William Shatner Weighs In on Aldi's Overpayment Dispute

William Shatner, the 95-year-old actor known for his role as Captain Kirk in Star Trek, has publicly criticized Aldi's accounting practices following a dispute involving a British radio DJ and his son.

Chris Brooks, a DJ from Essex, UK, shared a letter from Aldi on social media platform X, alleging that the supermarket had sent his son, Samuel, an "intimidating" notice demanding repayment of £97 for an alleged overpayment of wages. The letter stated that if the amount was not repaid by September 14, Samuel's details would be forwarded to a debt recovery center.

Brooks took to X to condemn the supermarket's approach, pointing out that the letter was dated September 30, two weeks after the stated repayment deadline. He also stated that this was the first time his son had been made aware of any error in his pay.

Shatner, who resides in Los Angeles, saw Brooks's post and commented that Aldi's payroll department "does not know how to count or use a calendar." He further suggested that the company's CEO should calculate the cost of sending such a letter, implying it would exceed the £97 in question.

Brooks expressed his gratitude to Shatner for his intervention, describing the situation as "slightly surreal" that the actor had engaged with his complaint. He clarified that he had no issue with repaying the money but took issue with Aldi's handling of the matter.

Brooks's initial post detailed that Samuel had been paid for 62.90 hours worked in August, while he had only worked 49.46 hours, resulting in an overpayment of 13 hours. This overpayment amounted to approximately £7 per hour, significantly less than the UK's minimum wage of £12.71 per hour at the time.

Aldi UK responded to Brooks's complaint by directing him to the store's payroll department for assistance. Shatner, however, publicly urged Aldi's CEO, Giles Hurley, to review the incident and "how this issue happened instead of trying to get a paltry sum out of a young man for their mistake."

Reports indicate that the dispute has since been resolved.