stores that assume you are a thief.

[canuckster]

I had an unpleasant argument in a Mo>ie video store yesterday when a clerk asked me to leave my backpack at the counter. I told her I would not as my wife's personal effects, charge cards, merchandise, and money were in there. I told her I did'nt appreciate being treated like a common criminal. I'm no kid. She admitted she does not ask for womens' purses unless they are large and I suspect she does not ask at all. They have no signs stating their policy. She told me to leave which I didn't. The wife went in and looked around while I stayed up front with our backpack continuing to argue with the b*tch.
I'm getting tired of this bs. Superstore did the same thing to me and I left my bike jacket and pack with some elderly stranger hoping he was going to watch it.
Quite a contradiction! I should trust them but they do not trust me.
Dosn't this kind of violate basic human rights in this country not to mention "innocent until proven quilty"? Here is a paragraph I took from the act.

" 5. It is a discriminatory practice in the provision of goods, services, facilities or accommodation customarily available to the general public

(a) to deny, or to deny access to, any such good, service, facility or accommodation to any individual, or

(b) to differentiate adversely in relation to any individual,

on a prohibited ground of discrimination."

http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/H-6/31435.html#rid-31449

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: stores that assume yo

Just after Revy's opened in Winnipeg, I was shingling my shed. I had some left over shingles, so I decided to use them up before I bought more. Of course I ran out halfway through and had to go get more. I decided to try out Revy's because it was new.

So I walked in the door, looking very much like a guy who had been shingling a roof. A Revy staff member saw me walking in and immediately began following me. He was keeping an eye on me because I wasn't clean enough or something.

I went directly to the tool section and spent a half hour carefully examining tools I didn't need. Then I smiled and left. I went to McDiarmid Lumber and bought my shingles.

 

[peapod]

Blah! have some fun with it, my favorite thing is to wear dark sunglasses and stealth around the store...especially ones with lots of poles...that way...you can peek round and stare at the clerk 8) always freaks them out...the ocassion conversation with yourself also helps 8O * scrambles to the next pole on tip toes* hehehehehe... 8O

 

[Toro]

RE: stores that assume yo

A company will implement policies to protect its merchandise, especially low margin, small goods. That's why video games are behind locked glass, cigarettes are behind the cashier, etc. For a company like Superstore, margins are very thin so they place a great deal of emphasis on avoiding shrinkage. Its not uncommon for bookstores to require bags to be placed behind counters and picked up when the person leaves. But some companies believe the ill will they create by subjecting everyone to that sort of treatment outweighs the cost of shrinkage or individuals trying to rip them off in returns. You're the customer. If a store doesn't make you feel comfortable, don't go there. Its their loss.

 

[GreenGreta]

It is the new counterfeiting thing that bugs me. They check every bill I hand them. I don't look much like a counterfeiter, but I feel like one. They don't trust us anymore, wonder why?

 

[no1important]

RE: stores that assume yo

Thats sounds pretty cool, Pea. I am gonna give it a try. ha. I shop at the same Safeway forever and when I go in in my work clothes the security guard always follows me around, he thinks he is sneaky, but I see him.

 

[Azalie]

She told me to leave which I didn't.

You're lucky she didn't call the police at that point. If you are in a store, which is private property, and you are asked to leave for any reason, you have to. If not, you are tresspassing and thus violationg the law.

A store and it's employees have a right to ask you to leave the store for any reason, just as you have a right to ask anyone to leave your house.

Don't get me wrong, I agree that if they wanted you to leave personal bags at the front that they should have highly visible signs which state that policy, but if she asked you to leave, you should've. I'd have left and gone to a different store.

At that point, write a letter of complaint and mail it to the store, attn: store manager. Make it clear in the letter you will be telling everyone you knwo about this encounter, if they do not provide some sort of compensation for your distress. If they're smart, they'll offer something, even a free rental or something, rather than bear the expense of losing not only your business, but business lost via word of mouth.

 

[Toro]

Re: RE: stores that assume yo

Thats sounds pretty cool, Pea. I am gonna give it a try. ha. I shop at the same Safeway forever and when I go in in my work clothes the security guard always follows me around, he thinks he is sneaky, but I see him.

I'd like to know what your work clothes that makes people assume you'd be a thief.

 

[Toro]

RE: stores that assume yo

This discussion reminds me of something that happened to myself and some of my friends several years ago. There's a 1950s-style hamburger joint in Yorkville in Toronto. We were wandering through the area, picked up a coffee at Starbucks, kicked around a bit more, then went into this restaurant to eat. The manager came over and without even acknowledging us, picked up two of the Starbucks coffees that hadn't been finished, and dumped them out right there. We were so appalled, we got up and left. But on the way out, we told some of the customers in a really loud voice we'd seen some rats and we were so disgusted we couldn't eat there.

Oh, and don't patronize the place if its still run by the same people. Management are jerks.

 

[canuckster]

RE: stores that assume yo

That is good advice Azalie.

I do disagree with you about having to leave. She would need a valid reason. I was not doing anything wrong and she was the only one causing a disturbance.
According to the Human Rights act a store cannot deny anyone access.
The only valid reasons for refusing to serve a customer are health or safety. For instance: "no shirt, no socks, no service". Or if you were a concern to public safety ie: packing a large knife.

 

[peapod]

You got it important 8) in fact quite a bit of fun can be had at these places, I learned alot from tom green..especially using the intercoms at the store...you know there is never really anybody around those things. Plus you get to crack yourself up important, and usually a few others around you...

bwhahahahhahahhahahhha

 

[canuckster]

Keep up with the 'get even' ideas. They look like fun ... lol

 

[GreenGreta]

Re: RE: stores that assume yo

This discussion reminds me of something that happened to myself and some of my friends several years ago. There's a 1950s-style hamburger joint in Yorkville in Toronto. We were wandering through the area, picked up a coffee at Starbucks, kicked around a bit more, then went into this restaurant to eat. The manager came over and without even acknowledging us, picked up two of the Starbucks coffees that hadn't been finished, and dumped them out right there. We were so appalled, we got up and left. But on the way out, we told some of the customers in a really loud voice we'd seen some rats and we were so disgusted we couldn't eat there.

Oh, and don't patronize the place if its still run by the same people. Management are jerks.

Was that necessary? Are you teenagers? How do you think the owners of the restaurant felt? Shouldn't they have been made aware that their manager was kicking people out of the restaurant? Was it required to ruin a restaurant full of people's meals because of a policy that does not ALLOW for outside foods? You could easily have upset someone for no reason other than you are childish and juvenile. If I owned this restaurant I'd have got rid of the manager and kept my customers happy. I don't need rumors of rats ruining my restaurant. Thanks buddy.

 

[Cathou]

Re: RE: stores that assume you are a thief.

It is the new counterfeiting thing that bugs me. They check every bill I hand them. I don't look much like a counterfeiter, but I feel like one. They don't trust us anymore, wonder why?

you dont look like a counterfeiter ? ok, what does look like a counterfeiter. I work in a store, and beleive me when you see a 55 years old buisnessmen trying to hide stock inside the new suitcase he want to buy, a mother with 3 children giving you 3 counterfeit 20$ and a 30 years old man hiding printer cartridge in the diaper bag of his baby, you understand why they have policy like that. a thief sometimes dont look like a thief. and in a store that you dont see anyone watching you, look up, and smile to cameras ! :wink:

 

[peapod]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: really cathou..people will do anything, won't they. 8O

 

[AirIntake]

When I was 10 I was very rudely made to leave a Radio Shack store, even though I routinely made purcheses at that chain. My mom bitched the guy out at the time, but I still felt like a criminal. My real payback is that now, years later, I'm an electrical engineer, and the guy is still just a pathetic manager working at the same Radio Shack.

 

[Cathou]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: really cathou..people will do anything, won't they. 8O

sure they will peapod

funniest story heard, by a friend working in a sears : a woman was trying to leave the store, she was looking pregnant, and have difficulity to walk. the guys at the store try to help her, but she refuse, they insist, and suddently, a TV drop on the floor from her legs ! i think it was like a 18 or 20 inches...

she wasnt pregnant btw :wink:

 

[AirIntake]

I WISH women could give birth to TV's! "Baby, let's go make a widescreen!"

 

[canadian_cindy]

Re: RE: stores that assume you are a thief.

It is the new counterfeiting thing that bugs me. They check every bill I hand them. I don't look much like a counterfeiter, but I feel like one. They don't trust us anymore, wonder why?

I couldn't agree with you more. It seems now a days no matter what you do... you feel like a criminal. Its awful. :x

 

[canuckster]

RE: stores that assume yo

I've taken my business elsewhere and told the new places about Movie Gallery. They laughed and said MG was great for their business. Almost daily a dissatisfied MG customer migrates. The manager is a real dragon-lady and another one of the clerks is pretty mean too. I had bad vibes the day we signed up there . They pressured us big time for a visa number to have on file. Not a chance. I have found an email address for the head office, so will be dispatching a nice little note soon.