Tesco has launched an investigation after a member of staff “tried to snatch” a customer’s phone after accusing them of stealing items.
The customer, who recorded the interaction and posted it to her TikTok, stopped at a Tesco Extra in the Arena Shopping Park in Coventry last week to do a big shop.
However, she was prevented from leaving by a woman in a blue Tesco uniform and a man in plain clothes who told the shopper she was an in-store detective.
The TikTok user, @annemarieherridge3, had completed a self-scan-as-you-go shop in which customers simply scan items with a hand scanner, put them in their trolley and then pay for all the scanned items at the end without unpacking.
Tesco launches investigation after staffer 'tried to snatch' customer's phoneTikTokAs she tried to leave the supermarket, the member of staff stopped her and began comparing her purchased items to her receipt.
At this point, Herridge began filming.
She claimed that the man in the video did not show her any ID to prove he worked there while the woman “chased her down” when leaving.
The Tesco employees then escalated the situation by taking offence to the recording with the man seemingly calling the police on her.
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The Tesco employee asked to see the customer's receipt
TikTok
“I've literally just been asked to check that's been paid for,” the female employee stressed during the confrontation.
“I don't know what's gone on before.”
She then attempts to rip the phone out of Herridge’s hands.
“You cannot take my property out of my hands!” Herridge can be heard saying.
Tesco employee tried to snatch the phone
TikTok
Following the incident, Tesco confirmed to CoventryLive that they were now investigating the incident.
However, they stressed they would be “making no comment while they do so”.
A company spokesman added that the “full circumstances of the incident may not be reflected in the video clip”.
Accompanying the video, Herridge wrote: “Go into Tesco get a few bits that I needed for the next few days and to get some chicken for my dogs.
“I always use a scan as you shop with my ClubCard I can then see my total and not have to worry about adding it up in my head, so check out costing me £101.06.
“Go to walk out then get stopped by this man and a woman she then tells me she needs to check my trolley, not a problem, but she walks off [and then] this woman walks over and tries to snatch my phone out of my hand and tells me I'm not allowed to record them.
“Make them viral THIS IS AT THE COVENTRY RICHO ARENA (Tesco)”.