The Scratches In The Screen Barely Scratch The Surface Of What’s Going On Here

I am working a steady day at a cell phone dealership, and a customer comes in looking to get a new phone and switch from a prepaid account to post-paid. For anyone who doesn’t know, prepaid accounts are where you have to come in and get money cards to top up your phone number every month. Post-paid accounts are where you get billed and it goes against your credit score. The customer creates her post-paid account, her credit check comes back good, and she gets her phone and signs a two-year contract.

The customer’s aunt drove her here and is waiting in the car. She even comes in to ask what is taking her niece so long at one point, and she doesn’t argue when she is told what is going on.

Two days later, the customer comes back in with her aunt and mom to return the phone and go back to a prepaid account. The phone itself isn’t in proper condition to be returned, so my manager has to get involved.

Manager: “The problem is that the phone has to be in new condition, meaning it has to look like it just came out of the box.”

He points out multiple deep scratches on the screen.

Mom: “Doesn’t matter. She shouldn’t have been sold that phone in the first place. With her disability, she often has trouble thinking through decisions.”

Me: “She seemed to know exactly what she was doing when she came in the other day.”

Mom: “Well, she didn’t. I have power of attorney.” *Presents the paperwork* “So, I want this phone returned and for my daughter to be taken off the contract. As I said, she should not have been sold this phone in the first place. I wanted her to get a new phone, but we—” *gesturing to herself and the customer’s aunt* “—didn’t want her to sign a new contract.”

In the end, my manager is able to work it out with them; the phone is returned, and the daughter is put back on a prepaid account. The whole time, the daughter clearly isn’t happy her phone is getting returned. After they leave, I look at my manager in disbelief.

Me: “If she has a mental disability, then why the heck was she driven here to get a new phone by herself two days ago?!”

Manager: “Maybe she’s not the one who’s disabled.”