Menards store worst nightmare experience - Menards's store Manager and Security
http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=17531
Posted By: Johnv on 12/19/2006
Location: Morton Grove, ILTo all Menard shoppers.
I am one of a harassment victim of Menards store.Please read my story, and I post this story just to let all of you to see how nasty the way they running their business to stay away from any of their store.
On Sunday, 10/22/06 my wife and I planned to replace over my 500sqf finished hardwood floor in my home.
We decided to shop at Menard store at Morton Grove IL. At the wood floor department while we were discussing sizes and type of wood. I used a small tape measure that was taken from shelve (still in wrap cover) for checking to make sure before making a special order, which is could not return. After we decided to pick the type of wood floor we want but there we need to bring our installer back to the store to make sure what we need more beside that for us make a purchase order in the same day.
In the way out, my wife she purchased some items that total is $40.66 on receipt. After we just walked out of the door couple feet, a young man stopped us and asking for receipt and asked me that what else in my jacket pocket I did not pay. I look down and realized the tape measure I borrowed to use inside the store still half way out from my pocket that I forgot to put back on the shelve. He told me to come back inside the store and put me into a small room with two cameras hanging on ceiling. At first, the young man asked my ID and told me I took that by incident. I was shaken, tried to explain to him that just an accident because I had concentrated about changing my hardwood floor, and other things need for my home. I just completely forgot to put the tape measure back.
I asked him want to talk to his boss “I AM THE BOSS HERE!” he said with proud on his face. Again, I told him check on camera video while we were selecting wood floor product talked to sale person in that department helping us to prove what I told him was the truth.
He agreed, and left me behind the closed door. Ten minutes later, came back with a form on his hand without mention anything about the video what I said to him before. He asked me for my social security number, and told me that I had to sign and pay 100.00 dollars fine because of stealing!!! I asked him "Am I a thief?" He responded “Yes, you are!" On the form convinced me I am a thief of stealing tape measure value of 2.49 dollars. I refused to sign, and asked for store manager. He left and came back with the man dressed in Menard white shirt uniform. He told me this was a store Manager.
The man came to the room with his hassle attitude, and without introduce himself who he is. He cut me off in less than two second while I tried to explain my situation to him. In his hatred, he raised his loud voice and pointed his finger to my face and said ' You pay, or police will come" I was confused and disappointed. I asked for police officer. He smiles, "Sure!" Not for long, a Morton Grove police officer came to the room. I don’t know what story they told the police officers before came to the room. But, after explaining to the representative of the laws what happened to me that I was just accidentally causing. And just like the man before. He did not mind to ask for details my story but quickly giving out order by his hardly voice, he said “You have to sign on the form and pay 100.00 dollars fine, or I am going take you to jail!” I asked him what if I needed to go to a court to see the judge. And again, he said “You pay them, or I'm taking you to jail and that is it". He asked me my work phone number and while I tried to find in my wallet. He asked me again with his impatience voice” YOU HAVE MEMORY?” I gave to him my company business card in my wallet after explain to him which I rarely use because I never miss at work. While we were talking, another police officer walked into the room. He walked back and forth, shook his head "tsk, tsk, tsk” none stop???
My wife was standing outside security door and tried to stopped and explained to the young security but he kept repeating "Sorry lady, he is a thief, he's a thief”. She asked
customer service to see store manager; they said he was not in? (So who is the man came to the room talk to me?) Finally, I recognized I was hopeless to get help. They left me no choice. And the young man walked me to the cashier and charged my credit card 100.00 dollars fine. He also whispered to my ear that nobody will know I am a thief” ”Oh, no, no I need to let people know my situation, and the way your store treated us” I said to him. And we did, outside while he charged 100.00 dollars fine on my bank card (the same card I spend thousands and thousand dollars to this store for my home improvement every year) we loudly told all customers what happened to us, and bewared the way the store treating their customers. The young security walked us out the door yelled to us “HAVE A NICE DAY AND DON'T STEAL AGAIN" before he disappeared back inside. We were wondering is only the Judge having the right to judge people at the court. Why this young guy just keeps calling me thief? And why the store was harassing us so nasty???
In the next following week, on Friday, 10/27/06 I made a call to the store like to talk to the store manger because I did not believed the man I already talked to the day I was harassed by him before for whom he is. On the phone, the man introduced himself is name DAVE HARRINGTON store manager. He agreed to set up time and date and we going to meet to resolve the harassment issue, as I said to him. On Monday, 10/30/06 we back to the store. After we checked at the service counter, the service people pointed their fingers to the man was stood 10 feet away from us. Said to us “that Dave Harrington store manager, who is you want to see” He is the one was harassing us that day! His dirty smiles threw into my face in that day still in my ears. His hatred attitude he gave us in that day still in my mind, and he has nothing change when I look at him this time. We left the store. We and our family relatives none of us will ever set foot to any Menards stores again.
We keep trying to analyze why it happened to us. Why they ballooning thing up so ridiculous? Something was stealing from us –the self-respect. The self respect that was educated from our family and school since we were borne. My work at my company as a technician and my wife is an office manager at her company. We’re own almost haft million dollars property. And all our 3 beautiful dogs even have healthcare insurance full cover for their own. So, why we want a 2.49 measly dollars tape measure from your store for???
However, I e-mail my complaints letter to Menards, Inc headquarter in Wisconsin. They responded “We don’t handle security issues, sorry” I email again to ask who is I suppose need to talk to in their company for my case. No respond! I wonder why Menards avoid or hide their corporate leaders in the public. They’re doing what ever they want to the customers and no matter how bad they do because they leaders never know.(or they do not want to know)
And in order to let people be aware of Menards stores in the nation, I already blog this article on many websites in
internet and on all Vietnamese magazines in Chicago, IL. Furthermore, I am ready passing out 3000 flyers to the people in this holiday. So, don't get risk of yourself by continue shop to any Menards stor.
The wood floor department didn't have a tape measure you could have borrowed?
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I've "borrowed" a tape measure while in the store like this a few times (when I forgot to bring my own)....of course I never tried to walk out with it either.
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Do you know how many people they probably get that just "forget" things in their pockets? You stole from them.
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I fail to understand why you insisted on seeing the store video. It would only further prove what you were being accused of: walking out of the store with merchandise you didn't pay for. I get a little perturbed by people who do the things you admitted doing: taking something off a store shelf, unwrapping it, and planning to put the unwrapped item back on the shelf. Do you suppose Menard would be able to convince someone to pay the same price for that tape measure as they would for a wrapped one? True--a tape measure is a tape measure, wrapped or unwrapped. But, given a choice, I'll take one in the original package. I sense a feeling o ... more >>
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I've never felt the need to put anything in my pocket while shopping.....
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Actually Ponie, every tape measure I have ever seen or purchased is packaged in such a way that you are able to use/try it without having to open/remove any packaging. just an fyi. I agree with you though, I would never buy anything that had been opened or removed from it's packaging.
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KC, I totally agree that tape measures are generally(at least at Lowe's and Home Depot) packaged in such a way that you are unable to use it while still packaged. We don't have Menard's here, so I don't really know how their merchandise is packaged.
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There is a simple solution here, don't put stuff in your pocket you don't pay for. 99.9% of shoplifters did it by accident, that isn't a new line.
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You took the tape measure off the shelf and put it in your pocket. I am sure you didn't mean to steal but it was pretty stupid thing to do. Menards doesn't know how much your property is worth or how many dogs you have and how much healthcare they have. All they know is your took there property, put it in your pocket and tried to walk out the store with it. I wont stop shopping at Mernards because of this.
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I have to agree with Spider and emt on this one. Sorry guy..
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That was a no-no.
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Who really cares if his dog has health insurance anyway? I just paid a $700.00 vet bill for my cat. I should include that in my next review I guess.
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You go, *Brenda*!
My goodness, what happened to your cat?
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Her teeth were bad and had to be pulled. She has 3 left! She also might have to get those taken out too which will result in anther bill. Don't worry they told us, this one will only be $400.00!
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My Boxer has cost me over $2000 now, thank God in the last 6 months he's been healthy. I agree you shouldn't of put the tape measure in your pocket and walked out. They had every right to detain you and make you pay a fine, you stole from them!
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It sounds to me like this Menard's probably believes it was an accident, otherwise I would think they'd want to prosecute and ban you from the store. This self imposed brand of justice in the form of a $100 fine "from the store" not the courts, sounds like someones idea of a store revenue stream. Actually, since you did technically shoplift, this is a break for you as oppose to arrest and the need for an attorney who would cost a lot more.
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they may have a right to detain you,however they have an obligation to their customers to treat them with respect. i don't think it was too much to ask to review the store security tape.the store mgr. sounds like one of them small town cops with a big attitude. as for the tape measure in the pocket,my brother did the same thing. when he got to the car he realized what he did and promptly returned it to customer service.personally i dont't care for menards employees,some of them have attitudes like they bring their problems to work.iprefer lowes,friendler and more knowlegable
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menards= judge,jury and executioner.it just seems kind of wrong.
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Ok... Here it goes.... You stole. You put a tape measure into your pocket and didn't pay for it. 1st off, anything under $10.00 Menards does not call the police. They give the Civil Restitution. Thats what you got. 2nd, you don't get the choice to see the video. If you want to see it, then you don't handle it with a Civil Restitution; you get arrested, go to court, and have your atty subpoena the video. I have looked on the internet and have found this same rant on several sites. You put on the internet that you are a shop lifter and you handed out fliers about it... I guess it takes alot of balls to admit the world that you steal. P ... more >>
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Most customers borrow tape measures from staff employees, or if a customer does borrow an item off the shelf they usually leave it behind on the merchandise or desk. I do not accidentally pocket store merchandise after I am done using it. Secondly if you look at store merchandise it usually has NEW packaging on it, kinda hard to stick in your pocket without thinking about it. If they have you on camera it means you were acting suspicious, they don't watch every person that walks in the store. The restitution they charged you saved you from a criminal record and is standard in the industry. You got off easy for your own mistake, forward t ... more >>
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First of all, what would you do if a person walked out of your house with something he did not have a right to? You did not pay for the tape measure therefore, you had no right to it. I find it ridiculous that you even tried to argue about it, much less post it on the web for all to see how Ridiculous you acted. I respect the Menards store for taking action against you. Anyone would see you as a thief.
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$2.49 or $249, its stealing no matter what the dollar amount is!! Why did you put the tape measure in your pocket after you used it? Everyone that works at menards has to carry a tape measure on them for that very purpose. The store manager did the right thing!!
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I can see why the store manager did what he did given the responses by most of you. The store had no right to mistreat this fella the way they did. Of all the things he would pick to shoplift, you think its going to one measley little measuring tape? Any person with a brain can see that this was not intentional and isn't that the point behind punishing people who really do shoplift. They should have made him pay for the tape measure and gave him a warning about such things and let him be on his way. Anything beyond that was a misuse of power....nothing more.
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What a harsh group of people you "commenters" are.(Although I suspect many of you may be employed by Menards?) Obviously the guy made a mistake. If he borrowed my tape measure and accidentally took it home I would never make such a big deal about it. And even if he did shoplift (which I don't think he did) what a horribly unproffessional and illegal way to respond to a good customer! Sounds like a little racism and bigotry going on....
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lol best comment eri!!!!
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Ok, I see several things that are wrong with the origional statement. First of all, why did you even need a tape measure. Either the boxes or the signs describing the flooring will tell how many square feet it will cover. It is basic math. How many sqaure feet you have divided by the square footage a box of flooring will cover. Plus I am sure an employee would have a tape on them and a calculator to help with how much would be needed. Second, there are no tape measures in the flooring department. Third, just because the tape measure was only $2.95 or such. It is still private property that has not been paid for. For example I here that ... more >>
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I have had problems with Menards also in Nebraska and don't know where they find their so called managers. I now drive 60 miles extra just so I don't have to deal with any Menard IDIOTS! If this had happened in Lowes or Home Depot, a simple explanation would have been enough.
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If you opened the package then you should have paid for it. If you put it in your pocket then yes you are a thief.
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Fact... You took a tape measure without paying for it. You did not do it intentionally, but you left the store without paying for the item, whether that item was a 2.49 tape measure, a .02 screw, or an 1,000.00 power tool. The fact remains the same... You left the store with a store item in your possession without paying for said item. Could they have handled it differently yes... but stores have a VERY strict policy. You pay the fine directly or they contact the police. This is true for ANY store you shop in... Quit your crying, your lucky it was only a fine and not standing in front of a judge.... you 'could' serve time for theft.. ... more >>
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I do feel for the guy and his wife. I have shopped at Menards and other lumber yards and have on occasion used a tape measure with out removing it from the package I did not leave the store with one but could see this mistake happening. I think that either the man should have been charged with a crime of shoplifting and had the police handle the report. The second option would be to consider circumstance of the incident involved and insist that the man be allowed the option to pay for the tape measure at face value.
100.00 is the equivlent of extorting money or black mailing the man for an exssesive amount of money, not to mention the cu ... more >>
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I work for Lowes and can tell you that you got off easy because if it happened at Lowes you would have received a criminal record over this. I also have a hard time believing that a store manager would treat you that way. His or her job would be on the line. Especially since most people who feel they are wronged seam to remember things worse than they actually were. And one last thought for those of you who think this incident was caused due to a racially biased store manager, this man put a product in his pocket and left with it. He stole plain and simple and they would have stopped any person who did this whether they were white, black, ... more >>
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[A] Hey, people, nobody here cares about your cat or dog in this topic.
[B]To those who say "It's cut and dried - you're a thief." - What so difficult about the concept of real world situations?
I'll bet that if a cop gave YOU a ticket for not coming to a COMPLETE stop [say coating through a stop sign at 1 or 2 miles per hour, which is 2 mph slower than walking speed], YOU would then complain about miscarriage of justice!
Yet you can't see the difference between a obvious menial mistake and shoplifting?!
For crying out loud; they spend hundred or thousands of dollars there and then PURPOSELY steal a $2.50 tape measure? GET SERIOUS! ... more >>
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better yet... it's been over 3 years since this happened...
i'm betting its been worked out since then?
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Let me start by saying that I was an Menards employee. Sir you did take something without pay for itg it I am not going to defend you on that. But Menards is a bunch of a holes they could of been a lot nicer to you. I guess you learned you lesson don't put anything in you pocket in a store!!!!
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