ComplaintsforWINNERS Circle Convenience Store

• Initial Complaint

  12/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The business exercises discriminatory actions by refusing services to consumers that elect to use their State funded benefits to make purchases. I understand a business is not legally required to accept Snap benefits. These state and federal benefits are also called "food stamps". The female owner of the business has verbally expressed personal reasons as to why She started to refuse the local citizens goods and services. She directly stated "I hate those kind of people" and "I hate low life people in my store". Numerous citizens of the local community have been banned from the store solely on the basis of deciding to use Snap benefits as thier form of payment. She, The female owner, is making this blatant claims based of of her hate, racism, and antisemitism. The Convenience Store accepted the Snap benefits for years until the new owners purchased the company.

  Business response

  01/09/2023

  Dear customer, there is a procedure to be allowed to offer food stamps. Our store is currently for sale and closed as of 12/24/22 pending a sale. Based on the state's approval we did not qualify earlier in the year. The only customers that have been banned have been due to theft, inappropriate behavior, or events that have broken the law or caused a disturbance. I view nothing wrong with **** or other state issued benefits. I am certainly not a racist or discriminate based on someone's color or religious beliefs as I have many cultures in my own family. **********, I do apologize but there is not a requirement for any business that offers **** to continue doing so if they do not wish. When we took ownership of the store 6 years ago, we were in fact the first owners to be approved and have **** accepted. I can assure you those "statements" that you have provided were never said and certainly weren't said to you. You were asked not to return to the store after you made inappropriate statements and thought that you could dictate how the store in which you do not own should be run. This caused a disturbance in the store and due to the fact that there are other customers, I reserved my right to refuse service. There are plenty of surrounding businesses for you to visit, however as previously stated the store is closed. If you would like more information you can visit the **** website to learn more about what is required for a store to be approved and what it entails. They also do yearly surveyed visits and if you don't have the approved allotment and variety of certain foods, you will no longer be an approved store. To the BBB, I would appreciate your removal of this complaint as it is highly unjustified and unprofessional. As I stated due to circumstances that have nothing to do with this particular customer or others in the community, we no longer accepted **** benefits and did not wish to reapply because we are selling the establishment.

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