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Something from a couple of weeks back.
Lady and her adult daughter approach my till and I overhear them saying something along the lines of "Your father's paying for everything." They have a reasonable amount of clothing to buy, and no male in sight. I had a feeling they were about to use another person's card (its not all that unusual for spouses to borrow each others cards after all), but I couldn't decline the sale based on that tidbit alone.
Well, I was ringing everything up and as the mother withdrew a chip-and-PIN card from her purse, her daughter asked "That Dad's card?" The mother said "Yes."
So I got to go and ruin everything <.<
Me: "I'm really sorry, but now that you have just openly said that that isn't your card, I cannot accept payment from it."
Mother: "Its my husband's".
Me: "I understand that, and while I know its not at all unusual for couples to use each others cards, by law, using another person's card is fraud, and once, I, as the cashier, am I aware that a customer is using another individual's card, I cannot legally proceed with the payment."
Daughter: "That's bullshit! He's disabled!"
Me: "Well, is there another name on the card?"
Mother: "No, but I use this all the time."
Me: "Well now that I am aware of you using it, I simply can't continue with that form of payment. I would be breaking the law to do so, I'm not just trying to single you out, I'm just obeying the law."
Daughter: "He's bloody disabled! How is he supposed to go out and about?!"
Me: "Sorry, I don't know what to say, do you have another tender?"
Mother: "No, I don't have any cash."
Daughter: *practically snatching the card away* "I'll go get some from the cash point." *walking away* "This is fucking ridiculous..."
Me: *Turning back to the mother* I do apologise for this, but I just can't go ahead with that, I could lose my job...."
Etc.
Now, despite the daughter's outbursts, the mother was actually quite reasonable, I guess she could tell I was being polite and nice about it. I don't have any right to with-hold a card (in fact I have no right to even touch one) or accuse someone of card theft, but I can - no, must - refuse the sale if I know its not their card etc. But even though she's nice enough to me, she did go onto something ridiculous...
Me: *trying to be helpful* Perhaps you should look into getting a joint account or something, that way both of your names will be on the card.
Mother: "I can't open a bank account."
Me: *puzzled* Oh? Are you sure?
Mother: "Yeah, I can't actually open a bank account, you see, I'm a non-person."
Me: "Non-person?"
Mother: "Yeah, I don't have a passport or a driving licence, so I can't open one."
Me: "You don't necessarily need a passport of driving licence-"
Mother: *ignoring* I have no proof of who I am, and so I can't open one, I'm a non-person."
Me: "Well, you have a National Insurance number, right? That was issued to you, right?"
Mother: "...yeah..."
Me: "Well, you're not a non-person or non-entity if you have an National Insurance number because the fact you were issued one means that they are aware of your existence, there are records etc..."
She looked perplexed and even slightly annoyed that I wasn't agreeing with her, but at that point, the shitty daughter arrived with a pocketful of cash and a sour expression, so we finished up the transaction and they left.
But seriously...you only need a birth certificate, and even if you don't have a copy of your own, you can send off to obtain a copy. The very fact she has a NI number proves that she's not a "non-person" because she would never have gotten one (I think its the equivalent of a social-security number). I opened my bank account at age 12, I was 4 years away from getting my NI number, I didn't have a passport or driver's licence (obviously XD). I just think she maybe lazy and just loves spouting off the "non person" arguement. Lets face it, how did she get married without a birth certificate? More ignorance than suck on her part, but her daughter was a real treat
Lady and her adult daughter approach my till and I overhear them saying something along the lines of "Your father's paying for everything." They have a reasonable amount of clothing to buy, and no male in sight. I had a feeling they were about to use another person's card (its not all that unusual for spouses to borrow each others cards after all), but I couldn't decline the sale based on that tidbit alone.
Well, I was ringing everything up and as the mother withdrew a chip-and-PIN card from her purse, her daughter asked "That Dad's card?" The mother said "Yes."
So I got to go and ruin everything <.<
Me: "I'm really sorry, but now that you have just openly said that that isn't your card, I cannot accept payment from it."
Mother: "Its my husband's".
Me: "I understand that, and while I know its not at all unusual for couples to use each others cards, by law, using another person's card is fraud, and once, I, as the cashier, am I aware that a customer is using another individual's card, I cannot legally proceed with the payment."
Daughter: "That's bullshit! He's disabled!"
Me: "Well, is there another name on the card?"
Mother: "No, but I use this all the time."
Me: "Well now that I am aware of you using it, I simply can't continue with that form of payment. I would be breaking the law to do so, I'm not just trying to single you out, I'm just obeying the law."
Daughter: "He's bloody disabled! How is he supposed to go out and about?!"
Me: "Sorry, I don't know what to say, do you have another tender?"
Mother: "No, I don't have any cash."
Daughter: *practically snatching the card away* "I'll go get some from the cash point." *walking away* "This is fucking ridiculous..."
Me: *Turning back to the mother* I do apologise for this, but I just can't go ahead with that, I could lose my job...."
Etc.
Now, despite the daughter's outbursts, the mother was actually quite reasonable, I guess she could tell I was being polite and nice about it. I don't have any right to with-hold a card (in fact I have no right to even touch one) or accuse someone of card theft, but I can - no, must - refuse the sale if I know its not their card etc. But even though she's nice enough to me, she did go onto something ridiculous...
Me: *trying to be helpful* Perhaps you should look into getting a joint account or something, that way both of your names will be on the card.
Mother: "I can't open a bank account."
Me: *puzzled* Oh? Are you sure?
Mother: "Yeah, I can't actually open a bank account, you see, I'm a non-person."
Me: "Non-person?"
Mother: "Yeah, I don't have a passport or a driving licence, so I can't open one."
Me: "You don't necessarily need a passport of driving licence-"
Mother: *ignoring* I have no proof of who I am, and so I can't open one, I'm a non-person."
Me: "Well, you have a National Insurance number, right? That was issued to you, right?"
Mother: "...yeah..."
Me: "Well, you're not a non-person or non-entity if you have an National Insurance number because the fact you were issued one means that they are aware of your existence, there are records etc..."
She looked perplexed and even slightly annoyed that I wasn't agreeing with her, but at that point, the shitty daughter arrived with a pocketful of cash and a sour expression, so we finished up the transaction and they left.
But seriously...you only need a birth certificate, and even if you don't have a copy of your own, you can send off to obtain a copy. The very fact she has a NI number proves that she's not a "non-person" because she would never have gotten one (I think its the equivalent of a social-security number). I opened my bank account at age 12, I was 4 years away from getting my NI number, I didn't have a passport or driver's licence (obviously XD). I just think she maybe lazy and just loves spouting off the "non person" arguement. Lets face it, how did she get married without a birth certificate? More ignorance than suck on her part, but her daughter was a real treat
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