Complaint Regarding Unacceptable Treatment During Store Exit Incident

Dear Clicks Customer Service,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with an incident that occurred during a recent visit to one of your stores. On 04/08/2024, I visited the Clicks store located at [Eastgate Mall ] with my 13-year-old daughter. After making our purchase and paying for our items, we proceeded to leave the store.

As we were exiting, the door alarm started beeping. The security staff stopped us and conducted a check, confirming that everything was fine with our purchased items. However, the alarm continued to beep each time we attempted to leave. The security personnel then insisted on making my daughter go back and forth through the exit multiple times. Despite her clear distress and the fact that she had nothing on her, the alarm continued to sound.

The security lady then accused my daughter of taking something and demanded that she remove whatever she had taken. My daughter, visibly upset, repeatedly stated that she had nothing on her. Ultimately, the security team took us to a private area to conduct a more thorough search of my daughter, which was extremely distressing for her. After an exhaustive check, they found nothing. It was only then that we realized the door alarm was beeping for everyone who walked out of the store, indicating a malfunction in the system.

While the staff eventually apologized for the inconvenience, the experience was deeply upsetting for both my daughter and me. The way my daughter was treated, subjected to repeated checks, accusations, and a search, was unacceptable and has left us feeling humiliated. I felt that the color of our skin played a role in the security staff's decision to search my daughter. The door alarm beeped for white customers as well, but they were not subjected to the same scrutiny and searches. This unequal treatment only added to the distress and humiliation we experienced. Given this experience, I have decided that I will no longer shop at Clicks or any of its affiliates. I urge you to review your security procedures to prevent other customers from undergoing such an ordeal in the future.