Was asked for card and ID at a store today. Cashier wouldn't take card without ID. Other nosey cashier working nearby also snapped back to my cashier not to take card without ID. I asked for manager. Floor Manager came over and looked at my card and then said they needed ID because the signature on the back of the card was forged. I explained merchant rules to manager. Manager said that they have their own "policy" and that my card would not be accepted without ID. I asked for higher manager. Higher manager came and agreed to accept card immediately looking at the back of the card, noting that it was signed, and saying that it was good as long as the back was signed. When I asked higher manager to explain to me why this happened, I was not given much of an explanation other than some line about that they had stolen cards used there or something. Great service, eh?

Don'tcha just love it when low-level employees have to cover their feelings of inadequacy by acting as if they're your boss?

And how, exactly, did the floor manager know it was forged?

I guess the floor manager must have had some sort of special powers or something. Since I had never even been given an attempt to sign for the purchase, she had no basis by which to make that statement. I will be seeing to it that when I return to this store (probably four months down the road) that I do not encounter a similar situation there, I can say that much. Most major retailers are quite receptive about correcting procedures in stores if it is brought to the attention of the home office, I have found. The only exception so far is Circuit City.

I'm not usually too good at thinking this stuff up on the spot, but I would have wanted to ask the floor manager "Are you accusing me of being a liar and a thief?!?".

The fact that you hadn't signed anything yet, and he had nothing on which to base that claim, makes me mad... and it didn't even happen to me.

Floor manager is an fool. Store manager is a fool too... he ought to train his staff better.

Yeah... It's hard to get "tough" with the cashiers. After all they are just doing what they were trained to do. Now when a manager spouts off on "it's our policy" etc. then he/she deserves to get jumped. After all, they are supposedly more well trained than simple cashiers.

John

Other than Circuit City, you've had many great successes getting merchants to shape-up. How does Circuit City continue to get away with this horrible crime?

No ID for signed credit card purchases ever!