I must be a shoplifter.

The BBQ Pit
21

Kung Fu Lola It makes perfect sense. It’s the time honored practice of screwing people out of something they deserve. I can illustrate this by rephrasing the manager’s comments

‘You say you want to exchange those? You have no receipt? Sure, our policy allows that. But, if I can get you to leave without new pants, I’ll be just as happy. Come to think of it, I’d be even happier if I could get you to leave without these pants. We can resell them. And, it’s not like you can come back and claim them later. You don’t have a receipt!’

Just insert some evil laughter.

22

The NERVE!

You’re a way more gracious person than I, Amberlei. The second the manager said “cops” I would have insisted that he call them then and there, at which point public humiliation would have been HIS Christmas Eve story.

23

Please, please write to their corporate headquarters. They treated you abominably, and the manager should at very least have return policy ‘clarified’ to him. Just refusing to shop there again without telling them why won’t help, but if you explain to the corporate PR types exactly why you don’t intend to darken their door again, it’ll give them a chance to fix their broken store and it’ll get you at minimum an apology.

24

LoganDear, speaking as a cashier, the lady in Burlington Coat Factory probably didn’t stick up for the customer simply because she couldn’t afford to. The manager is pretty much her boss, and if the manager is enough of an asshat to treat the customer that way, he’s probably not a treat to work with. She might have felt that her job might be threatened if she’d spoken up. Of course, I have no idea what the cashier’s actual motivation was, that’s just my take on it.

Amberlei, you have my sympathy. What that manager did is downright awful. And I agree with those who say you should contact Burlington HQ about the matter. Managers like that have got to go. If that had been my register, I would have gladly given you the exchange, barring manager interference. It’s just common sense.

25

I see what you’re saying, I just don’t think it would actually happen. That amounts to theft, and it’s too easy to get caught. Especially at a chain store with a reputation to protect. If I saw a manager do that, I would be on the phone to the Regional Director so fast I’d leave a smoking trail on the tile. If a customer who is not otherwise acting suspiciously says that they bought an item, then they bought it. It belongs to them. Period, full stop.

I do get that if the manager is enough of an asshole to accuse Amberlei of shoplifting with zero justification, he might be enough of an asshole to steal from her. I just don’t think that anyone who thought about it for three seconds would actually go through with it; the risk is too great to justify the payoff.

26

What I meant by :

was; If I were an employee and I saw my manager do that…

27

Some people do exactly that.

28

I’m sorry, this is a total hijack, but I’ve always read your username as Kung Fu Koala. No idea why…
Now I see the light.

Um, carry on.

29

Assuming facts not in evidence.

30

True, but what I meant was it’s basic self-preservation. I’d be surprised if he has that switch in his brain shut off as well. He probably has bills to pay like the rest of us.

31

What a freaking stupid thing to do. If you had succesfully exchanged the pants, we’d not have heard anything. By refusing (at first) to exchange the pants TBCF has received all this bad publicity.

The whole episode sounds like a scene out of Boiling Points.

32

Huh? I’m with LoganDear. Why in the world would someone steal pants just to exchange them for another size, as opposed to, oh, let’s say, just stealing pants in the size you want? What am I missing?

I thought the standard shoplift return scam was to return the good for for $$$.

33

You’d have to ask a shoplifter. I’ve been on the catching end, not the stealing end.

Perhaps the correct size was located in a slightly different spot that was harder to steal from. Maybe the intended wearer changed. Maybe the crook just took something they thought would fit but it didn’t, just like the people that buy clothes rather than stealing them. Maybe they just want an in-store credit so they can pick out what they really want at their leisure.
For whatever reason, it happens. So the store looks out for that kind of thing.

34

OK, you’d know better than I. Still, it at least seems counter-intuitive.

35

Ooh, my blood is boiling on your behalf, too! I had a similar situation once. Two cashiers, in front of everyone, carried on a long, loud conversation about how I was a scammer (because I asked if they price match.) Completely uncalled for. I was furious. I took it to the manager with zero response. I should have gone further up the chain than store manager, but I was swamped at the time with other things. It’s so insulting when people, without any justification whatsoever, just assume the worst of you and treat you like dirt! And then everyone in earshot looks at you like you are what they are saying you are… How embarrassing!

So I hope you do follow up on this and please give us updates, ok?

36

Count me in as another who will never step foot in a Burlington Coat Factory ever again.

Ten years ago, traveling cross-country from CA (originating in Hawaii) to OH, we stop in BCF to get me a coat and pair of gloves. I had not a shred of winter clothing. I tried on one glove to assure fit and purchased a set. Some many hundred miles later I dug out the gloves only to discover they were two right hands. Of course, no intention of going back to the original store, so I found another set somewhere else along the way. By the time we locate another BCF, we are in Ohio. I brought the gloves in to the OH store with the receipt and still attached together with tag on.

Their policy then (I have no idea if it still is) was no refund or exchange after 7 days with or without receipt. I tried to reason with them that they sold a completely useless set of gloves as nobody has two right hands. They were still attached to each other. The sales tag was still on them. I had a receipt.

No go. No refund. No exchange. No further business from me. And I’ve bought many hundreds of dollars of winter clothing in the last 10 years. Not a dime of it to BCF. The fuckers.

I’m not surprised at all at what happened to you (appalled though, absolutely). Even stores with strict policies still have common sense and customer service tact. Corporate must be doing something to breed such idiotic and rude behavior. BCF is truly the devil’s spawn.

37

OK, update time…
I e-mailed corporate (Thanks for the link, Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor) but haven’t heard back other than a form letter assuring me that my concerns will soon be attended to yet. I’ll let y’all know when and if I do.

I guess I was in single mom mode, Canvas Shoes. Pink sweats, an oversized t-shirt, and my jacket, but I did have my work ID badge on, identifying me as a researcher at the local medical school. I’d think that would counteract some of the negative impression my somewhat haphazard outfit may have caused, but who knows. I’ve wracked my brain trying to figure out why they singled me out, but have no idea. I went into the store, made a bee-line for the registers (which are out of sight of the entrance, oddly enough), gave my merchandise to the cashier, went directly to the mens department, wandered around ten minutes or so max finding the appropriate sizes, and went straight back to the cashier.

I’m assuming that during the ten minutes or so after Manager 1 went to go fetch Manager 2, they reviewed the security tape of my time in the store, verifying that I did indeed bring the items in with me.

I would think that a shoplifter would either steal the right size in the first place, or if realizing they had the wrong size, would just steal more in the appropriate size, rather than drawing attention to themselves by exchanging the items. What do I know though?

That really blows about the gloves, Cinnamon Girl. What on earth are you expected to do with two right hand gloves? :confused:

I’ve calmed down quite a bit by now, of course, but what a way to ruin Christmas Eve. And wouldn’t you know that my son wants to exchange one of the pairs of pants for a different brand now? Don’t suppose he’d have any luck exchaning them at Bed and Bath, Cherry2000? (just kidding!)

Thanks for all the support guys!

38

That was just curiosity on my part. IMnsHO, you coulda been in single mom who just stayed home doing the chimney sweeping mode and they still wouldn’t have had a right to treat you that way.

Thanks for keeping us updated, I know that most of us are very interested in seeing how this turns out I hope you see if you locate a journalist (the type that loves this sorta david and goliath stuff) to tell your tale to.

39

I agree with the “alert the media” approach, too. They often have these journalist who go somewhere “undercover”, repeat your situation as if they are a customer, and when they gather enough information - BAM! On the news, for all to see!
If you’d like to be discreet about your identity, most news stations have websites and a section you can go to in order to report by e-mail an incident that happened to you. Get some friends and family to back you up by e-mailing, too. Use Hotmail if it makes you feel better, too. They will send someone out to BCF to investigate. Heck, even I’ll back you up for something like this - like many others felt, my blood, too, was boiling! :mad:
Nothing could be more humiliating to Mr. Hot Shit then a little expose on the 5 o’clock news :smiley: And wouldn’t that be the greatest payback? Humiliating him as he humiliated you… mwaha… mwhahahahaha! need a scheme-y smiley, or a Mr. Burns-style “excellent” smiley

40

I was about 7 months pregnant and had bought a crib from this evil store. We get it home and start putting it together only to find that it is missing a key bolt which would keep my soon to be precious bundle of joy from dropping onto her head during the night. I call the store and speak with a manager about what I need to do next. I am told I just need to bring my receipt and item number in, because they have plenty in stock, they can just open another one and give me the bolt I need. I think this is wonderful and head down to the store with the manager’s name and the item number. When I get there I am informed by another manager that this is not their store policy and I have to call the manufactorer to get a replacement and it will take 6-8 weeks to get it, thus overlapping my due date. I show then the receipt from the day before, to show that this wasn’t something I had bought months ago and needed a replacement, but they had sold me incomplete merchandise. I also give the manager’s name, who they say is off that day, so too bad. My mother starts to raise a fuss and so he calls a second manager over (how many freaking managers do these places have?) and proceed to have a discussion about calling the manager I spoke with at home. They go off to call him and at this point I start to cry (what? I was all pumped full of hormones and pictured putting my newborn in a dresser drawer). At this point the only person with a working braincell comes over to ask what is wrong…the maintenance man. I point at the floor model and say I need a screw from this for the one I had bought. He immediately drops down on the floor, takes out a screwdriver, undoes the dolt, gives it to me, and says have a nice day. Just then the 2 managers return and the mantenace man says, “I took care of it” and walked away. I have never been back.