As I’ve noted several times, no one will just let Zendaya live. So many people try to start beefs with this young woman, and it irritates me to no end. Zendaya is, for the most part, just doing her thing and being a young woman of color, and that bothers so many people. Anyway, here’s a new chapter to the No One Can Let Zendaya Live book. Zendaya was trying to buy some gift cards at a store last night and the clerk was really rude to her.
Zendaya has alleged she was the victim of racism at a supermarket – with the clerk allegedly refusing to serve her and throwing her wallet back at her when she tried to buy $400 in gift cards.
“The lady that was helping us… I don’t think she was a huge fan of our skin tone,” the Spider-Man: Homecoming actress told fans on Snapchat Tuesday night. Zendaya alleged the clerk told her she couldn’t afford the gift cards before throwing her wallet, causing her cards to fall out.
“I can’t make this s— up!” she told the camera.
The 20-year-old star said, “This is what we deal with…” – before her male friend added, “Because we’re black.”
I’m including the compilation of Zendaya’s Snapchats below. There’s only one explanation that I can think of where this wouldn’t be a racial thing, which is that some stores have weird rules about people paying cash for their gift cards. Like, you can’t pay for a gift card on your debit or credit in some stores, at least where I live. But that explanation doesn’t make much sense when you hear Zendaya’s story. It sounded like the clerk just didn’t believe that a young woman of color would have the money to buy $400 worth of gift cards. Which is awful.
Update: TMZ got a statement/additional info from Vons. According to TMZ, a rep from Vons says “the interaction between Zendaya and the checkout clerk did not involve race. The store has a policy limiting the amount that can be charged on a customer’s credit card for gift cards. We’re told the limit is $200, and that was the basis of Zendaya’s discussion. The store adds the manager made an accommodation and allowed the singer to get $400 worth of gift cards.”
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Why wouldn’t you be able to buy gift cards with a credit/debit card? Isn’t it like buying any other good? Genuine question.
I have no idea, but I’ve been told at a few stores that I have to pay cash for gift cards.
@Clare @ Kaiser: I was wondering, too. According to a Consumerist article, new laws went into effect earlier this year.
Sez the article: “Under the rules, which took effect in October, retailers are now liable for fraudulent purchases if they haven’t upgraded their checkout technology to accept more secure, but far from perfect, chip-enabled cards.
In response, some retailers who have yet to implement the more secure technology have made an effort to rein in fraudsters who purchase gift cards using stolen credit card information by restricting gift card purchases, the Wall Street Journal reports.”
I don’t think that would happen in Canada. But one of my best friends works in the POS terminal business and has mentioned several times how backwards the tech/processing is in the States due to a lack of a central banking system so maybe that’s the reason you can’t use them?
She’s an OPPORTUNIST.
She was a drama queen about the Joan Rivers show and thinks she can do it again. It was sad how many people bought her version w/o paying attention to what actually happened.
She’s very bright and articulate and of course racism is common in this country — but she’s just playing games for publicity.
Did it once, figures she can get away w/it again.
What opportunity is this situation opening up for her though? Her brand is American-sweetheartish-she’s a Disney Darling, and just got a plum role in the Spidey reboot. She doesn’t need Lohan-type of attention for made-up scenarios. I would think a bizarre tale of wallet throwing wouldn’t be on brand for her, and she is a girl who stays on brand. My take is she read the situation as an example of racial profiling and was upset about it and shared the story without a lot of thought or input from others. I think the reality is probably more complicated, with store policies not being expressed, but with a clerk who could have handled the situation better for whatever reason.
Just in the last month I wanted to buy a $50 Visa card because I didn’t want itunes to have anything with a higher limit. I had to do one transaction just to get cash for the small-time credit card and another transaction to actually get the dang thing. Racism exists but I don’t think this is a case of it.
All I can say is I work retail, and we’ve had people use stolen credit cards to make very large gift card purchases.
And any gift card purchase that large would automatically be suspicious, no matter who the person buying them was. We had a man buy $500 in gift cards and I automatically reported it, and I would report $400 as well. Not trying to diss Zendaya, but a lot of retail employees are trained to be suspicious of overly-large gift card purchases. It’s possible that this wasn’t racism, and simply a misunderstanding. I don’t know though, for I wasn’t there.
Then wouldn’t you ask for identification to verify that it isn’t a stolen card (yes I know cards can be mocked up) ? Or just have clear signage that they must be purchased with cash? Or that purchase of gift cards will be limited to x amount?
There’s still no justification for an employee throwing (or even tossing) someone’s wallet at them- and now this woman looks really bad (as does her employer) because the person she was rude to is a young and successful celebrity.
That’s what I was thinking, I’ve heard of a lot of stolen cards being used to buy large amounts of gift cards lately, so I understand the hesitation.
But that’s where you ask for ID, and if there is still a concern, call a manager over to confirm the purchase. There is never a reason to tell a customer they can’t afford something as she is claiming this cashier did.
Wrong spot
I worked at Lowes and Bed Bath & Beyond as a cashier once, we literally had to call a manager or ‘head cashier ‘ if someone bought over $100 in gift cards. This is why I don’t believe her. And I’m sorry a cashier wants their job so they aren’t going to throw your wallet.
Why would a cashier even HAVE your wallet? I show ID frequently and always remove my license and hand it to the cashier. No one I know would hand their wallet to a cashier, ever.
Yeah stores are weird with large sums of money. I know if you give bills $20 and up then they have to be checked. I get IDed a lot. I think stores are so terrified of being accused of fraud they over compensate. I can’t remember for sure but the place I worked at may have had a limit on gift card amounts.
@Llamas
At Bed Bath and Beyond we had to use a special marker to see if anything above a ten dollar bill was fake. It always felt terrible. That store will break your retail spirit!
@ Nicole
Ya because a cashiers are never rude to customers for no reason right. 😒 Like I said below I’ve work retail and try to be nice to others who work retail because I know how it is and I can tell I’ve met so rude ass retail/cashier workers in my time.
So let’s not act like cashier are always friendly and customers are always the rude ones.
@Flowerchild
Actually I was the first cashier in 20 years to be employee of the month. Of course there are rude cashiers, but there are also awesome ones. Spellcheck!
@ Nicole
If you know that then why do you assume that the cashier didn’t throw wallet because they want to keep their job?????
Nicole
I used to work at Bath and Body works we didn’t need a manager approval to sell a gift card for any amount. Which just goes to show you that every store has different policies so unless you work at this store under this management you don’t know what the rules are, so why call her claims false.
We’re you a cashier for 20 years or 6 years because your comment below you said you were a cashier for 6 years, unless there is another Nicole.
There are different Nicoles! And I agree that every single store is different under different managers and the state.
I hope a cashier that throws a wallet gets fired, not arguing anymore over this.
And that’s to you, Flowergirl.
Same deal when I worked at Pizza Hut. If someone called in with a huge order, it was policy to call them back and confirm it in case it was a prank.
Itune cards and so can only be purchased in cash in Mexico (everywhere).
You can’t buy them with your credit card.
Money laundering. I know it sounds insane but there are two reasons. One is that there is a federal limit because they think it can be linked to terrorism. One is that they don’t accept credit cards because if it is stolen the person can buy a bunch of gift cards before it is cancelled which will be impossible to recoup. (I manage a retail outlet for a large company that sells gift cards at our location)
Some stores just limit the amount of gift cards period no matter HOW you pay for them and that is due to rampant fraud.
People who steal and make a living off stealing credit cards or numbers, then buying gift cards etc ruin it for everyone … I had to purchase 3k of gift cards for a company party and they would not let me.
So thank the fraudsters and scum who steal, return and try to get cash back and steal credit card numbers or buy stolen credit cards and get gift cards.
This story conflicted me because I don’t believe her. I do believe that can happen, but the details about it are far off. She said the clerk threw her wallet, as if anyone ever gave the clerk their wallet when shopping. And I do like Zendaya very much and I’m black like her too and have witnessed and been subjected to racism, but… I just don’t.
This. Why did the clerk have her wallet? Did the clerk push it off the counter? That doesn’t make sense.
I was also wondering why the clerk would have her wallet?? I think I read that Zendaya later said she didn’t “throw” the wallet but tossed it and some cards fell out…. but why would the clerk have her wallet in the first place? That being said, stores are weird if you try to buy a large amount of gift cards, so I can believe that something may have been said about that. Idk if I buy the wallet throwing/tossing though.
Exactly, that’s the part I don’t believe, not that the situation didn’t happen. I feel she embellished the story, you know?
Maybe she put her wallet on the counter? Sometimes I do that too. The cashier could have grabbed it off the counter and tossed it on the floor.
Maybe she asked for ID so she gave her the wallet for large purchases some places do ask for ID for cc I think? I don’t know I live in the UK and it’s chip/pin for the past 7-8 years.
I’m a broken record at this point, but I’ll say it again: as a cashier, I know this story is true. The parts that don’t sound “believable” to some people are interactions I’ve seen many times over… cashiers asking for ID when gift cards are purchased, cashiers judging black women as would-be criminals if they purchase too many gift cards, customers handing over their wallets to show their IDs, cashiers being (and being trained to be!) extra skeptical even when ID and legit payment forms are produced.
Is it just that no one *wants* this racism to be real? Because this mass jumping to silence a woman of color and discredit her as a liar is proof that it’s alive and well.
Brittany B:
I was a cashier for two years and no one ever handed me their wallet – they took their ID out and handed it to me.
Also, I never saw any racism toward customers where I worked and I was never instructed to be weary of certain customers based on skin tone.
The only time my bosses got worried was when someone tried to return expensive items without a receipt.
@ Trixie
Read my comment below from someone who has worked in retail also.
@Brittney B.
As a former cashier of 6 years, that is very insulting.
Maybe I’m wrong but I think it is impossible to suspect that she is line unless you believe she has a reason to lie. What would those reasons be? Any excuse to discredit her is a reflection of a belief That she must have an agenda. This says more about you than it does about her.
@Trixie. I hardly ever take out my ID, I hand them my wallet or open my wallet since you can see my ID from the little plastic window in the compartment of my wallet.
And yes some customers actually give the cashier their wallets. I’ve seen it many times.
@ Snarkweek
We don’t if she has an agenda!
Nicole, how is sharing my personal experience “insulting”? I was a cashier for years too, and I’m just talking about what I witnessed and what I heard during training. It is clearly wrong, but it clearly happens.
Trixie, hopefully you’re not implying that your experiences were indicative of everyone’s. We worked in different places and had different experiences; they’re both valid, but one doesn’t negate the other.
Snarkweek- I like this comment. Rather then getting stuck in the details and ideas that people take as fact from their own limited experience, it’s better to ask first why she would lie. And why your gut reaction would be that she was lying and so you analyze details to try and poke holes in her story.
People think she has an agenda?! The idea that she has a hidden agenda is much less likely then a cashier being rude and (possibly) being racist and Zendaya taking offense and (maybe rightly, maybe not) thinking it had to do with her race……since I’m sure she has had plenty of experiences where people did treat her poorly based on her race.
The lady could have had her wallet because she checking Zendayas ID. I have worked in retail before and some people would give me their wallets to check the ID instead of taking their IDs out.
That’s what I do to-I just show my ID by way of my wallet so I don’t have to take it out of the pocket.
That is possible – my id is tough to get out of my current wallet, so I usually just show it within it.
But at that point, if the id and the credit cards match…what’s the problem selling her the cards?
I can never get my ID out of the little pocket so I struggle for a few, then sometimes just end up giving the cashier my wallet. I have a small wallet, so sometimes that’s easier.
@ Lucy2 and paranormalgirl
The stuck License is the number 1 reason customers used to just hand me their wallets.
@ Lucy2
I don’t know why she was not allowed to buy the gift card. Like you said if their is a match then their shouldn’t have been a problem. When I work retail as long as the credit card info match the ID/license then we put it through we never refused a customer.
I have my ID in a card holder in my wallet, so when people need to see my ID, I hand over my whole wallet because it’s easier than prying the card out of the pocket. Perhaps she wanted to show the clerk something in her wallet, like an ID proving she’s effing Zendaya and can afford the gift cards.
Re: The wallet thing, I can believe she handed the clerk her wallet to either show ID (or she showed it, and the clerk grabbed the wallet for closer inspection of the ID), or she set the wallet down, and the clerk tossed it to move her along. She did say the clerk started scanning the next customer while she was trying to pick up her fallen card.
Lot’s of people put their wallets down on the counter, the SA probably chucked it off the counter.
I’m thinking something fishy is going on with the story too, especially with the wallet thing. And I like Zendaya. I think she’s a beautiful girl. She’s also very young and young-looking. Maybe that came into play? IDK
Her account of what happened just seems odd. I’m sure there’s security footage that can show what happened. I’d like to hear the other side of the story before making assumptions.
While I have no clue where Zendaya lives, she graduated from my school district’s high school. So, her story checks out with some things I’ve noticed in this area too, which is the Oak Park/Agoura/Westlake Village/Calabasas area of LA county.
I’m Polynesian, my husband is white. We get very different reactions in the same several stores we shop in. My husband never gets asked for his ID. Depending on who is on the register, I will often get an inquiry for ID. It’s not consistent, but it happens enough where both of us think I’m getting “carded” cause I’m a darker shade of brown and wearing sweats 24/7. I have been followed before in a store as well, and if I’m not walking side by side with my husband in our nice, overwhelmingly white neighborhood during our daily stroll, I have gotten a number of older white women and men who come outside to check on what I’m doing, and they lose interest the minute they see my husband walking up behind me.
What she’s talking about is something I’ve encountered myself in this area when shopping while brown and casually dressed. .
I am black I never have a problem, when asked for id, this includes voting. When I was younger I took it as a compliment, because I still look 10 -20 years younger than I am. But to be honest Zendaya looks white to me.
The clerk probably didn’t know anything about this girl.
A convenient store clerk called me out once, in a store I guess to inform me she was watching me,and she was white and she had a black husband.
Voter ID laws are absolute bullshit and the only reason for their existence is to implement voter suppression.
I’ve gotten followed around at stores as well, but I’m white, so I put it down to my very casual sweats. Can’t say whether or not being brown contributed to your experiences, just that casual dress makes a difference whatever your skin colour. (I’m from a very multicultural city, so there were POC in the store with me at the time who were not being followed around like I was as far as I could see.) I think sweats read as poor maybe?
She might’ve handed it over to show her ID?
When I get asked for my ID when shopping via debit or credit card, I just show the picture inside my wallet/purse rather than sliding it out.
If she’s not telling the truth though. Why would she make this up?
ETA: Sorry didn’t see Flowerchild or Algernon’s post before I wrote mine.
Maybe her wallet was on the belt and the clerk picked it up and tossed it to her. That to me seem the most likely scenario,
Even if it were- that clerk would get in trouble for doing that if a supervisor saw her. There is no justification for throwing, tossing, hurling, flinging or anything other than HANDING someone’s wallet to them.
@Yup-
You are preaching to the choir. I’m merely presenting a plausible scenario for those who say it sounds off, and are inclined to disbelieve her ( FTR, I 100% believe her, in case you have made a wrong assumption).
As I said in a different comment, the whole thing makes me feel gross.
Yeah I want to know why the clerk had her wallet too.
Its so sad to read these thread sometimes….I dont understand why some commenters are so quick to discredit Zendya’s account of what happened but when Ryan Lochte was clearly lying through his teeth so many muricans rallied behind him. She does not need a story like this to raise her profile or anything like that so Im finding it difficult to see why she would lie. In my humble opinion, some people are so reluctant to accept the truth, racism is alive and well in America.
@Cherrypie – no where in my comment do I say a word about not believing her. No where at all. All I did was question why the cashier had her wallet because it’s a valid question. Please go post your humble opinion under any of the comments spewing true racism. There is enough blatant racism in this world without digging for it where there isn’t any.
No one gives a cashier their wallet. This was believable until I read this part. I call bull****
This is absolutely ridiculous. What the hell is wrong with some people? Didn’t something similar happen to Oprah a while ago at some fashion store?
Yeah and when Oprah spilled, the shop assistant claimed that she was just trying to be helpful by refusing to show a black customer the higher end bags. Because apparently, shop assistants at boutiques are always instructed not to sell the fancy bags. That girl was too stupid for life.
No, she went to Hermes to shop but the store was locking up. They wouldn’t open up, Oprah pointed out that there were still people in store, which they were, they wee not allowing anyone else. She made a statement n because this is Hermes, they apologized n opened the store for her. I’ve been to stores when their closing n no one opens for me when I complain, guess we vpcant be all Oprah’s.
Sometimes you get bad service, has nothing to do with color. What’s my reasoning when I get attitude from drive thru!?
no, kate, that’s not accurate.
she asked to see a bag that was up on a shelf and the sales person refused, saying it was too expensive.
you may be thinking of a different incident.
ya the Hermes thing was in Paris. The shop WAS closed and she wanted in.
I hadn’t heard there were still customers inside, but that would add to anyone’s aggravation for sure. She wanted special treatment and didn’t get it. And just to be clear, I would want special treatment too, if I were Oprah. She’s made of money and they want it, and I would think that a manager would have let her in – and she was annoyed that a staffer who just dismissed her due to color got the last word. The purse incident occurred in Zurich at a pretty small boutique. And they didn’t try very hard to pony up a story… It was a shop that Tina Turner had directed her to shop in (I think).
One incident happened in France and the other incident happened in Switzerland. In the Swiss store she arrived with her bodyguards and requested private shopping and was denied. In the Swiss store it was during normal operating hours and she entered with her bodyguards and the salesgirl refused to take down a bag to show her.
Damn. This wasn’t even micro. I’m sad and exhausted.
It makes me feel gross.
Exactly.
95% of the time people buying hundreds of dollars worth of gift cards are doing it with stolen credit cards/cash for money laundering purposes or to resell them on the street. That’s why stores have such strict policies on them. Unless that woman was like “no I won’t sell them to you cause you look black!!” It sounds like an assumption on their part.
Thanks for the info on the gift cards. Interesting.
I have no reason to doubt her story. Usually racism is never that blatant. People don’t blurt out what they are thinking.
I went to buy gift cards at CVS and I was only allowed to purchase $300 worth ($100 gift cards for the spawn and godspawn for Christmas). I had to go back a second time to get the other 2 cards.
This. The salesperson from what it seems was being extremely rude and there might be a racial component to this, but everywhere I know has a limit on how much money you can spend on gift cards. It is a well-known method of minor-scale money laundering.
A lot of times racism is subtle. Gotta read in between those lines…
Well no duh, I’m a minority, I know how things make work. But Zendaya and the guy with her literally said it happened “cause we’re” black” and I’m not sure how she would know that for sure. Stores are already suspicious of large gift card purposes, it couldn’t been a misunderstanding.
I am black too, I know racism, this girl looks white. Ego, have you ever been denied an interview because you are black, trust me this girl is a Disney star she has nothing to complain about. She would not even get an interview with a name like Zendaya, in the real world.
+1
I work retail and said something similar upthread. However, it’s 100% possible that the clerk was still a bigoted asshole about it when she should have handled it with discretion and grace, as most retail employees are trained to do.
What about the possibility the woman was just a grouchy clerk? Why jump to the conclusion it is because she is black? I am white and have had trouble buying gift cards in the past. Also encountered rude salespeople a few times.
Because she was there and we weren’t…
Interesting statistic. Links?
I believe it, every bit of it
Given that she called out Vons, you know some folks* are going to get all twisted she is expressing her frustration, demand that Vons release the store cam video of the actual event for a forensic examination of the purported wallet tossing!
TMZ has already reached out to Vons for a comment and I am sure have figured out which exact Vons in LA it is based on her video. I am sure they they are trying to speak to the actual salesperson.
*i.e. those stupid internet fanboy trolls who are twisted she is playing Mary Jane in Spiderman
I used to work for a grocery store. Back in maybe…2010 I was working a store opening and a man with a turban and beard (to me he looked like he could be Sikh but I have no idea) came up to our customer service desk with a simple request. Polite, nothing noteworthy in the exchange. Once I finish helping him the store manager said “ugh I wish we didn’t have to let those people in.” THE MANAGER OF THE STORE WHO WAS LIKE 30 RUNGS ABOVE ME ON THE CORPORATE LADDER.
So yeah. I definitely buy it. Never experienced racism to the extent as when I worked in a grocery store.
Yep- so do I. I have no reason to not believe it and I believe racism is alive and well. I also believe that the person that had the actual experience (Zendaya) has more information and more likelihood of knowing about the nuances & intent of the cashier then I do.
Racism can be subtle and someone can be acting racist while still acting in accordance with the rules for their job. Maybe the act of denying her the cards wasn’t racist but the way the cashier did it was? Someone can say that there is a limit or they can insinuate that the person couldn’t afford it anyway or is trying something shady. Why people would jump to think that Zendaya made this all up is so odd to me……
I know they do have rules about gift cards but I totally believe her. I’m blonde and blue eyed and I’ve been given crap about buying gift cards. Also, followed around in stores that I frequent (including Bloomingdales) and have been treated like a thief at a jewelry store in Manhattan because it was winter and I had a puffy down coat on ??? I have no idea. But if I could be treated like this I can’t imagine what she as a POC gets treated like.
Based on her skin tone and how she was dressed (NEITHER of which is a slight against her, just that an ignorant mind is quick to judge and dismiss) I could see it.
I’ve gotten the ‘You can’t afford it’ face a few times while trying to get service and my mother made it a point no matter what were her plans for her checkbook that day if a sales clerk got snobby and did the “Well it’s this much – we don’t have any on sale” she’d quirk that eyebrow hard, buy the item plus more and walk out head held high.
I’ve gotten every assumption under the sun even when I pull MY money out for a large purchase. “Aww you been saving up for this?”
So to follow Zendaya’s wise spirit may every froggy bitch who ever looked at me funny for daring to have cheddar while my skin is mocha have a blessed and none-stressed day. Go with God, go far FAR away with God.
Go with God? Lol wtf does that mean?
It’s the Christian way of saying ‘go f**k yourself’.
@Marty- I thought that one was “Bless your heart!”
I think it means strive to be Christ-like, but then there is the pun attached on the end, so it becomes a bit of a double -entendre.
@NotSoSocialButterfly
Bless your hear is Southern for “You poor stupid idiot.” 🙂
<3 <3 <3
Ah yes, the “you can’t afford this” face/attitude. I used to react like your mom. I don’t anymore. Once it was so blatant and insulting that I called the girl out on it. “I’m sorry, do I not look rich enough for you? Because honey, you work here, you don’t own the store. Can YOU afford what you’re selling or are you only allowed to touch it until you leave at night?” Her face … it was a glorious day. I don’t know what came over me, I think I had a bad day and she made it worse. Was about 19 too. I’ve called out sales people a few times, not always like this. But of course, that’s not the same as being subjected to blatant racism. That is terrible and I don’t know why people doubt her story. I’m sure it’s not the worst one she could tell.
Of course it’s not the worst one she could tell. There are accounts up and down this thread of people not only experiencing this themselves while shopping, but being trained to profile black people while they are shopping. Yes, racism, & institutional doesn’t exist. It must be something else….SMH
Haha @eternal side eye what does it say about me that when I first read your comment about having cheddar with mocha skin, I was all when did types of cheeses become racially specific? I’m very tired . Also I really love cheese. Sharp cheddar for the win!
Also I love that your mom would shame the saleslady for her nonsense assumptions.
This kind of ish is THE WORST! It’s like, here you are, living your life, minding your business, and someone tries to shit on you because they just automatically hate people who look like you. I was driving to work one day last week, and this dude dangled a banana out of his car window at me. It took me a sec to even realize what he was doing, because wtf, you know? But that’s life as a person of color in America, at any time, someone may choose to remind you that you are less than human and worthy of ridicule. I simply refuse to let them win and ruin my day, but I shouldn’t have to deal with that crap at all! Good for Zendaya for continuing to speak up and speak out. We need all the “all lives matter” and “I don’t see color” people to hear us!
I’m sorry this happened to you. What a horrible person!
Exactly what I was going to say.
That’s messed up. There’s something wrong with people like that.
I believe it. The clerk probably assumed the money was fake and her credit cards were stolen. It couldn’t possibly be that Zendaya had the cash and the credit to pay for her stuff.
It sounds made up. Why would the clerk have her wallet at all? But I am sure there is store footage that will be checked and will come out somehow for all to see
Why would she lie?
Because the clerk probably asked for ID as soon as she tried to buy gift cards. People hand their whole wallets over when the ID is lodged inside a picture window; if you’ve never seen it, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.
I posted this below, but every word of this interaction rings true for me… because of my own experiences as a cashier. I worked in a predominantly white area at an upscale store, and I was trained to see black women buying gift cards as a red flag. But even if I had no previous experiences that made the story “believable” to me, I would never jump to discredit a young black woman’s experience with racism. I would listen.
“But even if I had no previous experiences that made the story “believable” to me, I would never jump to discredit a young black woman’s experience with racism. I would listen. ”
THANK YOU. I keep reading some of these comments and all I can think is “you don’t live this EVERY DAY like people of color do…what you see as a clerk ‘doing her job’ is seen, clearly, as not-so-subtle racism by folks who live it.”
I am a middle-class white girl who grew up in an ivy league town and worked retail in that town. anytime (and I do mean EVERY TIME) a person of color came into the store, a salesperson was assigned to follow that person around the store. it pissed me off to no end and the breaking point was when two kids from the pool where I guarded every summer came in to say hello. well behaved, good kids. but also young black males. I chatted with them and then walked away, but was told by my manager not to leave them unattended. I asked why, and was given the “code” that the managers had for “black person in store”. THEY HAD A FREAKING CODE WORD. I quit not long after that.
Doofus: Sadly the code word thing is not that uncommon.
@doofus Back during college I worked at a Wherehouse music store and experienced the same thing. Any time a black kid came in to the store to shop our rap music section, our (white) store manager would instruct us to “babysit” him until he left the store. She never did this with white kids coming in to shop – whether for rock, rap, whatever, so draw your own conclusions.
Sorry, this smells..a supermarket cashier just scans..you swipe your card to pay. A ‘clerk’ in a grocery? A cashier who takes your wallet? The only reason a cashier would ever deny a purchase is if your card was denied.
She may have been at customer service.
@boredblond
Not all the time and when the credit card machine is not working the cashier take your card and ships it on thier end, it happens all the time.
Absolutely not true. A cashier (in Georgia) will always deny a large purchase of gift cards and call a supervisor. Seen people fired over it.
So there’s a policy about selling gift cards. Okay. The non asshat way to handle that is to say, “As a store policy we only sell gift cards as cash purchases. If you need to, there is an ATM right over there. I will hold onto these cards if you’d like to go make a withdrawal, and ring you up when you’re ready.” Make the policy clear, but also make it clear you’re willing to sell the cards. It sounds like the clerk didn’t even want to bother with any of that because she assumed, based on Zendaya’s skin color, that Zendaya couldn’t afford that much in gift cards and-or was running a scam.
I am white and I was shown the ‘inexpensive’ jewelry when I stopped into a high end store looking to buy earrings by an Asian salesperson. She said, “You might be interested in the earrings over here, they’re much cheaper,” with very clear indication. Does this make me a victim of racism? Bc I don’t see how it’s any different than any of these other stories.
You genuinely don’t see how it’s different? Being made to feel inferior is so painful, and I’m sorry that happened to you and hurt you. But please try to remember that this isn’t the first, second, hundredth, or last time Zendaya (or ANY person of color) has been treated like crap because of their skin.
Please also try to remember that you are white, and racism means race prejudice + POWER. In the US, that power has historically always belonged to white citizens. You experienced prejudice and judgment, not racism.
@Lyka As a Hispanic male myself, while I agree with most of what you said, I have to disagree that being guilty of racism is exclusively a white thing. I’ve seen racism amongst other Hispanics directed toward whites and other people of color and it’s just as unacceptable.
I get what you’re saying in that historically, white citizens have had more power in society than any other group, but what you’re referring to is institutionalized racism (racism + power). I only seek to clarify because I think it’s important to acknowledge that regardless of skin tone, anyone can be guilty of racism.
Eh racism in the US is not defined any differently than racism. It means “a race thinking they are superior to other races.” No where does it single out white people or say “based on power.” It’s a simple “a race thinking their best.” I agree racism still exists but let’s not go changing definitions. A cow isn’t a cat. A tree isn’t a rock. A definition of a word in the dictionary though IS the definition of said word.
Also, I wonder if this is not a case of racism but jealousy. I know if Zendaya walked into a store I was working at and purchase those cards I would go all Selena Gomez crying through smile face. I’d be nice of course but I would be like “I’m a pine cone that can’t afford a cheeseburger and here is Zendaya who is freaking gorgeous and perfect.”
Some people are really nasty when they’re jealous and Zendaya is the type of person who would make a lot of people jealous.
Racism means race prejudice. Period. You don’t have to have power over someone to be racist against them.
There’s this point where race and class intersect often. You experienced the class part.
I think she got treated like crap. I’ve seen it far to often. I went into a store once with my friend Dawn, a successful surgeon who happens to be black, and I was treated like a Queen while Dawn was largely ignored. And we were in there because she wanted to replace her favorite bag with a new one. I can’t even begin to imagine how it felt to have it HAPPEN to you when I was uncomfortable just watching it. And have it happen over and over again. To be marginalized because you have a different skin color.
Strange how many people assume she lying… If you were going to make up a story about a racist interaction would you really choose something that reminds people how much more money you have…and it’s just gift cards?
When I was a supermarket cashier 10 years ago, we were explicitly taught to profile black women who tried to buy gift cards with checks or credit cards. Literally… if they “fit the profile”, we were supposed to call a manager over to verify their ID. Same with big purchases like steak or lobster.
The excuse was that (two specific) black women were caught doing this with fake checks or stolen cards at multiple stores. My question: what about all the white women they didn’t catch because cashiers weren’t even checking their IDs?! I just checked everyone’s ID for checks or credit, regardless of race or what they were purchasing. Confirmation bias is real, people.
In my first retail job, I was told to follow black people who came into the store, and I’m black.(awkward-I never did it) I laughed all the way home, when the police actually caught the people who were shoplifting, it was two white men who dressed in suits because they were aware that the stores in the mall chose to follow black people and would ignore them. This stuff happens people.
I was never told to profile anyone, I checked all ID’s, never cared about anyone’s color of their skin because there are tons of theft rings. It pisses me off some management does this! Douchebags.
According to my friend who is a security guard, most people who try to buy gift cards with stolen credit cards, or who shoplift are young (late teens to early 30s) white women. He also said a lot of it is done to pay for drugs.
Shame on all of yall who doubt Zendaya’s experience… SMH
We, as POCs experience this daily, especially at the “fancy” shops..
Really? You experience your wallet being thrown/tossed at you by the cashier? Why does the cashier have your wallet?
I think Gugu meant the overall “I don’t think you have the money for this expensive item” treatment.
$400 in gift cards doesn’t seem that much to me.
I wish I was you
You missed my point… if you were supposedly scamming, why would you stop at $400???
I was wondering what store this was?? I just assumed a store frequented by the wealthy.
The point is policies. Vons is a grocery store.
I remember there was this one store I used to go to a lot as a teen. Never had anyone bother me until one time I was with one of my friends who happened to be black. They had a worker follow us the whole time ! Disgusting.
Retail workers judging you on your skin colour is the worst. I have had some whites try and tell me that I needed to pay before hand for 3 bags that I bought when a woman in front bought around the same number of bags and they had no mess with her.
How do we know she didn’t get snotty with the cashier? She may have been angry that she couldn’t buy the amount she wanted and developed an attitude. The cashier may have been giving back what she got. I’ve seen plenty of people treat cashiers like crap when they are just following store policy. When it comes to wealthy costumer vs cashier the cashier is usually on the loosing end.
Oh the wealthy customers, they’d always give them to me because they were so mean and I’d just smile until I got one out of them.
and how do we know that the cashier didn’t “alter” the store policy because she was dealing with a young person of color?
we don’t.
but I, for one, will LISTEN and not DOUBT when people relate stories of racism like this.
I have also seen cashiers treated like crap in situations like you describe. and if it played out as you suggest, then what the cashier SHOULD have done is called her manager and said that he/she would explain the store policy and why it was in place. not “give back what she got”.
Although I’m also a woman of color, I identify first as working class (no longer but raised as) I am very slow to give the wealthy the benefit of the doubt. My take is an entitled child who didn’t what she thought she deserved so she got angry. Why was she ultimately allowed to buy the cards? Why did the store alter its policy? Because the rich and famous think they deserve special treatment. I could be wrong but after seeing Von’s statement that’s my opinion.
“I am very slow to give the wealthy the benefit of the doubt.”
then that is YOUR bias. certainly not as bad as institutional racism, but it IS a bias. you’re making judgements about one person, based solely on what you think of rich people as a group, not on what that ONE PERSON is like.
“Because the rich and famous think they deserve special treatment.”
some do, sure…but a lot don’t. and this young woman has NEVER given off that vibe. she’s not a Lohan/Kardashian type. she works hard and is a class act.
and you’re referring to the Vons statement that didn’t deny the clerk was rude, and didn’t deny that Zendaya was a victim of racism? yeah, cleared that right up. SMH…
No doubt racism is a very real thing. But at the same time I find the story somewhat fishy. At one point she says the clerk actually said “you can’t afford these” and then later says she was given a “look” that said “you can’t afford these”. Well, which one was it? Was that actually said?
Who knows for sure.
I think its probably true. She’s young and black and pretty. So i think some profiling took place.
I hesitate to weigh in here, lest I be seen as racist, but could some of this have been a result of her youthful appearance? Some teen coming in to buy a large amount of gift cards may be seen as someone without the money and may be more than likely to do stupid things, like steal.
I know I’ve been a teenager and could feel the dismissal of people at some stores. I also remember hearing the stupid things friends of mine had done as teens that made me shake my head.
I am not discounting that she experienced racism, but perhaps it was a double whammy- skin colour + teen?
Why are you so quick to discredit others, but Zendaya’s word is gospel? What reason would the clerk have for having Zendaya’s wallet, unless she shoved it at her herself? Which, don’t you think, might account for said “rudeness” from the clerk, who did tell her that Kroger has limitations and rules on their gift card purchases via credit card?
Did you not read the comments. She may have handed her wallet over so the cashier could match her credit card to her license.
My question to you is why are you so quick to discredit Zendaya? and take a silent voice as gospel.
Because I have never seen someone hand their entire wallet to a cashier, hold it up yes. Hand it over, no. I’m actually bummed about this story because I think that Zendaya is amazing, and such a great role model for young girls, POC and has spoken very eloquently on instances where there was actual legitimacy. This story sounds false for a number of reasons. It seems to me more likely that she got attitude with the cashier about being denied/questioned/whatever and decided to flaunt who she was or what she can afford than anything else, and this story and her attitude in the video hurt her credibility imo.
Because Zendaya. She can do no wrong.
I’m glad she called them out and I hope someone follows up with the store because I’d LOVE to hear their spin on this. I am curious as to why the cashier had her wallet in hand tho. My fiance’s wallet has a holder for his ID but he’s always asked to remove it if it needs to be checked and not just at liquor stores where it needs to be scanned. You should never just hand over your wallet to someone.
THIS! Always ask them to take it out!
Not all store have the scans equipment or it’s not working much like the chip debit/credit card machines.
Huh this is so interesting, in a sad way. I was unaware of all these rules tied to buying gift cards but then I doubt I’ve spent more than 50 dollara on one.
My dad bought my mom a 1000 gift card from Anthropologie last Christmas. He is white and has a French accent. I wasn’t there when it happened so I dunno if he had to show ID or whatever but he successfully purchased the gift card.
It’s always something with her isn’t it?
yeah, how dare she be black, experience racism, and talk openly about it.
Imagine how exhausting it must be to *live* these experiences every day, instead of just hearing about them and rolling your eyes…
Yep yep
I am a Manager for a department store and we have a policy limiting gift card purchase to $200. It is because of stolen credit cards. For people asking about checking for id, that doesn’t solve the problem. A lot of people do not sign the back of their cards which allows the thief to sign them, therefore the signatures would match. They can also just skim the information off your card by just walking by you if you wallet isn’t RFID protected. There is a little skimmer box that can be hidden in a purse or pocket that pulls the information off your card in your purse through the air. They then attach this onto a blank card which they can use while the card is in your possession.
Our registers will not even process a gift card purchase of that amount it would decline it right away.
These policies are to protect both the business and the consumer.
She did specify at the beginning of the video that she understands the limitations of buying gift cards so…..I believe her. I go through the same bs with age profiling. I’m 32, but often get mistaken for being 16. Sounds nice…but one grows tired of being looked at and treated like a teenager. Because I’m a ” teenager ” I must be a shoplifter, so I get watched like hawk in any store I’m browsing. I’ve never shoplifted in my 32 years of life.
It sucks 🙁
Coming to this late – but a few years ago my wallet was stolen and the first thing the thief did was go to the grocery and buy $500 worth of gift cards. They used self checkout and off they went. The bank reimbursed me/ More recently, my debit card number got caught up in a computer hacking scam of a major chain store, and I was immediately alerted when the thief tried to use the number to purchase multiple gift cards.
Not sure the exact circumstances with Zendaya (didn’t watch videos) but apparently there are certain rules at some retail chains that require IDs for gift card purchases – and also that the banking institution be alerted – likely because of what I mentioned above.
I don’t believe her. Who hands their entire wallet over to the cashier to pay for anything??? did she expect the cashier to go rummaging through her wallet and pick out a credit card to use or something? I used to work in retail and if someone gave me their wallet to pay for something I would have given them a strange look too, no matter what color skin they had. This doesn’t add up. She’s always stirring up drama to get attention.
I have never handed my wallet over when trying to pay for anything. If I go to the grocery store, gas station restaurant or a high end retail store and they ask for payment I will either hand them the cash or the card I am using to pay. I would never give a stranger my entire wallet and expect them to retrieve the payment amount. This is where I call BS on her story. If she had said she threw the card back at me it would be believable but I do not for an instant believe she handed her wallet to the cashier.
I have also worked in retail. If any customer handed me their wallet or purse I would toss it back like it was a hot potato. I don’t want anyone claiming I took or touched something I wasn’t supposed to.