A man has been banned from Sainsbury’s for life for what he claimed was just criticising the way staff at one branch were parking.
Garry Frost has been barred from every single Sainsbury’s store across the UK but claimed he did absolutely nothing wrong.
The 62-year-old vowed never to return, even if his lifetime ban is lifted, unless the supermarket giant apologised to him, LeedsLive reported.
Garry claimed that he was an innocent victim who has been slapped with a lifetime ban after he complained about where staff were parking their cars at the Middleton Park Avenue Sainsbury’s Local.
He claimed: “I’ve done nothing wrong. I wasn’t discourteous, I wasn’t rude or aggressive. I merely pointed out that it was morally incorrect what they were doing.”
Gary said that he asked about a number of cars parked on the road right outside the shop that he’d notice would regularly be there all day he claimed, despite a one hour no return policy during working hours.
Staff told him it was their cars and then Gary claimed he told them they shouldn’t park there, as it may affect people trying to access the parade of shops along the street.
The carpenter and joiner also claimed he said there was a free car park about 30 yards away.
He claimed: “They were quite rude about it actually and said ‘we’ll do what we want – blah blah blah’”.
Gary is a regular in The Cracked Pot Café opposite the Sainsbury’s store and regularly gets his breakfasts there with his brother and work crew.
He claimed one week after the incident on July 30, when he was enjoying a breakfast, a member of staff from Sainsbury’s “swaggered” into the café looking “smug”.
She placed a letter on his table that informed him he was banned for life from every Sainsbury’s.
He said: “I opened up the letter and I couldn’t believe it. I thought it was a joke at first and we had a good laugh about it. But they’re serious. It says if I go into one, they will call the police and I will be treated as a trespasser.”
The letter read: “I confirm that the invitation to enter and shop at all Sainsbury’s stores, including car parks, is permanently withdrawn due to the incident in which you were involved in. Should you enter any of our premises, you will be treated as a trespasser and the police will be called as necessary.
“We do not tolerate threatening, abusive or violent behaviour. Under these circumstances we have a statutory duty to protect our colleagues and customers from such behaviour whether it is face to face, over the telephone or in correspondence. This includes the discretion no to serve any customer that they feel is causing them alarm or distress.”
Gary said he has been in touch with Sainsbury’s head office to appeal the decision. He said: “I find it just totally disgusting and I think it needs bringing to light.
“The staff are just flouting the law and it’s being condoned by the store manager. Their parking is hindering people who really need those spaces, it’s just being bone idle, for the sake of it.”
He’s said to add insult to injury, staff now gloat at him by waving at him across the street whenever he visits The Cracked Pot Café.
He also claimed he used to have “banter” with staff in the store and even had one as a friend on Facebook - they have since unfriended him.
Garry said: “It’s a vendetta. It’s totally over the top what they’ve done. I’m honestly really annoyed about it. Plus, it’s the principle. The wording of the letter and everything.
“They need some bad publicity about it and I need an apology, it’s just wrong.”
Garry attempted to get the lifetime ban reversed by emailing and ringing head office, but the company has said that the ban will be enforced following an internal investigation into the matter.
He claimed that one of Sainsbury’s Executive Officers emailed him: “I am sorry to read of your recent experience at Middleton Park Local store. I can advise I have investigated this with the store, and we believe that our colleagues have acted in line with our policies and procedures.
“We have a duty of care to protect our colleagues as much as we have to protect our customers, due to this, we would not be looking to uplift your ban from the store and therefore no further action can be taken.
“I appreciate this is not the response you were anticipating therefore I would like to offer my sincerest apologies for this.”
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We do not tolerate abuse or threatening behaviour towards our colleagues and are in touch with Garry to explain this.”
