Goodness. Now I know why I don't generally blog. The terms people use to describe people they don't know simply amaze me. While I disagree with Laura, I would not be so unkind as to suggest she is ###. By the way, the term "###" is doubly unkind since mental ###ation refers to people in our society who have some limitations in mental capacity--I refer interested people to the http://www.aamr.org/ website of the THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION ON INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES (AAIDD).
An update is in order. I got a very sincere apology from T J Maxx, a 30.00 gift card, and the assurance my checks would not be refused again.
As consumers, we should have the power to protest unfair treatment. Note that my original letter did not attack the stores personally, but demanded to know why my check should be singled out for refusal by the new system (and also that I used checks because my credit card info was stolen previously by thieves who infiltrated their credit card info).
Like many Americans, I don't carry much cash. I still believe that checks are good currency if you don't have a record of bouncing, and have a 500.00 check coverage by my bank even if I did. I don't use credit cards, which I wouldn't use at TJ Maxx anyhow.
One of the hazards of the big box stores is that we can be reduced to a number in a system when we are just people who pay their bills. Part of my emotional distress, which I believe is valid, is that I went to school at Penn State, scene of the most distressing incident, for about 17 years and during that time became part of the community, with several long term retail positions in local stores. I also saw how local stores lost business, and I mean a lot of business, when the chains came to town. As a retail employee, I witnessed the cash/check/credit card dilemnia first hand. I worked my way through school. I have many personal and professional ties in the community. Therefore, declining my checks felt personal. As I noted, the shy man who I chat with at the counter is part of my community and it was very hurtful to imagine his reaction. Even if others don't, I still value those connections. In a rapidly growing place like Penn State, those connections mean a lot to a small town woman.
Professor positions are very hard to find, literature does not pay as well as some people seem to think, and like everyone else these days, my gas and heating bills limit my spending.
As for why I did not take cash the second time, I thought the first time was an aberration. Since I knew I had much more in the account than I was purchasing, I did not think twice about writing a check. Why should I kow-tow to some conglomerate? Frankly, they should be happy to kow-tow to me (not for the pittance I spend in their stores, but because I represent their average customer (I learned this as a retail grunt).
