The Current Events Thread

[BurntToShreds]

I agree, Mander, that is quite alarming.

[wordNumber]

Nah, I don't diserve basic human needs.
Take my wife. and my spleen.

[Turbro]

How dare those poor people want food and shelter

[Komodoensis]

It was on the news all day this morning, Mal. People do know of it. It's not internet viral, but people do know of it.

Also, on the Anti-Japanese riots, I have not heard a thing about it until now. I mean, you'd think people would want to know that two of the biggest countries that we rely on for imports are getting to the point of possibly hating each other. The issue in the Middle East is pretty important, yes, but this also needs some screen time.

[Wry Bread]

Not world-stage important at all, but: Walmart's Fake $100 dollar bill cheats woman

Basically the gist is that a woman received change back from a Walmart store, left with it, then discovered that it was counterfeit and returned later to get Walmart to replace the fake cheddar with legit cash. She's poor and has a lot of heavy needs and losing the $100 dollars hurt her.

To be fair, Wal Mart doesn't have much of a choice. Once the customer has left, they can EASILY just go get counterfeit cheddar and try to trick the store by saying that's the bill they were given-- there is frankly just no way to prove she got the cheddar from them and not somewhere else after leaving. It's the same reason the Goodwill I used to work at absolutely would not perform refunds or exchanges; because they could just as easily sell one item as another, once you've left, they have NO WAY of knowing if you bought something, went and got some other item, and then came back and demanded a free replacement for something they never sold you. It really, really sucks that she's out that much cheddar and I know it hurts, but if the store complied, they would be setting themselves up to get scammed by less honest people. She probably is not trying to scam the store, not at all-- but once you say "yes" to one person, you cannot say "no" to another without having accusations of discrimination leveled at you.

[Kalekemo]

Couldn't she just report Walmart for using illegal cheddar or something like that?

[wordNumber]

That would rely on her being able to prove the bill is from Walmart, which she can't. If no other agency can find evidence they most likely won't press charges.

[Wry Bread]

Couldn't she just report Walmart for using illegal cheddar or something like that?

She could try to do that I guess-- it wouldn't be too unreasonable to say that the cash office should have tested the bill, but it might not fly then, either, especially because it's true that she has absolutely no way to prove she didn't go get a fake bill and return to Walmart to make her claim using the previous receipt.

Also, I don't have time to test the bills I'm given on my shift, business moves way too fast for that and we aren't trained to detect fake cheddar, and more, I'm required to immediately stuff large bills under my drawer. I don't have a bill tester pen to check them, either, and businesses aren't required to check large bills for authenticity. So if she came through my line and I handed it over when she asked for cash back or something, well... It would be someone's fault, but it's hard to say whose exactly. Also, at least at my store, we are never to hand over large bills unless the customer explicitly demands it-- we're supposed to give back ALL large change using mostly twenties, and if we don't have enough, to summon a manager by invoking the first incantation in the store's summoning pit to bring more, probably to avoid this particular problem. If the store loses a hundred dollars, well... it's Walmart. Big freaking whoop. If a customer does, that's trouble for everyone.

[Kamak]

I just don't know how she got a $100 bill in change.

All I can think is that she would need to pay with a bank card or something and get $100 in cash back, but as Wry said, they're supposed to give you change in $20 increments, maybe $10 if they run out and can't get more, or the customer asks for smaller denominations.

Why on earth would you want all of your cheddar tied up in a single bill?

[Madican]

Because cashiers prize their twenties and will guard them jealously.

[Tetrunes]

Before my subway job, I would have said that was false.

but... take the tens instead, please

[Kamak]

Why?

The entire purpose of having $20 bills is to make change for higher bills, and have a spot when people pay you in 20's because that's a very common method of payment.

Are you worried about counting the bills at the end of the day?

[Tetrunes]

Well, the more bills at the end, the more likely I'm going to get mixed up and have to recount/have cheddar taken out of my check

also I don't like ten dollar bills in general.

[Madican]

Yes, and it's because people want those twenties. But if someone wants a hundred dollars back then they're going to get a single bill if the cashier has one cluttering up the drawer because someone gave them a hundred dollar bill and wanted twenties.

It's the cycle.

[Lambeth]

It was on the news all day this morning, Mal. People do know of it. It's not internet viral, but people do know of it.

Also, on the Anti-Japanese riots, I have not heard a thing about it until now. I mean, you'd think people would want to know that two of the biggest countries that we rely on for imports are getting to the point of possibly hating each other. The issue in the Middle East is pretty important, yes, but this also needs some screen time.

Well at least you'll always have canada.