My friend recently purchased a car radio from American TV and Furniture in Cottleville, MO, which is a suburb of St. Peters, Missouri just outside of St. Louis.
She then returned to buy some speakers, an amplifier and 12' subwoofers.
When she purchased the car radio, she used her debit card and the transaction went through without a hitch and the salesperson was very friendly and helpful,
When my friend returned a few days later to buy the speakers, amplifier and subwoofers, she wrote a check from a different account and the salesperson that she had purchased the radio from was off that day.
When my friend wrote the check, the salesperson said that the check was declined.
Since the check was over a thousand dollars, it needed a manager's approval.
The salesperson told my friend that she would get the check approved by her manager and that she could pick up her merchandise at the Customer Pick Up.
My friend proceeded to the Customer Pick Up to get her merchandise and the POLICE WERE THERE!
One older cop who was very disrespectful to my friend, asked her WHY she was in Cottleville purchasing anything, as if she didn't have the right to shop and go where she pleased.
He then gave her a ticket for "Theft By Deceit" and accused her of trying to pass a bad check.
My friend had more than enough funds in her account to cover the check and all American TV and Furniture had to do is call the bank to verify that the funds were available.
Instead, they called the police and humiliated my friend.
My friend immediately called her attorney and needless to say, she's suing.
I have worked retail for over a decade. In the case a check is declined by the check verification company such as Telecheck or Equifax, then you get a manager's approval who calls the bank to verify the check, or you give the customer a postcard where they can contact Telecheck or Equifax and find out why the check was declined.
Since the check was over a thousand dollars, it needed a manager's approval anyway. But instead of calling the bank, the manager called the police.
THIS WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED IF MY FRIEND WERE A MIDDLE AGED WHITE WOMAN.
THE MANAGER WOULD HAVE NEVER ASSUMED THE WHITE WOMAN WAS TRYING TO PASS A BAD CHECK AND WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED STANDARD BUSINESS PROCEDURE AND CALLED THE BANK TO VERIFY THE FUNDS WERE AVAILABLE OR HE WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR ANOTHER METHOD OF PAYMENT.
THEY WOULD HAVE NEVER HUMILIATED A WHITE PERSON LIKE THIS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT A WHITE PERSON WOULD NOT HAVE PUT UP WITH SUCH TREATMENT AND ALL HELL WOULD BREAK LOOSE.
WELL, GUESS WHAT? ALL HELL IS GOING TO BREAK LOOSE.
IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED ANY TREATMENT FROM AMERICAN TV AND FURNITURE STORES THAT EVEN HINTS AT RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT [email protected].
WE NEED TO PUT THE SAME TYPE OF HEAT ON THE MANAGEMENT OF AMERICAN TV AND FURNITURE THAT THE OWNERS OF THE DAY CAMP IN PHILADELPHIA DID TO THE SWIM CLUB.
THIS IS THE AGE OF OBAMA AND WE WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY RACISM IN ANY FORM.