I think I am done with Fashion Bug

[Michelia]

I had been to one of their stores and had a great time years ago when I was still in the closet.

Then came the famous negative experience Goofus had at one of their stores where she got banned and almost arrested and I attributed it to bad luck on top of her acting suspicious.

But about six months ago I went enfemme to another Fashion Bug and this very pretty girl let me use the changing room and was very attentive and nice. I bought quite a few things and the all the SAs present and I talked for quite a while. They asked me many questions and I answered them all. Yea, I wasn't gay. Yeah I had a family. This being in Missisippi, it seemed I was a totally new experience to them. I left on cloud nine and very happy. They seemed to have a good time too.

A couple of days ago I returned to this store and the same SA was there. Same great smile. She recognized me right away. I was in drab this time. A minute later a cop came in and he started hanging out close to where I was. I moved to the other side of the store and he came to the other side of the store while pretending he was playing with his cell phone.

After 15 mins of playing musical fixtures with the cop, I went to the SA and asked her if she called the cop and if I made her uncomfortable in any way. She just gave me a big grin and did not answer me. I walked out of the store and left all my stuff, mostly earrings that were on sale on the counter. The cop followed me out of the store and stood outside the store door until I got in my car and left.

They have some kind of unspoken, unwritten, unholy policy on TS. Maybe not. Maybe the cop had heard about me and just was curious and wanted to check me out. I will not be back either way.

[Carroll]

sounds like something is up at that store. I would email the company and let them know about it. I have never had an issue with fashion bug.

[Sallee]

Maybe he was one of us

[Shelly Preston]

I think I would be writing to the head office

You should have been answered properly by the sales assistant

They should have a standard policy and they should always be polite

I guess they dont need money in these difficult times :Angry3:

[Zenith]

*Sigh* this kinda stuff is really discouraging...making the leap of logic that we are somehow bad people...:sad:

Sorry for that experience Michelia...:itsok:

[paulaN]

I am sorry about what happened to you. And I would say yes she did call the cops. That is why she did not answer your question. I would wright to the main office and tell them what happen with as much detail as posable. You did the right thing by leaving all of your stuff on the counter. Good for you. I would not go back either.

[CD Susan]

I would have asked this police officer why he was so interested in what I was doing. I would have demanded to know if I was suspected of commiting a crime and if so what it was. I also would have taken down the Sa's name and mentioned this in my letter to the corporate office complaining of how I was treated in this particular store. Of course I would never return to this store again and would encourage others from shopping there as well.

[MsSamanthaErica]

Perhaps you ought to have showed him how to use the phone, then called the cops and said a cop was stalking you!! That would have been a riot.

Still, I would write to the company as well and tactfully tell them what you experienced was wrong. I wouldn't be surprised if they attempted to make some sort of amends, it's tough for everyone out there right now.

[Sherry-Stephanie]

I've never heard of a call to the police that there were CDers or T/G in a retail store...which leaves me to believe that if the SA did call there was some other reason the cop showed up as in "I think I've got a perosn in here who has been in here in the past and has stolen from us...." and that would be grounds to add your name to all their signs thoughout the corporation....

Proving this might take some work but if it were me, I'd be going down to the PD and asking to see their dispatch calls for that day and seeing if someone was dispatched at the time you were there....Then I'd see if there were a report and if there was I'd ask for a copy of it...(Public record your entitled to get it) ...but that's just me....

[Senban]

CD Susan said - "I would have asked this police officer why he was so interested in what I was doing. I would have demanded to know if I was suspected of commiting a crime and if so what it was."

Well done! You just got confrontational with a police officer. :doh:

Correct procedure would have been to ignore the police officer until such time as he/she decided to talk to you. If the SA seemed to be unwilling to discuss the matter with you when questioned, then you should have asked to discuss whatever the issue was with her manager/supervisor. At least then you would have known what the actual story was instead of supposition and conjecture.

[Michelia]

I would have asked this police officer why he was so interested in what I was doing. I would have demanded to know if I was suspected of commiting a crime and if so what it was. I also would have taken down the Sa's name and mentioned this in my letter to the corporate office complaining of how I was treated in this particular store. Of course I would never return to this store again and would encourage others from shopping there as well.

The only time I got demanding with a police officer in my life, I was pushed around violently, handcuffed, thrown against a car, locked in a holding vehicle with ruffians without being able to go to the bathroom for 5 hours, and then spent the night in jail after being charged with "interfering with police business". It cost me a fortune to get the record expunged. Never again. I was younger then. I may not survive the same treatment at my age. And for the record, I have never been arrested or charged with anything other than a traffic ticket.


I've never heard of a call to the police that there were CDers or T/G in a retail store...which leaves me to believe that if the SA did call there was some other reason the cop showed up as in "I think I've got a perosn in here who has been in here in the past and has stolen from us...." and that would be grounds to add your name to all their signs thoughout the corporation....

Proving this might take some work but if it were me, I'd be going down to the PD and asking to see their dispatch calls for that day and seeing if someone was dispatched at the time you were there....Then I'd see if there were a report and if there was I'd ask for a copy of it...(Public record your entitled to get it) ...but that's just me....

I really do not see how I could have been suspected of stealing. I bought many things and paid for them. The more I think about it, she probably told this cop about me after I had been there and he told her next time I went there to call him out. He was probably getting his kicks. He could have announced his presence for security purposes and then faded into the background, but he spied on me.

I like the visit to the PD idea, but I am not from there nor do I live there. It is over a 2 to 3 hour drive from where I live. I just happened to be en route to another city. This happened in Brookhaven, MS.

From my perspective, she really did not do anything wrong other than cater to the cop's perversions. She might not have realized how invasive this cop's behavior was going to turn out to be. But Shelly is right. She should have answered me properly, as I asked her in a very nice way. She did not answer because maybe she did something she really could not fess up to. It could easily be they had never seen a CD in that town before and he (the cop) wanted to satify his curiousity.

I will find out who the regional supervisor is and call her and just have a chat with her.

I did this with a problem I had at a CATO store once (the only one out of dozens of experiences) and the supervisor ended up meeting with me at the store where the problem employees were. She turned out to be young, beautiful, stylish, and last but most important, very smart and professional. She set the record straight and gave me her card and told me to call her if I ever had a problem again - talk about action!

By the way, I did go to the CATO store located at the other end of the strip mall too, also and for the second time. The girls there recognized me too and were so very nice to me. So no blanket judgement on the town is intended.

[suzy]

I suppose it is all easy for all of us to say what we would or would not have done in hindsight and when we aren't the one being faced with it. No doubt being arrested could really be traumatic, especially dressed enfemme, so I would never recommend getting confrontational with a cop.

I do believe however, that what I would have done was to carry on as if the cop was present for some other reason. After all, you were certainly not breaking any laws.

Since the SA was so helpful before, and you spent a lot of money before, the SA didn't have any concern fo alarm from you, from my view point, to be anything but helpful to you.

It's possible the cop was there for any number of reasons, i.e. curiosity, the SA is his girl friend, he is a CD'er, his wife worked there, or maybe it was just extra security, but since he didn't approach you, I can't see any reason to feel the need to take offense.

If you found some good deals on some nice earrings, I say you left them all behind. I also don't think it is fair to blame all Fashion Bug stores for one unfortunate experience. :2c:

[Nicole Erin]

Let's see, we have had stories about bad experiences our girls have had with Cato, Fashion Bug, and several JCPenney locations.

Really, it is best to not even talk to the SA at stores cause even if they are acting cool, they are coniving bitches. A lot of times the reason they engage in conversation is cause they think you are up to something about hoping by talking to you, you will not steal or rob or whatever.

If I am asked if I need help or anything, I just tell them "Nope" and continue my shopping. I don't look at them, talk to them, I just pretend they are not there.

Thing is about that cop being called at FB, how the hell did he get there really fast? My experience is that cops usually take a while to show up. Unless the town is tiny and nothing ever happens so the cops are just hurting for something to do.

LAdies it is like this -
A cashier usually makes about minimum wage, they don't care if you buy or not. It is no benefit to them, they do not care about the store, their job, or you. The only reason they make conversation is hoping to deter thieves. If they think you are going to steal, that is the only reason they want to chat. Do not mistake this for friendliness.

[Sherry-Stephanie]

I really do not see how I could have been suspected of stealing.

Your missing my point dear....

She might have called the police and said that so they'd come....if she jsut said she had a CDer in the store they probably would have said that's nice so what?

By her saying might be stealing then they'd come....

people have been know to exaggerate to the police just to get them to respond....

]I bought many things and paid for them. The more I think about it, she probably told this cop about me after I had been there and he told her next time I went there to call him out. He was probably getting his kicks. He could have announced his presence for security purposes and then faded into the background, but he spied on me.

I doubt it....how would she know when you would be in again and when he'd be working..the fact this is the first time you've been back probably isn't just luck....and how do you know she said anything after you were in there the first time....

Sorry...he was in there for a reason and it wasn't because your dressing up....it's not like a cop hasn't seen a CDer before....and more than likely if you had confronted him you would have lost....some way some how....right or wrong you would have lost that little confrontation....

As far as getting a report???? You can pcik up a phone and call them..see if there is a report and send then a small check and they'll mail it to you....cheaper than gas...

[Senban]

Nicole Erin said - "Thing is about that cop being called at FB, how the hell did he get there really fast?"

That's something that's been bugging me about this whole story too. Now here in the UK we don't have Fashion Bug but we do have similar types of stores and...here's the kicker...I used to do store security at one of them (What Everyone Wants) while I was studying at university in the mid 1990s. We used to get shoplifters and all sorts of other issues and we'd only call the police in if we thought in advance the issue would be more than we were employed to handle or because we'd made a stop, caught someone red-handed and wanted to have them charged.

I find it hard to believe that such large stores as I've seen on the Fashion Bug website don't have in-house security. If the SA suspected there was something going on e.g. potential stealing or whatever then surely she would have contacted the in-house people first? Since when do SA call the police themselves? I'm willing to bet good money that no one called the police but that they were already on location for another matter and it's a coincidence.

[Sherry-Stephanie]

Get there fast????

He could be assigned to that area if it was a mall he could have been a security guard and not a cop....in the mall or whatever....

Was it a large shopping mall was it a group of block stores???? when you left did you see his police car parked out front an dyes it would ahve been parked right out in front....was he working off -duty for these store shopping mall whatever????

Things I need to know....

[TerriM]

Im retired law enforcment. It is my guess the SA called the PD and said there was a supicious male in the store. I used to get calls like that. We would respond and just watch the person and let them know we were watching them. Maybe run the plate of the vehicle. If he really looked suspicious we would question them. Im not talking about CD's, just persons that seem suspicious to the SA. We wouldnt question the SA in front of the so-called suspicious person.

[Sharon B.]

This is why I do most of my shopping via the Internet.

[Shannen]

Could you please follow up and let us know what was really going on? Many people come here for encouragement regarding going shopping, and this would be their "nightmare" situation.

You had a good experience, then show up again and are under immediate suspicion?

The cop showed up and shadowed you throughout the store? The SA wouldn't speak when asked a question? This all seems bizarre!

I think you should call that store and ask why you were treated that way. Unless someone has really gone over the top and violated multiple privacy policies, they should not know your name and you can remain anonymous.

Start by reminding them that you have spent $$$ in that particular store in the past, and hoped to continue spending $$$ there.

I can only guess that they may have had a problem with a male in the store recently, and might call for backup any time they feel vulnerable. Perhaps they were even robbed? Who knows? Were you the only one in the store at the time?

For someone to call a cop so that he could get his kicks watching a man shop for female clothing... well, thinking of that gets my blood boiling. I'm hoping you are wrong about that, but if not I'm thinking a lawsuit would be too merciful. Even the cops are restricted officially from "profiling".

So, I would ask that you start with the store... maybe they will admit to making a mistake and ask forgiveness... Knowing how this ends would be a help to us all.

:hugs:

[TxKimberly]

I dunno, seems pretty simple to me. If they don't want my busines and money, then I feel no desire to give it to them. I'll shop somewhere else.
I feel no need to get their manager and try and brow beat them into accepting me nor expend the effort to try and educate them about trans-gender. It's not worth my hassle.

[Carly D.]

Suspicious behavior indeed.. thinking of my experience last week at the mall I cased the place at least five times (drove by scouting) and I started to think what if the eye in the sky (security) saw me drive through the lot all these times and got concerned.. truth is when I finally did go to the JC Penny's store I was more worried that I might have attracted the wrong attention.. not that this is anywhere near the same.. but what I am saying is that I think I put too much into this little dare thing that I was to do (walking in the mall in heels) and overthought what I was gonna do.. next time just do it, and act like I belong..

[Jean Ann S]

Could it be the Sales assistant has a thing for men in Blue and used this as an excuse to call for someone to visit with ?
I find lots of us ,,when dressed become very sensitive ,,,,they laughed ,,they looked etc ,,,,where as in boy mode we could care less if they laughed or looked ? may not apply here ,,,but just a thought . :eek:

Jean Ann

[MsJanessa]

It seems odd that a cop would have wasted 15-20 minutes watching a CD in a store---if there had been a problem, more likely than not he would have approached you immediatly---cops have better things to do then watch CDs in womens clothing stores---you said the SA was fine the first time you were in the store, and had no negative reaction this time--Her behavior when you asked her about the cop was odd though---you might have approached the cop politly and asked if there was a problem because he seemed to be shadowing you---you should also write the home office of Fashion Bug and complain--at the same time sending a carbon copy to the store in question--my thought is this would not be likely to happen in a more urban area but in rural Mississippi they probably aren't used to CDs appearing in public.

[JoAnne Wheeler]

Okay - is Fashion Bug off our list now ?

JoAnne Wheeler

[Jean Ann S]

did it occur to you that perhaps the cop could be a CD also
maybe a regular customer and perhaps a friend of the Sales Assistant
Maybe she called him to come look at another CD
I know lots of Cops etc who are CDs themselves ?

Jean Ann :doh: