Elderly couple banned from Aldi over what man said at checkout
Anthony and Regina Taylor, who have been married for 15 years, regularly do their monthly shop at their local Aldi - but are no longer welcome back to the store
A pensioner and his wife have been banned from their local Aldi after a row over unloading their shopping trolley.
Anthony and Regina Taylor, 75 and 65, were doing their monthly shop at the store on Washington Parade in Bootle when they were asked to unpack their entire trolley at the checkout. The couple, who have shopped at the store since it opened around 10 years ago, say they usually only unload one item of anything they are buying in bulk and tell the cashier how many they have. However, when asked to empty their trolley, Anthony, who suffers from osteoarthritis, refused.
He told the Liverpool Echo: "The member of staff demanded that we had to empty the trolley. She said she couldn't see what was in the trolley so I said she needed to go to Specsavers."
He added: "If she could not see what was in the trolley she needs glasses." The situation escalated when the manager intervened and asked them to leave the store.
"The manager then came over and took the trolley from us and told us to leave the store. I know it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things but there I had put a pound in the trolley so I went back in and I asked for the pound back."
While Anthony admits he argued with the staff member, Aldi claims the couple became verbally abusive towards staff. A representative for the supermarket chain clarified that it's standard procedure for all items to be scanned at the till for accuracy.
The spokesperson acknowledged that store staff were not aware of Anthony's back problem but assured that Aldi is committed to supporting customers with additional assistance where possible.
The spokesperson said: "Our colleagues work hard to provide great customer service, and we don't tolerate any form of abusive behaviour in our stores. In line with our policy, all products must be scanned through the till at point of sale, however, our colleagues are always happy to assist customers who may need a little extra help."
Anthony stated: "I am very old school. I'm old enough to have been brought up in a very different era, an era where you do not swear in front of women.
"We are embarrassed and we are incensed by it, that is why we came to the ECHO. We have shopped there since the store opened and now we are travelling three or four miles to get our shopping."
During the heated exchange in the Bootle store, when security intervened, Anthony admitted he said "get your f*****g hands off me" as he was worried about losing his balance.
The couple said: "We just want an apology and to be able to do our shopping at our local Aldi." However, the Liverpool Echo reports the couple remain banned from the store.