Treated like a ********

Hi, I decided to pop into Dis-chem Campus Square after work today 19 June 2024 at around 16h00 to look at their snoring devices as I've been keeping my daughter up at night with my snoring - which just became worse now with the cold weather and the extra weight of the blankets. Innocently looked at the different devices, considering the options, reading the information on the boxes. I opened the one device that clips onto your nose and was not convinced that it would solve anything. Also the information on the box said that it could reduce the sound and possibly eliminate it after continuous use. So I returned the device into the packaging, opted for the mouthguard type of device, paid at the till point and left the store. Or rather I attempted to leave but was stopped outside the door after some siren sounded as I passed the entrance. I was led to the security room by a group of about 5 guards with the greatest level of hostility. I asked why I am being treated like a ******** and the response was totally abrupt and disturbing. We got to the security room, my bag was searched at least 3 times at intervals and I was told that they caught me on camera. I asked them to please recheck the recording as I'm not sure what they are referring to. The female security guard who apparently saw me in the aisle and insisted that she saw me opening the box and removing the device and that I had better tell her what I did with the missing device. I had no idea what just happened and what I was being accused of. The level of insistence that I am guilty had me fearing that the security guard could actually plant the device on me just to be able to confirm that she was right in her assumption. We went back to the aisle, I explained my actions from the time I entered the store. She kept asking me why did I open the box and what did I do with the device. When I asked her to recheck the camera, she told me she doesn't work in the camera room, she works in the store. I asked her, if I wasn't allowed to open the box and she watched me open the box, why didn't she say anything to me at that point. She told me no, we don't stop you, we leave you to do the wrong thing so that we can arrest you. And right now, we are going to arrest you. We're calling the police. We went back to the control room, she searched the bags again, then she said it must be on my person. I asked her if there are cameras in the room because I gave her permission to search me as i was getting late to pick up my grandkids from crèche. After some time passed, one of tge guards came back, still talking to me as the accused, confirmed that the footage proved my claims in terms of the series of events. That I did open only one box, checked the contents, returned it to the packaging and proceeded to the tills to pay for my purchase. It turns out that someone took the device from one box and added it to the other box. So one box had two devices and the other box was empty. And there was I, unsuspecting shopper, victim of unfortunate circumstances. No apology, no concern, no accountability. Still justifying the behavior because I did open the box and look at the content, so it was reasonable for them to assume that I removed it. Ja neh.