JC Penney Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

[storewanderer]

I actually made a purchase in a JCP Store today. Rural location, so not many people. Only one person in line where I paid. While waiting, I observed the cashier who aggressively asked the person who paid ahead of me for a Rewards Phone number then got them to sign up for it. When it was finally my turn, she asked for my "phone number for rewards." I said I do not have one. The cashier said "you have to have it to get this item on the sale price." I said to her, "where does it say that on the sale sign?" She actually got out from behind the counter and walked over to the display I got the product from and pointed at the sign. I said "okay, where does it actually say on the sign I need a Rewards phone number for this?" In reading the sign, I noticed now, the sign said "limited time special coupons or rewards do not apply." I said to her "actually it seems to say on this sign rewards do not apply to this promotion." She then called for the manager to ask the manager if the Rewards was required for the sale price. The manager said, "I don't know, scan it, it probably scans at the price the sign says." The cashier did this, of course the item scanned at the posted price, and I paid and left.

What a joke. Pretty sure attempting to demand a phone number is against CA State Law too.

[Alpha8472]

I also was asked to provide a phone number at JCPenney today. I also heard many complaints about rewards coupons not working or that the discounted price requires the customer to go home and do an online rebate. There were 2 cashiers for the entire store and a very long single checkout line that must have been a 40 minute wait. To top it all off, the cashier accused me of putting a clearance sticker on my merchandise. It clearly stated 65% off and the price of $8.99. Then she said someone put the fake sticker on my item. That old polo shirt must have been on the clearance rack for over a year. It was not worth $27.95.

After a 40 minute wait in line, I was not pleased at all.

There was a constant interruption as the cashier had to stop cashiering and check people's bags that set off the theft alarms at the door. It turns out that jewelry items set off the alarms and there is no way to deactivate the security device inside.

[veteran+]

I actually made a purchase in a JCP Store today. Rural location, so not many people. Only one person in line where I paid. While waiting, I observed the cashier who aggressively asked the person who paid ahead of me for a Rewards Phone number then got them to sign up for it. When it was finally my turn, she asked for my "phone number for rewards." I said I do not have one. The cashier said "you have to have it to get this item on the sale price." I said to her, "where does it say that on the sale sign?" She actually got out from behind the counter and walked over to the display I got the product from and pointed at the sign. I said "okay, where does it actually say on the sign I need a Rewards phone number for this?" In reading the sign, I noticed now, the sign said "limited time special coupons or rewards do not apply." I said to her "actually it seems to say on this sign rewards do not apply to this promotion." She then called for the manager to ask the manager if the Rewards was required for the sale price. The manager said, "I don't know, scan it, it probably scans at the price the sign says." The cashier did this, of course the item scanned at the posted price, and I paid and left.

What a joke. Pretty sure attempting to demand a phone number is against CA State Law too.

Wow...................just wow!

I would have been livid!

BTW.............I never give my phone number for anything and I would definitely never give any information in a public setting for all to hear. I mean, seriously?

[veteran+]

I also was asked to provide a phone number at JCPenney today. I also heard many complaints about rewards coupons not working or that the discounted price requires the customer to go home and do an online rebate. There were 2 cashiers for the entire store and a very long single checkout line that must have been a 40 minute wait. To top it all off, the cashier accused me of putting a clearance sticker on my merchandise. It clearly stated 65% off and the price of $8.99. Then she said someone put the fake sticker on my item. That old polo shirt must have been on the clearance rack for over a year. It was not worth $27.95.

After a 40 minute wait in line, I was not pleased at all.

There was a constant interruption as the cashier had to stop cashiering and check people's bags that set off the theft alarms at the door. It turns out that jewelry items set off the alarms and there is no way to deactivate the security device inside.

I would have asked to see the store manager...........handed him the product................and said no thank you and wish him a quicker bankruptcy into oblivion.

That would have taken less than 40 minutes!

[Super S]

Wow.

This sounds like a few years ago when Sears was aggressively pushing the Shop Your Way program. In several instances I threatened to leave after the cashier continued pushing it after saying I wasn't interested. In one case, the cashier continued so I actually did put down my purchase and left.

One thing I do not like about the loyalty programs is how everything is tied to a phone number. Not only does it open the door wide for potential phone scammers calling at random times, it also slows the already clogged lines even more. We are living in a time where people rely heavily on caller ID and many people actually do not even know their own phone number. Seriously. I have observed many times where people ask for a phone number, and a person has to fumble with their phone to display the number because they do not know it. This is a huge factor in why I hate loyalty/card programs. JCPenney is already bad enough with slow checkouts, often clogged up with people making returns and order pickups because they do not have dedicated areas for this.

[TW-Upstate NY]

This sounds like a few years ago when Sears was aggressively pushing the Shop Your Way program.

And that's worked out very well for them hasn't it I totally depend on caller ID for my home phone (guess I'm one of the few people left with a landline and my cell is a flip phone so that qualifies me to officially be a member of the stone age I guess) and if I don't recognize the name or the number, I do not pick it up. And never mind phone numbers, I once forgot my card at home for an unnamed local store and this particular store doesn't ask for phone numbers. Instead, they want to see your drivers license. I never gave too much thought to it but this discussion (and others like it on this board) have made me draw the conclusion that all of this info. collection is just a little too intrusive to suit me. I think we as consumers have to ask ourselves is it really worth it to save a few bucks on an item that we're probably only buying because we perceive it as a good deal if we have to give up something all of us should perceive as our greatest possession-our privacy?

[storewanderer]

Wow...................just wow!

I would have been livid!

BTW.............I never give my phone number for anything and I would definitely never give any information in a public setting for all to hear. I mean, seriously?

Oh, I was not thrilled. I also learned the escalated email contacts at Elloitt.org for JC Penney do not work. This is a chain that, through multiple upper management teams over the years, truly does not care, and cannot go out of business soon enough. Toxic culture of arrogance and not caring.

While browsing around I also observed them signing some customer up for some kind of extended warranty on something. They were capturing all of the person's info (name, address, phone number) verbally and I overheard the info multiple times as the person was telling it to the clerk then he was repeating it back to her and they went back and forth multiple times to verify the correct information.

[storewanderer]

Wow.

This sounds like a few years ago when Sears was aggressively pushing the Shop Your Way program. In several instances I threatened to leave after the cashier continued pushing it after saying I wasn't interested. In one case, the cashier continued so I actually did put down my purchase and left.

One thing I do not like about the loyalty programs is how everything is tied to a phone number. Not only does it open the door wide for potential phone scammers calling at random times, it also slows the already clogged lines even more. We are living in a time where people rely heavily on caller ID and many people actually do not even know their own phone number. Seriously. I have observed many times where people ask for a phone number, and a person has to fumble with their phone to display the number because they do not know it. This is a huge factor in why I hate loyalty/card programs. JCPenney is already bad enough with slow checkouts, often clogged up with people making returns and order pickups because they do not have dedicated areas for this.

I heard stories of Sears Stores actually refusing to sell appliances to customers if customers would not buy an extended warranty with the appliance. I never had them push that hard for the Shop Your Way program though.

At least in the case of Sears, when you entered your phone number you typed it into the pinpad. So you did not have to verbally announce it to the cashier like at JC Penney.

[reymann]

with stay at home orders potentially returning before the holidays it could be the dagger for j.c. penney if non-essential retailers are ordered only offer curbside pickup/delivery.

[veteran+]

This sounds like a few years ago when Sears was aggressively pushing the Shop Your Way program.

And that's worked out very well for them hasn't it I totally depend on caller ID for my home phone (guess I'm one of the few people left with a landline and my cell is a flip phone so that qualifies me to officially be a member of the stone age I guess) and if I don't recognize the name or the number, I do not pick it up. And never mind phone numbers, I once forgot my card at home for an unnamed local store and this particular store doesn't ask for phone numbers. Instead, they want to see your drivers license. I never gave too much thought to it but this discussion (and others like it on this board) have made me draw the conclusion that all of this info. collection is just a little too intrusive to suit me. I think we as consumers have to ask ourselves is it really worth it to save a few bucks on an item that we're probably only buying because we perceive it as a good deal if we have to give up something all of us should perceive as our greatest possession-our privacy?

I gave up my landline last year when I moved back to Los Angeles!

I regret it terribly !!!!