former employee at a big competition store and being on the door you are subject to so much abuse and craziness, it is not worth it. Nobody wants the door shift.
they were always making up conspiracies about shady looking customers.
Next April Fool's I'm packing cranberry juice, sausages and baby doll parts.
That is why the current settings of KMart is terrible. It used to be that when customers checkout, they leave the store. Now the checkouts are inside KMart. Terrible design. More pressure on the staff and also confusing the customers.
@Euthyphro: A few weeks ago, my wife got served at the internal KMart checkout and said "No" to a receipt.
She went to the door and the staff member wouldn't let her out as she couldn't show a receipt for the goods.
She had to go back to the checkout girl and managed to get a receipt from her so she could exit with her stuff.
Agree. Terrible design.
Standing in 1 spot, basically like every factory worker does their whole life without complaining.
@[Deactivated]: Door staff are basically unskilled factory workers who can communicate* and smile*.
* desirable but not mandatory requirements.
@drfuzzy: other skills not effective in this role, so not 'unskilled' at all.
It just needs to be done, so please don't hate on them.
achew
'scuse me
@drfuzzy: I'm sorry, but you can't both enjoy the benefits of a service whilst also demeaning those who perform said service. Door staff are designed to help prevent stolen goods + manage the flow of customers. If you would like, I'm sure retailers could forgo the door person and instead increase prices by 10% to cover cost of the stolen goods. Sound good?
Standing in 1 spot, basically like every factory worker does their whole life
ok.
without complaining.
Nope.
go visit kmart browns plains and you'll meet the happiest door man ever, Paul! He loves it!
@StalkingIbis: HA! As a school teacher in the area there I know him well. You are spot on, nice guy and he sees ALOT! Some of the kids here are rough as
Sorry if you were upset. I was bored.
Don't get me wrong. I support bag checking as long as it is conducted properly.
Not sure why you got negged. They are in a customer service position. There is no excuse for bad manners.
Because as shit a job as standing at a door checking bags of annoyed customers, standing at a door checking bags of annoyed customers while having to wear a shit eating grin is worse still.
Working at Kmart, I had my bad days too, and in retail in general. Some days, some people get to you and sometimes you can sound a little abrupt when you talk to someone else. I hear people say what you commented on a lot. "They shouldn't be working there". Unless you want a bunch of AI or robots greeting you, you're going to get a human experience, and some people might just be having an off day. I'm sure you do something wrong in your line of work too, doesn't mean you should be removed or fired because of it.
Couldn't care less if she was rude or not tbh, I'm grateful to live and be in Australia.
Would you rather want to live here? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NTIY8Qy2f0
Thought not Lol, get on with your day you sensitive flower :)
I cant see how Nigeria is any relevant to the discussion.
@ripesashimi: Well, that's because you're oblivious to the really easy point that I made.
I'm kind of worried that you don't get it actually…Lol
@ripesashimi: The subtitle that appears straight away when I open that video says "So, this is the toilet here."
I gather it's related to Faulty's line about cleaning toilets.
@pumpkinspice: Lol nah it’s not about that
So funny how you both got no clue
OP is whining about people not being nice to them and just doing their job when there are people far less fortunate in this world. Such an utter waste of a post, people need to harden up and eat concrete and get on with their day.
The downvotes Faulty P xel - sometimes I wonder if this forum is full of petty tyrants and angry commo's.
And least we know how it began.
Lmao op has some stranger going through their personal stuff which is almost the height of rudeness, then complains that they’re not polite about it?! Ahahaha
going through
Where'd you get that from their post? They looked…
I didn’t say they sniffed them. Of course they looked.
Hey let me go through your bank statements. Credentials. Password lists. It’s ok. I’m just “looking”
@spackbace: If I have to open my bag to see in it, for example it’s not transparent, than it is not just observing what is freely visible. It’s closer to “going through” than making an obvious observation, is it not?
@2025: They look, they don't ask you to move things around, nor do they check the seams of the bag. To "go through" is a methodical check. Glancing inside your bag is not methodical.
@spackbace: Maybe go through was a bit strong.
But I do not appreciate losing my presumption of innocence and and the follow up unjustified search. And I find it hysterical that OP is OK about all that, but apparently not being polite is where they draw the line. My kind of humour lol
@2025: A shop is a private area. They have rules around checking bags. You want to come in, you need to comply with the requirements. If you don't comply with their requirements they can ask you to leave and if still enter the store they could call Police on you for trespassing. They probably won't but they can.
You know where else there are rule that may impinge on 'privacy'? There are laws regarding 18+ venues, where you need to show proof of age/ID. You know what they will see on that ID? Name, date of birth and ID number.
You want to enter certain premises, you need to comply with their rules or the legal requirements.
The overinflated sense of 'privacy' and 'rights' is staggering in a lot of posts, including yours.
@g1: Pretty sure that having to show proof of age is a government thing? We call them laws.
A bag search is not a legal requirement lmao
You seem confused
I take my privacy pretty seriously. From keeping the door shut when I’m in the toilet, to having curtains on the windows, being entitled to privacy is a right under our laws. Lols.
They can ask me to leave. That’s fair. I don’t mind. I have no desire to be doing business with a company that treats their customers like that anyway.
I don’t mind complying with requirements. I keep my feet off the in-laws’ sofa. I take my shoes off at some houses. But I do not comply with bag searches. And it’s my right to refuse.
@2025: Read my comment again. There is no confusion. I clearly state when I reference a rule and when I reference law, which really is a codified rule: I wrote, 'There are laws regarding…'. Maybe you are the one confused?
You wrote:
"Hey let me go through your bank statements. Credentials. Password lists. It’s ok. I’m just “looking” "
My response to that is that you do give out identifying information in other areas of life. For example, when you show people your driver's license. When considering privacy a visual bag inspection is very minor in comparison to showing your full legal name, address, date of birth, and id number to someone. The store has a legal right to refuse you entry onto their premises if you refuse to abide by their rule: a rule that is not against the law. Making a casual visual bag check about impinging on privacy and/or rights and laws is making a mountain out of a mole hill.
To come back to topic:
You have right to refuse a bag check. They have a legal right to refuse you entry. They can try and enforce their right to refuse you entry through the legal system using trespassing laws.
I am not a lawyer and that is not legal advice, etc
@g1: I’m innocent until proven guilty.
It’s the vibe of it. It’s the Constitution. It’s Mabo. It’s justice. It’s law. It’s the vibe and ah, no that’s it. It’s the vibe. I rest my case.
You do realise, don't you, that you can just say no to a bag search? The most they can do is then ask you to leave the store and don't come back. If they try and detain you it is assault.
The "condition of entry" sign they put up at the front of the store is pure bluff. Legally it is an unenforceable condition.
The "condition of entry" sign they put up at the front of the store is pure bluff. Legally it is an unenforceable condition.
"Terms of entry: Customer must submit to anal probes"
Store owner to judge: "It was pure bluffery! They could've said no at any time! It was legally unenforceable. Obviously!"
Why would they try and detain you for entering a store? Because you refuse a bag inspection? If you refuse a bag inspection and they tell you you can't come in, and you still enter then if they really want they could call the police and say you are trespassing on private property. I doubt that they will call police on you but a store/shop is not public land that also has free access for all.
On the other hand if you steal something and they undertake a citizen arrest then that is legal. Will they choose to undertake citizen arrest? It depends…
I am not a lawyer, and not providing legal advice, etc.
Negative interactions do impact some people, maybe not all, but I'd say most. And dependant on many factors this can impact someone's mood or day. Politeness costs nothing. But you either value this or you don't. I've hated jobs where I've had to do bag checks, door checks and receipt checks, but I value others enough to not negatively impact them by being rude. Google This Momentous Day and read the quote, it may make you reconsider how small actions can shape things (not you in particular, just anyone reading).
"Be indifferent to what makes no difference"
You're not Pam!
Poor Pam wouldn't have liked that lack of social distancing at all!
There would be many issues on that interaction that she would be calling the manager about, I would imagine.
I came to check/comment if this was Pam
Best to theive elsewhere
theive
Thieve.
sieving the thieving
wait until Aldi Ashfield hit you up for a bag search.
Or a cavity search. *gulp*
am intrigued .
Ah!.. this is nothing, my wife shopped at CW in Tarneit, while she was leaving security guy asked to check bag, my wife opened bag and show him receipts of items bought from Safeway… The security guy is picking up stuff from bag as asking guys at counter do we sell this ? My wife was furious, she was like I am showing you receipt and you are still suspecting ? BTW, answer to that question "Do we sell this!?" was no ..
So you threatened someone. Nice
They’re not allowed to touch your bag. Only look. Staff member was well in breach of what they were allowed to do and at this point was touching Hithere’s items illegally.
Who’s disputing that? It doesn’t make it okay to threaten the girl on the front door…
@leeweesquee: Someone has literally violated hithere’s rights, going through their things illegally. They were the victim here, but defending themselves is the problem?
What if the person at the door was a big/tall/buff man and Hithere was a 15 year old girl (which they could well be anyway)? Would everyone’s reactions be different?
I seriously want everyone to reflect on this and how they would view the same interaction.
Victim blaming is never ok.
@jjjaar: Boo hoo. The person entered the store knowing fully well that the bag might be checked. There is no victim here… Just someone playing a victim card.
Most stores have entry requirement saying "Bags could be inspected upon request" or something along those lines, what you or they interpret as inspecting depends on individual's point of view
@USER DC: Touching your stuff isn't allowed, I thought this was known?
https://www.findlaw.com.au/articles/4767/do-stores-have-the-…
When a bag search is conducted no items are allowed to be touched with the retailer only able to look at the contents inside the bag.
@USER DC: Which sign is pure bluff anyway. If you refuse a search there is nothing they can legally do except ask you to leave and not come back. They have to have reasonable suspicion to do an arrest - and mere refusal, even rude refusal, of a search certainly does not count as that. If they detain you it is assault.
They’re not allowed to touch your bag. Only look.
While not disputing the truth of this statement …
Doesn't that make it a pointless exercise? All you need do is hide your bounty under your other stuff.
They’re not allowed to touch your bag
Says who? Citation?
Says who? Citation?
Australian Federal Police Factsheet
Staff should not physically touch the customer or bag at any time.
Same can be seen on Fair trading and Government websites by a quick google search.
@Davo1111: Which also agrees with what i'm saying. Because there is no specific legislation on it, they have the exact same rights as me grabbing or searching through your bags on the street. Which is none and if I did so I could be charged with assault.
When the police, government, and retail agencies, and lawyers all agree and tell you you can't touch customers bags…Then you can't touch thier bags
@dizzle: There's no law, however they advise against it.
As far as touching their bags, it's implied consent. For the same reason you can get patted down at an airport without claiming assault
I don't understand why this post got so many upvotes?
Do you all condone someone threatening to break another person's hand?
A simple get (profanity) would've sufficed.
Keyboard toughies!!!
You'll find it hard posting with broken fingers.
I'd only condone it if Hithere would have actually followed through…if it was an empty threat then thats not on.
Doubt it actually happened…. Did know someone who carried out their "revenge fantasy" after three pints, copped an assault charge for grabbing a centrelink worker. It's not good to entertain those ideas.
Should have called the police.
I don't know why you got negged for this. It raises the issue to ensure it doesn't happen in future and educates individuals/workers/workplace that may not be aware. If you live near me, you wouldn't bother tho. It'd be 2022 and you'd still be waiting.
I don't know why you got negged for this
I do.
The cops have got far better things to do with their time, particularly at the moment.
2022 is not an excuse for law breakers.
Whoever breaks the law (shop lifters, staff behaviour violates the law) should all be punished. I am not on the side of shoplifters. They deserve to be punished hard.
@jackspratt: If a customer feels that a staff member is breaking the law in Australia, the customer has the freedom to call the police.
There is no law governing when a customer can or cannot call the police. It's at the customer's discretion.
I looked her in the eye and said that if she didn't remove her hand she'd find it hard working with broken fingers.
You didn't say that, no need to pretend to be tough to impress people you don't know on an online forum.
How did you know? Were you the bag checking lady?
No doubt she's sick of saying the same thing over and over, as well as all the hatred she probably gets
Did it really affect your day that badly that one person didn't use manners?