Workers at the Aberdeen Cex secondhand shop could be left “tripping over piled up stock” – after police blocked a rule change to allow it to be sold more quickly.
The national retailer campaigned for the city licensing committee to allow staff to sell within 48 hours of purchasing them.
Currently, the law prohibits the sale of second hand items within two days of dealers like Union Street’s Cex taking them in.
The legislation was passed in 1982, aimed at stopping the sale of stolen property, but does allow local authorities to grant exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
Police have warned the plan for the Aberdeen shop could set a precedent.
Why did Cex seek change to ‘very old’ law?
Connor Hill, making the case for change at the Aberdeen Cex shop, argued retail had “moved on a little bit” since the “very old” law was written.
Perhaps due to its age, the statute does not count Saturdays and Sundays within the 48 hours, meaning Cex might have to hold stock for up to four days.
Mr Hill said: “We are holding items for anywhere from 48 to 96 hours.
“Our store is quite small and holding this amount – 40, 50, 60, 70 – of items can cause tripping hazards and issues with stock in and stock out.”
He also warned holding on to the items was having a knock-on effect on staff pay packets, as well as leaving customers “angry” at being unable to buy stock listed online before the company can legally sell it.
He also highlighted a database used by Cex, as well police, to track secondhand goods using serial numbers.
If a victim reports their phone or other tech items stolen, the system flags this to shop staff as well as officers.
Aberdeen Cex rule change: What stolen items have been recovered?
Mr Hill outlined how cops had seized 30 items linked to Cex over the last two years.
A total of 27 of them were DVDs or Blu-rays valued at £1 apiece.
The others were a hard drive, a set of Apple Airpods and a laptop.
All were tracked down by police using this new-age solution.
But Mr Hill said: “Over the course of two years, not once has the extended 48 hours actually been helpful to the police.
“You are looking at roughly 6,000 to 8,000 items being bought in and not a single one being seized.
“Holding so many of these items when the police are not catching them within the necessary timeline, and we have a system which can tell police much quicker anyway without having to hold the items as standard, just seems a bit over the top.”
Aberdeen police: ‘It’s an old law, however it is the law’
PC Ian Duthie spoke to the police objection, which was based on the desire to prevent the sale of stolen goods.
He said: “It may well open further inquiries from other secondhand dealers and might set a precedent whereby there is no sort of restriction which is governed by law.
“It’s not for me to determine whether the law is correct or not. The objection is based on what is currently the law.”
Councillors questioned their ability to “circumvent” the law on the basis of the constable’s evidence.
But city licensing solicitor Sandy Munro said the act did allow for exceptions.
Councillors remained unconvinced by the case made for the Aberdeen Cex shop, heeding the advice of PC Duthie to refuse the licence variation.
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