It is the middle of November and I am ringing up customers at my check-stand. A lady comes up to me and wants to pay for her purchase with one of our store gift cards. 

Me: “Okay, so it looks like there was only $8.00 left on your gift card, so your total comes to [total].”

Customer: “What? No! That’s not right! There should be at least $20.00 left on there!”

Me: “Really? That’s strange. My system is only telling me that there’s $8.00 left on the gift card.”

Customer: “Well, you did something wrong, then, because there should be $20.00 left on there!”

Me: “Ma’am, I pressed the gift card button and scanned your gift card, and the computer took off the balance that was on there. How could that be doing something wrong?”

Customer: “I don’t know, but you did something wrong!”

The customer produces a receipt and points to the “remaining balance” part, showing when she last used the gift card and how much was left on it after this purchase. I look at the receipt and notice that the date of the receipt was a month ago.

Me: “Ma’am, this receipt is from October. It’s November now. Are you sure you haven’t used the gift card since this last purchase in October?”

Customer: “Yes, I’m sure! My husband and I have been in Mexico for the past month, and there’s no [Store] in Mexico!”

I know for a fact that my company has at least one location in Mexico, but I don’t mention this to the woman, as I know that won’t help the situation.

Me: “And you’re sure there’s no way that you could have used the gift card after this last purchase in October?”

Customer: “Yes, I’m sure!”

Me: “Okay, let me call a manager over here and they can void out the transaction, then what I’ll do is check the balance on your gift card before I try taking it again.”

Customer: “Okay.”

I call a manager over and explain the situation to him. He doesn’t think there’s much we can do, but he voids out the transaction and tells me to check the balance again anyway.

Me: “I’m going to check the balance on the gift card before I apply it to your purchase.

Customer: “Okay.”

I press the button on the keyboard that allows me to check the balance of a gift card, and then I scan the barcode on the back of the gift card and a little piece of paper prints out of the receipt printer, telling me that, indeed, there is only $8.00 left on their gift card.

Me: “So, I just printed the balance, and as you can see, it says that there’s only $8.00 left on the gift card.”

Customer: “No! That’s wrong! You guys must be doing something wrong, then, because this receipt right here says that I should have $20.00 left on it!”

My manager is still standing behind me, listening to the whole exchange, and he decides to speak up.

Manager: “When did you use the gift card last?”

Customer: “All the information is right here on the receipt!”

The manager notices that this receipt is from October, as well.

Manager: “And you haven’t made any other purchases with the card since this receipt was printed?”

Customer: “No, we haven’t!”

Manager: “Well, there’s not really too much we can do at this point, in all honesty. The computer just takes the remaining amount off the gift card and applies it to your total.”

Customer: “Check the balance again.”

I check the balance again for the customer and print out another slip of paper.

Me: “Ma’am, it still says that you have $8.00 left on the gift card.”

Customer: “This is ridiculous! I just showed you my receipt that says that there should be $20.00 on it!”

Manager: “Well, we’ve checked the gift card balance twice, and it’s telling us the same thing, so at this point, all we can really do is advise you to call the 1-800 number that’s on the back of the gift card. They will be able to give you a breakdown of every transaction that has been made with the gift card since it was first issued to you.”

Customer: “So you can’t do anything else for me right now?”

Manager: “Honestly, calling the 1-800 number is going to be the best bet for you. As I said, they can tell you the last transaction that was made with that gift card, what was purchased, where and when it was purchased, etc.”

Customer: “Okay.”

The customer’s husband has had enough of our conversation and just wants to pay for the items. I give them back the gift card without applying it to their total, and he pays for the whole amount on his debit card. After they leave, I turn to the security guard, who has heard the whole conversation.

Me: “We don’t have a [Store] in Mexico?”

Security Guard: “Actually, yes, we do. There are two of them there.”

Me: “Huh. I bet that’s where they used the gift card, then.”

Security Guard: “Most likely. They were probably just trying to get more money out of us.”

Me: “Probably.”

Since that day, we have never seen those customers again.

Related:
The Gift Card That Keeps On Giving, Part 15
The Gift Card That Keeps On Giving, Part 14
The Gift Card That Keeps On Giving, Part 13
The Gift Card That Keeps On Giving, Part 12
The Gift Card That Keeps On Giving, Part 11

I’m putting up new sale signs around the store. I’ve taken my apron off but kept my name tag on, as it lets me get done faster. As I’m also wearing my radio and plain black shirt, I look like a manager. A customer drags a coworker over.

Customer: “You! Manager!”

Me: “Sorry, I’m not—”

Customer: “I need to complain about this girl!”

Me: “Ma’am, I—”

Customer: “I was told last week you could hold my things for me! And I came in today and you didn’t have them! This girl lied and said you only hold things until the next business day!”

Me: “Ma’am—”

Customer: “Why would she lie to me?! I was told you could hold it for a week!”

At this point, I’ve given up on trying to tell her I wasn’t a manager.

Me: “Our hold policy is only until the end of the next business day. The only way to hold things for a week is to either do an online order or transfer to another store. If someone did tell you they could hold something that long, they were not informed of our policy.”

Customer: “FINE!”

She storms off. My coworker shakes her head.

Coworker: “Some people. At least [Actual Manager On Duty] didn’t have to deal with it.”

This happens when I am an extremely awkward and anxious youth in my late teens, already living alone. I don’t have a lot of money but I take cash out and go to get a few things at the supermarket; it comes to about £3. I hand over the only cash I have: a £20 note. The cashier hands me back £2 and my receipt and goes to start on the next customer, while I stand there, staring at my change, starting to panic.

Cashier: “Is there a problem?”

Me: “Um… I— I gave you a twenty.”

Cashier: “No, you didn’t.”

Yeah, she thinks I’m trying to scam her. And my demeanor does NOT help my case.

Me: “Yes, um, I did. You put it in the till.”

Twenties go into a box under the till, since they can’t be used for change; next to nowhere in the UK accepts £50 notes.

Cashier: “No, I’m sure you only gave me a fiver.”

Me: “I didn’t. It was a twenty. It’s in the till.”

The cashier is now looking at me very suspiciously.

Cashier: “Why would anyone pay for £3 with a twenty?”

I’m starting to really freak out, sweating, and looking even more suspicious.

Me: “It’s all I had! I need the change! It’s all I have until I get paid!”

Cashier: “Uh-huh. Well, I can’t open my till, but I can call over my manager and he can do so.”

I suspect she is either trying to give me an opportunity to leave or to just put me off.

Me: “Yes. Okay. Call your manager.”

She did so. We stood there waiting in the most awful, awkward silence. He finally came over and she explained that I was “claiming” to have paid with a twenty. He shrugged, opened the till, and lo and behold: there was a crisp £20 note sat on top of all the fives. Her shock and surprise that I wasn’t scamming her were palpable. She finally gave me my change and I outright fled from the store.

That was about fifteen years ago. I’m doing a lot better, but I still remember it. And I really can’t blame her, but that time the customer actually WAS right!

This happens when I’m an awkward teenager in the early 2000s. At the time, personal voicemail messages on phones are common and it is not unpopular for people to have jokey ones. Mine is something about how, “I’m not ignoring you; I’m ignoring the world,” or something.

I go to a gym to see if the prices are something I can afford on my pittance of a wage. The staff member I’m talking to kind of browbeats me into starting to sign up for a membership and, anxious and awkward, I don’t really think about the fact that I can’t afford it and just let her railroad me into it. But it turns out I’m lacking ID, so I leave.

Away from the place and without anyone pressuring me, I can think clearly and realise there’s no way I can afford it, and given how this woman has pressured me, I don’t want to call and explain this, so I just don’t go back. I haven’t signed anything, so no big deal, right?

A few days later, I get a voicemail and I listen to it. It’s the same woman from the gym, sounding outright angry, saying, “Well, you’d better stop ignoring me. Get your a*** down to the [gym] and finish this paperwork!”

Yes, that’s what she said. No, I’m not exaggerating.

Once things picked up for me financially, I did join a gym — a different one. And then, when I moved and was close to the first gym, I instead used a college gym. I did finally join, over ten years later, and I love the place, but wow, that woman left a sour taste that lingers to this day.

I’ve just recently had orthopedic surgery — putting screws in my foot — and am recovering at home. I have to stay in bed for six weeks to heal. It’s not very fun, but I have an abundance of books and games to keep my attention. My boyfriend has been taking care of me and our few close friends have been visiting when they can.

One day, I get a phone call from a number I don’t recognize, but I answer anyway, as I don’t get calls very often and I’m bored.

Me: “Hello?”

Scammer: “Hi there. Am I speaking to [My Name]?”

Me: “Yes, how can I help you?”

Scammer: “I’m calling to let you know of a great opportunity we have at [Gym in my area]! We’re offering a free two-week trial with a personal trainer, and we’re also offering a discount on your membership—”

Me: *Interrupts* “Excuse me. I’m sorry for interrupting, but I’d like you to take my name and number off your call list. I’m not interested in using the gym.”

Scammer: “Oh, but we have other deals right now, too, since it’s almost summer! Let me tell you about—”

Me: “I’m sorry, I know you’re just doing your job, but I’m not interested. How did you get this number, anyway?”

Scammer: “I can see over here that you’ve left your information with us—”

Me: “Uh, nope. I’ve never been to your gym before. Or any public gym, for that matter.”

Scammer: *Quickly backtracks* “Oh, my apologies, I’m looking at the wrong form. A friend of yours gave us your number when they were in—”

Now I’m laughing.

Me: “Yeah, no, that didn’t happen. You see, I’m recovering from foot surgery and any relative or friend knows that I’m not mobile and won’t be for the next few months. There’s no way they ‘left’ my information with you. Please don’t call me again.”

Scammer: *Pause* “I can hold the offer if you want to train your foot back to normal with a personal trainer, once you can come in?”

Me: “Wow.” *Hangs up*

They actually called me again about a week later with the same spiel, so I told them to f*** off and not call me again. Thankfully, this time, they listened.