Gross negligence at PEP parcel counter – customer belongings handed to strangers

I am lodging this complaint regarding a serious incident involving my mother at a PEP store parcel counter, and the extremely poor handling of the matter afterwards. My mother was instructed by store security to leave her belongings at the parcel counter while she continued shopping. The responsibility for safeguarding those items was therefore assumed by the store and its staff. Shockingly, the attendant allowed two different customers to use the same storage space and subsequently handed my mother's belongings to another customer. This demonstrates a clear breakdown in basic parcel counter procedures and constitutes negligence. When a customer is instructed by store staff to leave personal property in their care, there is a reasonable expectation that proper controls and verification processes are followed before items are released. Adding to our concern is the explanation given by staff, which suggested that the individuals who took the belongings were assumed to be with my mother because they appeared to be of the same ethnicity. This raises serious concerns about profiling and assumptions being made instead of verifying ownership before releasing someone else's property. We were informed that the matter would be investigated and that feedback would be provided within a few days. However, despite waiting and attempting to follow up, we have still not received a proper update or resolution. This situation reflects extremely poorly on PEP’s internal controls and customer care. The store had a duty of care once the belongings were placed under their supervision, and the failure to safeguard those items cannot simply be dismissed as a minor mistake. If this matter is not addressed with urgency and transparency, we will have no choice but to escalate it further through the appropriate consumer protection channels. Customers should be able to trust that when store staff instruct them to leave belongings at a parcel counter, those items will not be negligently handed to strangers.