We love Michael's and spend lots of money there. But this time was very different.
My wife was detained against her will because she tried to buy pens for my daughter with 100 dollar bills. She was handcuffed and taken into custody. I was distracting my daughter by taking her to Barnes and Nobel while my wife went back to buy the art pens. Several hundred dollars of art pens. I had left my phone in the car and when I got back I noticed a missed call form my wife 19 minutes ago. I called her and she said the police were arresting her for buying pens with 100s she got from the bank. I ran into the store leaving the car on and my daughter(12) in the car. The police then detained me against my will and searched me. They would not let me go to my wife or exit the store. I told them my daughter was in the car. They questioned my 12 year old girl without my consent and scared her. She knew something was wrong and got out of the car and came to me unescorted by anyone. As my daughter was coming to me my wife was being driven away to the county sheriff station. I called my parents to come get my daughter. They live an hour away in a different state. But, At that point I was worried that I would be arrested, also without ground, and that my daughter would be remanded to child services. The police told me to clear things up they had to search my car. I told them they could but they required me to sign something. I did not read it very well I was very stressed and would have signed anything to the get things cleared up. I am not really sure what it said. I was not given a copy. I was told to sit in the car until allowed to go. An officer accused me of lying in-front of my daughter asked me more questions and left in a police car. I asked people at Micheal's if the police were still on the seen. They did not think so. I asked if they knew if it was okay for me to go. They did not know. Several minutes after the police car drove off, after talking with employees at Michael's, I was about to call the Sherif when my wife called and told me that she had been released because it is not a crime to buy stuff with 100 dollar bills. I am sure it is not legal for Michael's or the police to detain a family the Saturday before Christmas against its will.
My wife told me that to bolster their false claims of counterfeiting one of the employees at Michaels lied to the police and said she had been in the store earlier with someone who was not her husband. When I her husband was with her.
I am feeling lucky that my daughter, who made a purchase with her hard earned five dollar bills before I took her to Barnes an Nobles was not also accused of counterfeiting.
Luckily she was only detained briefly against her will and unlawfully questioned and kept from her parents.
Did I mention that I am not going to buy anything there ever ever ever ever ever ever EVER EVER AGAIN.
UPDATE:...
After my wife was released. My mother, father, wife, daughter, and I went to Denny's in Elmira for a coffee and to decompress. We met a nice family who found the whole story rather appalling and suggested Hobby Lobby which is just across the street from Michaels's.
We went today and found at Hobby Lobby the staff was kind and courteous. They had a wider selection of the copic markers and they had an online coupon for 40% off one item. And we saved money but spent more than the order we were not allowed to buy at Michael's. My daughter gets her surprise gift!!! read more