My teenager was caught shoplifting a lipstick at RideAid. Should I pay $261 to settle the claim?

Question

My teenage daughter was caught shoplifting a $10 lipstick from a Ride Aid in California. I went to pick her up from the store and was asked to sign a paper in order to release her to me. Now, I received a letter from Rite Aid's law firm telling me to send them $261 to settle their claim. They stated that if I don't send the money they will bring civil action unto me. Does anybody have any advice? Should I send the money or should I wait and see if they bring civil action? I just don't think that it is at all fair to pay all that money for a simple lipstick. I do understand that my daughter did something wrong and I did punish her but why should I send the money to these lawyers. Please help!

Answer 1

It's hardball, but companies do it because it often works. Do you want your name and your daughter's name dragged into public court records? Plus there's the time/effort needed to defend the suit. I don't know if you read closely what you signed at the store, but they might still press criminal shoplifting charges against your daughter too, and use the statement you signed as evidence. Take the money out of her allowance or whatever, Rite Aid doesn't care as long as they get a payoff.

Answer 2

What you need to do is send them $10 for the lipstick and then have the law punish your daughter for her crime.

It doesn't matter if shes just a teen. She needs to know that stealing is wrong and doesn't help anything.

Ten minutes ago i read a statement that someone suggested to cut off the hands of a thief what if this became true what if this happened what would your daughters life be like if she had no hands to apply that lipstick that she shouldn't be wearing anyways.

I'm 21 and I don't wear makeup. Well maybe a little eyeliners every now and then but only at night.

My mother taught me when I was little not to steal. She said to me what if someone stole Mindy(which is a doll I've had since my dad was alive when i was 2) Now this doll wouldn't mean much to the thief but to me it means the world.

My sister inherited the engagement ring my father gave to my mother. Unfortunately she has bad taste in men because her then boyfriend stole that ring and pawned it for crack. The ring was returned because we called the cops and the guy was still living with her but the point is that ring means more to my family then it did to him.

I wasn't told until after it was returned because I have an anger problem and i probably would have killed him with my bare hands if it wasn't returned.

Answer 3

Pay them. Your daughter was caught and she was doing something wrong. The shop is trying to cover the fees of things like the video cameras and security guards that they have to employ because of people like your daughter. Every thing has a price and just because it says 10 bucks on the tag it doesn't mean it costs that much if you are caught trying to steal it. Take it out of your daughters allowance and make her think about trying it a second time. If you only have to pay the shop price would it deter you? Probably not seeing as it's free if you get away with it and the same price if you don't. Where is the lesson in that?

Answer 4

Assuming that there is no threat of a criminal complaint here, $261 sounds like a bargain. It's going to cost you more than that to go through a court case. The farther the case advances, the more in legal fees the store is going to run up and the more they are going to want from you to settle.If the facts are as stated, you are going to lose if it goes to court.

The lipstick was $10. Someone must have watched your daughter. Multiply that time times hourly rate for each person watching her. Add in any time lost for any worker involved. The actual damages they can ask for start to add up.

Then throw in punitive damages.

Your daughter committed the crime of larceny and the tort of conversion for starters. The store wants to make it as painful as possible for people who steal from them to discourage others from doing it.

Make your daughter work it off.

Answer 5

...it is a small claim. I'd let them go after her. It will take a few hearings to force her in, and that is several months. She should by then show she is a model citizen and have other testify to that. The court will be lenient. Rite Aid cannot force her to sign or you. Let her have a day in court say she was not ion her right mind, and that her record is clean, and it happened because she was running a fever. . It's a small claim. She can ask for community service and to pay the ten dollars and offer an apology. Mostly likely the judge will accept that.

Answer 6

In the UK you would be liable for a fixed fine of £80, About $130. So $261 does seem alot of money,

Answer 7

Let them do civil action....
they sound like they bluffing.....
and that 261 bill doesn't sound kosher.
let their lawyers do all the work at whatever fee lawyers get....75-100 bucks an hour?
see if it worth thier while.
You don't need a lawyer for civil court.
Civil court is like JUDGE MATHIS or
JUDGE JUDY.

Chastise daughter.
Next time spend night in Juviejail.

Answer 8

no, send them a letter and tell them you feel 35 dollers should fix the debt for their time and bother. Ask them to see an itemized bill of the 261.

Answer 9

dont pay it. that is a form of extortion it is the same thing direct tv was doing to people including me. send them a certified letter back stating that you are not going to pay and they need to cease and desist there extortion tactics, second they were not allowed to make you sign a paper to release your daughter to you that was unlawful detainment which walmart has been sued for and has lost, third if you send them the money you are admitting guilt. and they can use that if they decide to press charges.

Answer 10

i think the law says only ten times the amount of the item but that was twenty years ago in michigan