[Satellite_6]

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 guess I sound like a typical American but still, personally, I believe in civil rights. :-/

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

I guess I sound like a typical American but still, personally, I believe in civil rights. :-/

Unfortunately they seem to be going out of style these days...

 

[cs16]

wow, sorry to hear something like this happened to you man.
 
Actually, I don't think they (saturn's securities) are allowed to strip-search you. AFAIK, here, only police could do something like that.

 

[zero7525]

When you mentioned that incompetent lady that dropped your headphones, my mind was filled with rage for a couple of seconds. How could you treat someone's equipment like that? You should of gave the finger as you left if you were actually treated that badly. 

 

[FullCircle]

A new reason to own customs! 

 

[Teejaay]

you really let them **** with you you should have said screw off at the door and waited for the police.

 

[zomg]

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.

 
They are not cops. I don't know what the law says in germany, but in my country security staff dont own more rights than regular citizens and don't have to investigate or anything . If they want law enforcement, they call the police, period.
 

 

[FullCircle]

In a foreign country, it is best to tread lightly. As a foreigner, you really don't have any rights....  things can escalate really fast in this type of situation. What would have been funny if the op would have ran out the room yelling rape with nothing but his knickers on!

 

[Acreo Aeneas]

I'm of a similar mind as MalVeauX.  Though, if I were in your position, I would have asked upon entering the store if I could have "comparison tested your headphone selection against my personal pair of ATH-M50.  If they had said no, I would have just walked out of there. 
 
Headphones are like shoes.  If you can't try them, you better not buy them.  Doesn't sound like the owner(s) of that store understood that important lesson when he/she/they were hiring their security staff.
 
Man, I would have been pissed if that lady had dropped some expensive phones I owned.  Now I know not to visit this Saturn store within my lifetime.
 
 
 
Quote:

Actually, I don't think they (saturn's securities) are allowed to strip-search you. AFAIK, here, only police could do something like that.

 
 
Only police and federal authorities are allowed to strip search someone here as well. 

 

[pp312]

I hope your underwear was clean.

 

[navmau]

I agree with the approach of following instructions. When there are language barriers, things can get out of control fast in a situation like that. Although, the strip search was over the top.
 
Quote:

A new reason to own customs! 

OMG these are the most amazing customs I have ever seen!
 

 

[Lunatique]

Many stores have bag check-ins at the front door, or automated lockers for you to store your bags. Too bad that store didn't have it.
 
Also, you shouldn't have done your headphone testing without talking to one of the store staff first. That's your only mistake.

 

[jupitreas]

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.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I have no idea if German law allows this sort of thing.

Though it wouldn't go over so well in the US. I'd extract a healthy settlement from any retailer that did that to me.

Reminds me of getting tossed by Homeland Security last year, when I re-entered the US from an overnight trip to Canada. I don't know if I fit some kind of profile or it was just one of the random checks they have to do every so often. I had to pull into a garage and my car was searched. Seemed that the officers picked up that I wasn't a problem right away. They did a cursory search and we made small talk for about 15 minutes. They were professional, friendly enough and didn't step over any legal lines. Still, I'd prefer not to have gone through it.

 

[nigeljames]

I am still trying to get round the idea that the OP allowed a strip search.