A Milwaukee man said he was racially profiled while trying to return blinds at The Home Depot in Wau

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A Milwaukee man said he was racially profiled while trying to return blinds at The Home Depot in Wauwatosa

Karen Pilarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Published 2:18 p.m. CT July 29, 2019 | Updated 3:33 p.m. CT July 29, 2019


A Milwaukee man said he was a victim of racial profiling after he tried to return blinds at the Wauwatosa Home Depot.

After buying blinds for his house, Terrance Westmoreland noticed they were a different shade than he had wanted, so he headed back to The Home Depot, 4100 N. 124th St., on July 24 to exchange them.

Westmoreland, who is black, put the boxes in a cart and walked through the store to the blinds section.

With his receipt in his hand, he compared the blinds to find the right shade. Westmoreland then walked to the customer service desk, where he tried to return two boxes and purchase three others.

More:
https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2019/07/29/milwaukee-man-says-he-racially-profiled-wauwatosa-home-depot/1855420001/

Read more: https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/wauwatosa/2019/07/29/milwaukee-man-says-he-racially-profiled-wauwatosa-home-depot/1855420001/

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Black businessman banned from Home Depot after he tried to return some blinds
Published 1 hour ago on July 29, 2019
By Bob Brigham


Home Depot is being criticized for “racial discrimination” by a black man in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

“A Milwaukee man said he was a victim of racial profiling after he tried to return blinds at the Wauwatosa Home Depot,” the Journal Sentinel reports. “With his receipt in his hand, he compared the blinds to find the right shade. Westmoreland then walked to the customer service desk, where he tried to return two boxes and purchase three others.”

However, Terrance Westmoreland, who is black, was stopped by a white security guard named Ricky.

“Before I could even finish, this Caucasian security guard kind of grabbed my arm,” he said. “He said I didn’t come into the store with any boxes.”

More:
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/07/black-businessman-banned-from-home-depot-after-he-tried-to-return-some-blinds/?utm_source=push_notifications

[KT2000]

1. they should have video

of him entering the store. They better check it out before accusing him of anything.

[Wuddles440]

2. Obviously...

he was being profiled, but this incident could have been easily avoided if the would have gone to the Customer Service station first. Although i try to avoid the wingy Home Depot as much as possible, their Customer Service areas are always at the front of the store when you enter.

[Talitha]

4. You beat me to it, lol....

I need to type faster.

[FakeNoose]

12. Yes, but not everybody knows how to return stuff properly

I made a similar error about 10 years ago. But I'm a white lady so I got the benefit of the doubt, and lots of friendly customer service. This guy was treated with unnecessary rudeness.

[Talitha]

3. Why didn't he stop at Customer Service when first entering the store?

It's always a good idea to 'check in' if you enter a store with merchandise.

[oldsoftie]

5. I always do it, unless i'm bringing in a used can of paint, which is obvious.

But theres a right and wrong way to question someone too

[snort]

6. Perhaps he felt that he would be recognized and had no need to worry.

It looks like he has dropped nearly a quarter million at HD since the beginning of the year.

[iluvtennis]

7. The guy had a receipt. In these high tech times, how difficult could it be to validate his receipt.

Last edited Tue Jul 30, 2019, 12:41 AM - Edit history (1)

I give Home Depot an F on this one.

p.s. I like some of you would have stopped at Customer Service desk first, but everyone has a different way of doing things.

[forgotmylogin]

9. I've worked for the Orange Menace.

(Not Trump, obvs.)

He obviously was profiled, and he should have gone to CS first (they put a sticker on merchandise carried into the store), but my question is did he have the blinds trimmed to size? If they were cut to order, he's was never getting a refund, racism aside. They won't return, refund or exchange custom-cut materials. If they were stock-size blinds they carried and can re-shelve, it's no problem. The fact he was harassed and accused of not entering the store with the blinds IS a problem and I'm so glad I'm not in any position to field that anymore.

I could tell you all the stories of people trying to return pieces of unused scrap lumber, toilet snakes (after using them once) and custom-tinted paint. I had the unfortunate job of refusing a refund to a man who sent his wife to buy paint for their house. She had no concept of volume or coverage (and happened to be pregnant, he felt it necessary to point out) and bought twelve buckets (not twelve cans, twelve five gallon buckets - sixty gallons) of custom paint. The guy was furious that we didn't stop her ("A pregnant woman!!!" ) from buying so much paint.

So glad I don't work for them anymore. As of last weekend, actually.

[iluvtennis]

10. Wow, that's for the insight of working at Home Depot.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

8. Accosting and banning a member of their business-level loyalty program? Genius.

[paleotn]

11. Lowes has a professional program as well.

Some time ago, in a discussion about Walmart's notoriously bad vendor relations, a colleague said Depot was worse. He said they were the most unethical bastards he'd ever dealt with in 30+ years. Seems the company didn't evolve very far from its nefarious founders.