[jupitreas]

I'm not sure if you read my previous posts since I've already explained this, but here goes again.
-the warning states that not leaving personal belongings in the locker area means that the customer agrees to be subjected to a potential search. In other words, by not following this rule, the OP agreed to be searched simply by entering the store. Once again, I don't remember if this is the case in the Hamburg Saturn, but every other Saturn I've been to in these parts (Poland) has such warnings and they are very visible and written in many languages.
 
With this said, the security indeed doesn't have the power to force the OP to be strip-searched. But they didnt force him, did they? They asked him and he complied. He didn't have to, EU laws are pretty similar to US laws in these matters. He always had the right to refuse and request for the Police to get involved. The OP was simply ingorant of the situation and the security guards might have abused this a little.
 
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Just because there's a warning, they can do whatever they want if it's not respected? Warning or not, they just don't have the power to do this. I don't believe the OP is interested in a lawsuit since he's not in the country anymore, but why people would think private security guards doing police stuff is OK is beyond me.
 
 

 

 

[feNcheL]

Quote:

I'm not sure if you read my previous posts since I've already explained this, but here goes again.
-the warning states that not leaving personal belongings in the locker area means that the customer agrees to be subjected to a potential search. In other words, by not following this rule, the OP agreed to be searched simply by entering the store. Once again, I don't remember if this is the case in the Hamburg Saturn, but every other Saturn I've been to in these parts (Poland) has such warnings and they are very visible and written in many languages.
 
With this said, the security indeed doesn't have the power to force the OP to be strip-searched. But they didnt force him, did they? They asked him and he complied. He didn't have to, EU laws are pretty similar to US laws in these matters. He always had the right to refuse and request for the Police to get involved. The OP was simply ingorant of the situation and the security guards might have abused this a little.
 


 

I don't think an implied agreement to be subjected to a potential search by entering the store premises is legally relevant.. but then I can't be sure, I'm not familiar with German law.
Agree with the rest though.. once OP complies with a request falling short of criminal conduct i.e. harming him some way, there is generally little he can do afterwards. He should have asked for the personal details of the people involved though and a report of the search and could have tried to settle the matter with Saturn.

 

[jerg]

Time to paint/engrave all your cans so they will never be confused with new cans any more!

 

[dxps26]

Quote:

Time to paint/engrave all your cans so they will never be confused with new cans any more!

 
This is a good idea, but it has no effect on a security guard who has his circular logic field set to over 9000. Being in a position of power often makes reasonable people act like total jerks.
 
What still baffles me is why did the OP let all this to happen to him, and not put his foot down?

 

[T-Willi]

He could have put his foot down but remember the stuff that everyones saying not too many people are gonna just start thinking "Hmmm, Things are getting bad I'm gonna call the cops and put my foot down." He was probably still (so to speak) dazed from the whole situation. I for one definitely wouldnt have thought of what to do lol.  I mean im not saying no-one will think of this stuff but the common reaction is to just think there and say to yourself "****, how'd I get into this crap.... I just wanted to hear some headphones."  haha

 

[zero7525]

 
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Time to paint/engrave all your cans so they will never be confused with new cans any more!

Too bad the resale value of those cans will plummet. Personally, this is a bad idea if you are quick to sell. 

 

[jerg]

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Too bad the resale value of those cans will plummet. Personally, this is a bad idea if you are quick to sell. 

Of course. I mean gear that one would keep for life.
 

 

[zero7525]

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Of course. I mean gear that one would keep for life.
 

Being one with upgraditis, that is difficult for me to imagine . If you think about it, do people really keep their gear forever? 
 

 

[Redcarmoose]

The Walmart stores are really not able to check your reciept at the door. You have paid for your products and the reciept is your property. The bags in the cart are also your property because you paid for them and own them. The man or lady at the door has no right to go threw your stuff. People let them so they do. They true fact is Walmart has overcharged me an average of 10 times a year. I check my reciept while walking to the car and always have to go back inside to fix the issue. I am always correct in the case and they refund my money as they are wrong in the overcharge.Why these overcharges are never under charges I will never know?
 
I had always wondered how much money this was at the end of each day for Walmart as few people go over their reciept after the purchase. It happened to me regularly at 10 times a year and I only shopped there twice a month. Mainly the issue was charging me for 12 same items when I purchased 10. An easy mistake when the gal is running them threw the laser checker. Other times the prices where very different from items price listed above where the items located on shelf in store. Remembering all the prices listed would be hard for the general public unless they wrote them down. No one does that. I have a memory which somehow lets me remember exact prices always, even if we are in the process of purchasing 70 things. This has been constant entertainment for my Wife.
 
 
Our other problem store in California is Fry's. They have no right to go completely threw your bag as you exit the store. Again the contents and bag are considered complete ownership of the person who is leaving the store.The correct way would be to make an issue of theft. They have a problem with running peoples credit cards twice ( they run the card at a different time so the CC company will not reject a mirror dept to the card) and will make charges for electronic items different to the price listed. This is something that can get by some folks making many purchases. 
 
 
So really if you are an honest person, it's the retail store you really have to be careful with.  

 

[ohhgourami]

 Really sad story...

 

[ssrock64]

Quote:

Any theory that you'll avoid any trouble that centres on security staff recognising the exact brand of headphone you are wearing and mentally comparing it to all the headphones sold in the store is a bad theory.
It is depressing that half the people on this thread seem to turn to lawsuits as the solution or consequence. The staff did their jobs - Germany is not quite so litigious as the US.

I do agree with this point, but it was beyond their legal bounds to do a strip search. However, I was not aware of this at the time and could not fully communicate that point as they were already rushing me in.
 
 

 

[ssrock64]

Quote:

I am pretty sure every Saturn has a bag check-in area by the entrance, it is pretty standard for them. Considering that the Saturn in Hamburg is either the biggest Saturn of them all or close to it, I am pretty sure they also have that feature there. I have been to it in the past but I can't personally remember if they do. But since every other Saturn that I've been to had them, chances are this one does too. In fact, they have these areas there for a specific reason:
If you read any of the information by the entrance, you will notice that it is written there that by entering the store, you give permission to have your belonging searched. If you don't want something searched, leave it in a locker by the entrance. Everything else is fair game. 
(in actuality, they still don't have the right to strip-search you if you refuse and ask for the cops to be called, but you also can't sue them for trying to strip-search you).
 
What you should have done is left the bag in the locker and only taken the ipod and the headphone with you. Before actually entering the store (before passing the magnetic entrance), you should have approached a security officer and told him that you intend to enter the store with your cans and your ipod in order to compare them with the headphones they have on offer. The security guy would then inspect your cans and ipod and most likely attach some sort of sticker to them noting that they have been inspected. If you did all of this, you'd have avoided all of that trouble. 
 
Hopefully your story will teach other people reading this how to audition cans in a Saturn
 
EDIT: Also, the information about putting belongings in a locker must have also been available in English, since that is an EU law. So really, the OP basically missed that bit of information and it led to the problem.

I didn't notice lockers or anything on the first floor (maybe they were somewhere else), but I should've notified security, that is correct.
 

 

[ssrock64]

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That's insane. I thought a lot of Germans speak English because it's mandatory for them to learn in elementary school. They dropped your headphones, are they ok?

Yeah, the M50's are okay functionally. They still blow my mind (for a closed can, that is). No harm has done to the electronics. However, there is one little dent in the black side logo area from the fall. Nothing big.
 

 

[ssrock64]

Sorry I haven't been on the thread much, everyone. I had to make my preparations and get back to America. Thanks for all the support!

 

[roma101]

Sorry you had to go through that OP. That's just pretty horrible. I can see that happening at an airport - not an electronic store. Way too extreme and unnecessary. I agree, a pat-down would've sufficed.