London Trading Standards launched a probe into a hair and beauty store in the English capital following an incident where a male working in the store is seen on video assaulting a Black female customer, suspecting her of shoplifting, on Monday, Sept. 8.
Local activists have identified the man as the store owner, Sohail Sindho. He claimed the woman tried to steal items from the shelves and walked out using the refund row.
This store, which faced protests launched by the community group Forever Family and the UK domestic abuse charity Sistah Space, drew community outrage when a witness suggested the attack wasn’t due to theft but because the woman had requested a refund. The owner also confirmed that the altercation was over the refund policy.
Peckham Hair and Cosmetics’ no refund policy will be thoroughly investigated.
Many customers had filed complaints with LTS and online over the policy, believing it was unfair and possibly a breach of consumer rights.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, retailers in London are legally obligated to provide a full refund if a product is faulty, misrepresented, or fails to meet its intended purpose. As a result of the law, a business that institutes a uniform no-refund policy is engaging in an unlawful practice.
“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 representative from London Trading Standards said to the The Independent.
While the policy is under investigation, Detective Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh, local policing commander for Southwark within the Metropolitan Police, is still investigating the viral choking that has been circulated online.
“We know people will be concerned about a video circulating online of an incident in a shop,” Adejei-Addoh said in a statement, adding that his officers are investigating the incident.
“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,” the detective said.
Many Black locals say they are often suspected of shoplifting and followed around stores.
Cleopatra Thompson, who protested the incident, says she particularly feels unsafe in Asian-owned stores.
“I’ve been followed around and watched like a hawk in these shops in South London. I don’t want to spend a minute or a penny more in these shops that don’t respect me,” she said in an interview about the incident and protest to Dazed Digital, who identified the owner in the video by name.
The video shows the man grabbing the 31-year-old woman by the neck as the two of them re-enter the store. While struggling to break loose, she hits Sindho in the head with a green shopping basket. Sindho does not relinquish his hold on her neck, eventually gripping her body.
Two days after the incident, the woman was arrested on suspicion of assault, while Sindho faced no charges. Reportedly, she has since been released on bail pending further inquiries.
