London Trading Standards is investigating a shop at the centre of protests over a shocking viral video showing a Black woman accused of theft being “strangled” by the owner.
The probe into Peckham Hair and Cosmetics will look at its no refunds policy following numerous complaints.
It comes after the altercation sparked after the customer’s request for a refund on items purchased days before was declined, a well-placed told The Independent. The shop’s owner also confirmed that was the case in numerous media interviews.
Online concerns have been raised about the shop’s ‘no refunds’ policy potentially being a breach of consumer rights and an official complaint has been received.
“‘We are aware of the issues in relation to their ‘no refunds’ policy and are already in the process of investigating the allegations and advising the company accordingly, to ensure future compliance with applicable consumer protection laws’, a senior enforcement officer from London Trading Standards said in private correspondence seen by The Independent.
According to the Consumer Rights Act 2015, retailers must offer a full refund if an item is faulty, not as described or does not do what it’s supposed to, making a blanket policy against refunds illegal.
When questioned about the investigation’s scope, a spokesperson from LTS told The Independent: “As for any progress on the matter, this is entirely up to our member authority to deal with as they see fit as London Trading Standards is not an authority itself but the regional body which all 33 London authorities belong to.”
The enforcement of a ‘no refunds’ policy is common practice across shops located in heavily populated Black communities.
Local residents have boycotted the store since the viral video, while London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said he is aware people are concerned about the incident and has contacted the Met Police for further information.
Detective Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh, local policing commander for Southwark within the Metropolitan Police, said in a statement earlier this week: “We know people will be concerned about a video circulating online of an incident in a shop.
“Our officers attended on Monday and continue to investigate the full circumstances of what has taken place.
“The investigation will include reviewing the actions of everyone involved. I would like to thank people in our local community for remaining calm and giving us the time to conduct a thorough investigation.“If you have information that may help us I would urge you to get in touch.”
Anyone with any information about this incident should call 101 quoting CAD 3943/11Sep.
