The scam is on: Young Black woman says she too was profiled by Barney's after buying $2500 purse (Christmas, claim)
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I don't get this policy. How can a department store call the cops on their customers after they already purchased an item that they, the store, approved of in the first place. If she spent that much on a handbag, you have to check ID no matter what. If everything checked out the store would have no liability if it indeed was fraud. I mean, it is only so much they can do. Check id, compare signature, verify with bank even. When I worked at Macy's that was out policy. We would never call the police after the sell was all set and done and customer already left store. The only time we would call the police if at a later point it turned out the card was stolen. But thats a different story.
Last edited by glass_of_merlot; 10-24-2013 at 09:04 PM..
I usually agree with your posts Ed but not in this case
Retailers does not train their staff to identify fake id's. They have to check that id and signature t match. If the purchase is very large they sometimes have to verify with the bank.
But they should not call the police just because she didn't look like she could afford something. Thats like retail 101 we were all taught during orientation when I was hired at Macys. Treat every customer the same. Some years ago celebrity Viona Ryder was caught shoplifting in a LA or NYC upscale department store. You just never know.
Last edited by glass_of_merlot; 10-24-2013 at 09:06 PM..
I don't get this policy. How can a department store call the cops on their customers after they already purchased an item that they, the store, approved of in the first place. If she spent that much on a handbag, you have to check ID no matter what. If everything checked out the store would have no liability if it indeed was fraud. I mean, it is only so much they can do. Check id, compare signature, verify with bank even. When I worked at Macy's that was out policy. We would never call the police after the sell was all set and done and customer already left store. The only time we would call the police if at a later point it turned out the card was stolen. But thats a different story.
Actually, the opposite happens to be true in my own anecdotal experience. The higher the price of the sale, the least likely salespeople are to ask me for ID (even without the card being signed)
So cops should only stop someone unless they are 100% sure? There is a concept in the law called probable cause.
Actually, I used to work as under cover store security. If you are NOT 100% sure, you face a big, fat lawsuit on your hands. Is it worth it to profile someone? She bought the bag with her credit card. Do they have proof that she committed fraud, or were they just stopping her for SWB?
If she is receiving financial aid for school and is unmarried and 21 and having her 2nd child and is on any sort of public assistance or got earned income credit this just feeds into the welfare queen stereotype. I'd say no more assistance. I'm all for letting people sink if they continue to waste the resources they are given. That's a whole other can of worms. Perhaps conservators for those who get government funds under certain circumstances. I don't know.
However, if she is doing it all on her own with limited funds and has no plans to receive aid for herself or her kids then by all means, spend away. The transaction was suspicious though (no name on a card is always a red flag) so I'm not opposed to it being questioned, just maybe how it was done.
This sums it up in my opinion. The only way to get a tax refund of that size, in her economic situtation, is through the EIC, which is money she didn't earn and pay in. It is a gift for having a child on little income and the government (you and me) paid for it. And, taking that money and spending it on a $2,500 purse is insane. How they detained and questioned her is another story.
Actually, I used to work as under cover store security. If you are NOT 100% sure, you face a big, fat lawsuit on your hands. Is it worth it to profile someone? She bought the bag with her credit card. Do they have proof that she committed fraud, or were they just stopping her for SWB?
Yes, I remember our LP verifying this. It was times when I witness something I was pretty sure was theft or fraud, but LP couldn't do anything about it.
No they had no proof. They just assumed.
2. Nobody is dismissing the fact that identity theft is a problem. The problem is that they profiled her with no just cause.
Can any of you tell me why she was profile and handled by cops?
yes
1. prego youth wearing not so nice clothes walks into a high end store
2. buys a 2500 handbag with a debt card WITHOUT A NAME ON IT
3. is a student with a part time job
yes
1. prego youth wearing not so nice clothes walks into a high end store
2. buys a 2500 handbag with a debt card WITHOUT A NAME ON IT
3. is a student with a part time job
lots of red flags
Unless the clerk knew her personally, 1 and 3 would have been unknown.
Only one thing left and they could have easily called the bank to check it out.
Also, how do you know what she was wearing at the time of the incident?
There was no reason for this to happen.
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