Jacksonville Thrift Store Apologizes for Refusing to Sell Wheelchair to Man Who's $1.30 Short, Gives Disabled Woman Wheelchair
12:35 PM, Dec 31, 2011 | 9 comments
Wheelchair came to $427.80 with tax, Turner short $1.30, Owners eventually give Turners the chair
City Thrift a "for profit" store, not charity store as Turners thought, supervisor apologizes
Jim Turner longtime customer at store, says he was "embarrassed"
Jim and Carolyn Turner tried to buy electric wheelchair at City Thrift, when came up short $1.30, told they could not have it.
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MACCLENNY, Fla. -- A couple who said they were short-changed at a Jacksonville thrift store, got an apology and a free electric wheelchair for a disabled woman.
Jim Turner and his wife, Carolyn, are regular customers at City Thrift, a thrift store on the Westside of Jacksonville on Edgewood Avenue. They saw an electric wheelchair earlier in the week and Jim Turner planned to buy it.
"It would allow me to get around the house, help wash dishes, and get out instead of being shut up in this house all the time," said Carolyn Turner.
Jim Turner took $400 out the bank to buy the chair then returned to the store. But when he got to the cash register, he counted out his money for the $399.90 wheelchair, and came up short after taxes were added.
He needed $1.30.
"I asked the lady if she could give me a break on the $1.30 and a manager came up and said 'we can't do that...he can't have it, give him his money back,'" said Turner.
"I was embarrassed; they acted like I was asking for charity. I am not a charity case, just didn't take enough money. I can't believe they can't give somebody a break for a wheelchair."
Carolyn Turner said she was hurt when she heard the story. "I thought, how could you do this to a disabled person? He even offered to come back and give them the rest of the money."
City Thrift is a "for profit" store that buys donated items from American Veterans, then sell the merchandise for a profit. Tha company has several stores in four states.
Store supervisor Pam Joiner said today that she was unaware of what had happened, and that she would have given Turner the $1.30.
A statement authorized by the store's corporate office said:
"One of our cashiers was ill-advised of our policy and did not call on the front store supervisor (Joiner). The home office will look into the matter because we want our customers to be happy. Mr. Turner can also have the chair for 30 percent off. Again we apologize to Mr. Turner."
Later on Friday afternoon, Jim Turner went to the store and received an apology from the clerk that waited on him. The owners of the store also gave Turner the electric wheelchair for free.
Carolyn Turner said they own another electric wheelchair that does not work, but once the Turners buy new batteries for it, they plan to donate it to the store.
First Coast News
