I do not normally write reviews but I need to tell my experience of what happened here. I'm not…read morefrom South Carolina, I'm traveling back to Florida after an event.
Walking around was fine, I was making conversation with the two women working. I know I was being pretty heavily watched which normally doesn't bother me. I have colored hair, piercings, tattoos, and I had a larger than average bag on me. I am a general manager in retail, so I understand watching people for shop lifting. I also do local art booths where I'm from, so I understand having your own business and experiencing theft. It's very hard, financially and mentally. After what covid brought down on every local business owner I understand being protective of your own livelihood.
But! There was a line crossed here, I walked around for maybe 30 minutes. I made sure to keep my items(which were large) in sight, and I also tried not to make any sudden movements with my bag or pockets. I understand that was not always possible, but I digress.
The owner and me were making conversation. She tells me about her other store, which she had to close down, and her new security system in her current store. (18 cameras, controlled by an Alexa, incase anybody was wondering). Im at the counter to pay, my card declines because my wife used it for online shopping and I didn't know. But I very quickly fix it, apologize, and then pay for things and leave. I'm almost to my car when I hear the owner calling out. I turn around and walk to her and that's when she accuses me of shoplifting.
So, I throw my bag on the ground and tell her to go through it. I was not being treated with any respect so why would I give her any. I ask if she wants me to take off my jacket, or do anything else and she says no. I end up going back in, because I was over charged. Even if the owner says I wasn't, I know how to read. Normally it wouldn't bother me and I'd let it go but I was angry. We get into a little disagreement at the register, she mentions playing back the cameras. At this point I don't care about paying the 27$, both of these items are gifts. Who cares, I am on a salary and I make good money AND I LIKE SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES.
But then she says, "you are just mad because you got caught shoplifting". That's the reason I'm writing this review. I ask her to play back the cameras, she doesn't. I ask her why she thinks that, she gives me a timeline of my walkthrough that wasn't accurate. I am visibly upset, my voice is cracking, because it really did upset me. The way I was talked down to here was not okay. I hope that she does read this, and then she can bring it upon herself to learn how to talk to people correctly. There's a way to handle people who shoplift, or who you suspect might be. I gave her no attitude until I was accused in public view. If she had asked me to remove my bag while shopping, or my jacket, or really anything else other than following me out of store and accusing me on a busy street I would of been fine with it. I don't care that she thought I was shoplifting, I care about how I was approached about it.
Overall though, the store did have a lot of cool things. Really good vintage items, most of them were fairly priced as well which is surprising for a store in a smaller town. There was really beautiful art work, that was again very fairly priced. I hope this store does thrive and stay open for years to come. I enjoyed my time here until I left and the events above happened. If you're looking for a place with cool knickknacks and other vintage items this is definitely the place. Maybe just leave you're bag in the car!!
