FAYED..........

[Baccy Man]

I haven't been to London in about 10 years, I believe the dress code was among the visitor information displayed in the window then but it may well of changed since.

Assault? it depends... were they assaulted? or were they just asked to leave the premises? If the former then the staff certainly have no right to assault a customer even if a customer was alleged to be causing a problem so yes there would be grounds to take legal action. If the latter then there is nothing that can be done as they would have the right to refuse service to anyone without giving a reason.
Of course you can voice your opinion of the store on any of the numerous websites reviewing the store (just search for "Harrods review" to find them) or through internet forums. Alternately you could complain to them in writing.

Coincidentally there is yet another FAQ here worded slightly differently but which explicitly states rucksacks are allowed & again no mention of walking boots being among the prohibited footwear.

Small back-packs permitted in the store but should be carried in hand.

http://www.harrods.com/HarrodsStore/shopping/faq

[Baccy Man]

[superspud]

Tim. I can't see you suing him and winning, I can't understand why she was asked to leave, I can understand the feeling of insult she may of felt at being asked too, but I suspect that they are not legaly oblidged to display their terms or rules of admission anywhere, and once asked to leave you must do so or else you are trespassing, although as far as I am aware to prosecute for trespass you must first have a high court judgment against you stating that you will be a trespasser, its one thing stores like to try and throw at you when they want you gone is to threaten that but a local solicitor told me once it doesn't work that way, anyway if you then refuse to leave once being asked too they have the same right as you or I to remove someone from our home, that of reasonable force.

I may be wrong.

[tim]

Love it!  Before you enter a shop, you search for & read the 'rules'!!

Sue? Of course, just asked to leave.  But I would have taken great offence, had it been me. I thought that under EU or Health & Safety that you could 'assault' someone without touching them.
NOT serious, Baccy Man, truly!! But thanks for the counsel.  Haven't been down there for ? 25 years.

I do stress that those 'walking' shoes are the ones she uses for walking. Every day. Like to the loo & elsewhere!!

Live & learn?

Superspud - just seen that - DO believe that all this was in fun. But a bit informative?

[Baccy Man]

Another point is why were they permitted to enter the store in the first place if they did not meet the dress code requirements? Harrods employ a doorman who opens the door & greets the customers as they enter the shop, part of his responsibilities is to turn away people who do not meet the exacting requirements Harrods customers must meet.

[tim]

And to hail Taxis for the very rich!

[Jeannine]

Tim, what a very unpleasant experience, I can see why you would be angry, but you know..I would do something about it, first you are not a nobody and in that position I would call or write..your choice..to the establishment and while getting over the point that you felt insulted on her behalf you feel that an error was made, that they would wish to know about it and deal with it. Write calmly but with a little punch. It is their business and they should know a customer has been offended.

I would feel I was owed an apology in these circumstances and would have to follow through.

If I didn't get a suitable apology I would make it very clear that my family would not use that store again.

It is their loss and I would have to see what road they would take.

I agree with stores making their own house rules but this looks clearly to me that an error in judgement has been made and there is an appropriate way to deal with that, and I think they would be appreciative if you took the time to inform them.

XX Jeannine

[tim]

Gone & forgotten, Jeannine - just a talking point these days.

As to shopping there again - on our OAP - you're joking of course!!

[Unwashed]

And it's a shop, not a store.

[Baccy Man]

Strictly speaking it is actually a department store.

In British English "shop" means any premises that sell retail goods, tpyically of a single kind such as electrical goods, clothes, groceries etc. "Store" tends to mean a larger establishment that is divided into sections and sells several types of goods. Large stores become "department stores", because they are effectively a number of shops in one setting.

[ACE]

You will get used to it. I have been thrown out of loads of shops. I wish they would throw the old lady out some times. She could shop for england. Always coming home with a bargain that we have never had any use for. Don't start me on shoes, I would not mind, but she is a very much like Heather Mills, she has only ever worn half of them.

[Jeannine]

Thank you Baccyman.. part of my childhood was growing up in a shop , Harrods is definitely a store as I see it!!

Unwashed, curious as to why you would say that?

Ace, so pleased to hear Mrs Ace is a normal woman.

Tim, as always, you are so right, not our pensions either!!    I have a mohair  teddy sitting on my sofa that has Harrods embroidered on his foot  in gold thread, he has a stuck up expression on his face and  is so far unnamed, he is quite recent. Maybe I should call him Fayed. ::)

XX Jeannine

PS in case you are wondering, I picked him up in a Canadian charity shop for $2 , still in bag with labels attached,Fayed would not be amused!!

[Unwashed]

Unwashed, curious as to why you would say that?

Language is important to me and I think of store as another North American import replacing the perfectly servicable shop.  For sure, department store is a useful description of a particular kind of shop, but it's still a shop.

[Jeannine]

 That is odd, I grew up gping to the shop or the store depending on what we were purchasing, many years ago XX Jeannine

[tim]

Better than Wikipedia, this!!

[Baccy Man]

UK & US definitions of store from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary here:
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/store_1

[tim]

Yes - drug store.

[Paulines7]

They would probably turn me away at Harrods as I wear boots.  They are made for me by the NHS as I have arthritis and collapsed arches.  They would be in real trouble then as it would be discrimination under the disability laws.    ;D