My jurisdiction is: Georgia, USA
Hello all,
First of all, I apologize if this post is in the wrong category. It deals with consumer law and I couldn't find a good place for it. I thought this would be a good place since it sort of deals with my obligations to sell items to an individual in a retail setting. Here goes...
I am considering part-time employment with a local health-food/supplement store that is part of a national chain. These types of stores typically sell a class of products that, in the past, have been marketed as helping one pass a urinalysis test.
During my pre-employment talks with the store manager it was mentioned that there is a new company policy regarding these types of products. The policy has two parts:
1) If an individual asks to buy/see a product that can be taken to help them pass a drug test we are to tell them that it is store policy to not sell any items to an individual that might help the individual pass a drug test.
2) Once an individual has indicated that they are looking for products to help them pass a drug test we are to refuse them sale of ANY items in the store.
Basically, once they say the magic words "drug test" or "urinalysis" we cannot sell them anything. I certainly understand that the company does not want to sell products intended to help the individual pass a drug test. No problem there. But can a sales associate then refuse to sell anything in the store to that person?
It seems to me that the chain should not sell items that even remotely would appeal to folks looking to pass a pee pee test. With such a policy in place, the presence of such items pretty much guarantees that employees will be put into the difficult situation where they now cannot sell anything to the customer and will probably have to engage in verbal conflict as they explain the store policy. The manager said she has been called a racist (and worse) many times for refusing to sell to people looking for these types of products. But this is neither here nor there.
What are your thoughts? It sounds fishy to me. Is this a legally sound company policy?
Am I obligated to sell to the customer whatever they wish to buy (assuming they are over 18 and not trying to buy weight loss products which are covered by law)?
Could someone please point me to some laws regarding ones obligation as a salesman in a retail setting?
Many thanks,
Bryce
Hello all,
First of all, I apologize if this post is in the wrong category. It deals with consumer law and I couldn't find a good place for it. I thought this would be a good place since it sort of deals with my obligations to sell items to an individual in a retail setting. Here goes...
I am considering part-time employment with a local health-food/supplement store that is part of a national chain. These types of stores typically sell a class of products that, in the past, have been marketed as helping one pass a urinalysis test.
During my pre-employment talks with the store manager it was mentioned that there is a new company policy regarding these types of products. The policy has two parts:
1) If an individual asks to buy/see a product that can be taken to help them pass a drug test we are to tell them that it is store policy to not sell any items to an individual that might help the individual pass a drug test.
2) Once an individual has indicated that they are looking for products to help them pass a drug test we are to refuse them sale of ANY items in the store.
Basically, once they say the magic words "drug test" or "urinalysis" we cannot sell them anything. I certainly understand that the company does not want to sell products intended to help the individual pass a drug test. No problem there. But can a sales associate then refuse to sell anything in the store to that person?
It seems to me that the chain should not sell items that even remotely would appeal to folks looking to pass a pee pee test. With such a policy in place, the presence of such items pretty much guarantees that employees will be put into the difficult situation where they now cannot sell anything to the customer and will probably have to engage in verbal conflict as they explain the store policy. The manager said she has been called a racist (and worse) many times for refusing to sell to people looking for these types of products. But this is neither here nor there.
What are your thoughts? It sounds fishy to me. Is this a legally sound company policy?
Am I obligated to sell to the customer whatever they wish to buy (assuming they are over 18 and not trying to buy weight loss products which are covered by law)?
Could someone please point me to some laws regarding ones obligation as a salesman in a retail setting?
Many thanks,
Bryce
