An elderly woman, Rita Seymour, who is a great-grandmother, has been prohibited from entering all Sainsbury’s stores in the UK. Rita, 79, from Hook, Hampshire, was notified of the ban due to recurring incidents at her local Sainsbury’s outlet. Despite this, she is adamant that she is not the type of person who would cause trouble and is appealing to have the ban lifted. Rita lives just a five-minute walk away from the Sainsbury’s store, whereas the alternative option, Tesco, is a 20-minute walk from her home.
Rita, a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, emphasizes that proximity is essential to her as she frequents the Sainsbury’s store once a week for her shopping needs, typically spending between £80 and £100 during each visit.
The conflict arose during a recent visit when Rita, a former customer service employee, had a disagreement with a staff member while trying to buy a EuroMillions ticket. Rita claims she had to ask for the lottery ticket four times before the staff member responded. She recounts that the situation escalated when the staff member accused her of being rude and called the management, alleging that Rita had insulted the staff and attempted to steal food. Rita denies these accusations and states that she pushed the staff member’s camera away when she tried to take a picture of her.
The following day, Rita was denied entry to the store and received a letter stating that she was banned from all Sainsbury’s and Argos stores nationwide. In response, a Sainsbury’s spokesperson mentioned that the decision to ban Rita from the Hook store was due to multiple incidents over time, emphasizing the importance of ensuring a safe and positive shopping environment for both customers and employees.
Rita, whose husband has a disability, refutes any claims of previous incidents and asserts that she never causes trouble, expressing her desire to clear her name. While supermarkets have the right to refuse service and bar entry for various reasons, such as theft or disruptive behavior, Rita hopes to have her ban overturned to resume her regular shopping routine at her local Sainsbury’s store.
