Lavish tastes of card-carrying lowlifes

 

Gatecrasher

 

Profiteering ghouls have been using debit cards distributed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina - intended to buy essentials for evacuated families - in luxury-goods stores as far away as Atlanta.

 

"We've seen three of the cards," said a senior employee of the Louis Vuitton store at the Lenox Square Mall in affluent Buckhead, who asked not to be named. "Two I'm certain have purchased; one actually asked if she could use it in the store. This has been since Saturday."

 

The distinctive white cards were distributed by the Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency and carry a value of up to $2,000.

 

"It doesn't say anything on the card other than alcohol, tobacco and firearms cannot be purchased with it," the store employee told me. "There's nothing legally that prevents us from taking it, unfortunately. Other than morally, it's wrong."

 

The source told me that the two women who had made purchases with the card each bought a signature monogrammed Louis Vuitton handbag in the $800 range.

 

"They didn't look destitute by any stretch. You would never have said, 'They must be one of the evacuees.' ? The one that I dealt with yesterday was 20. She'll be 21 next month." The source described the reaction of other store-keepers in the mall - which includes luxury brands Ferragamo, Burberry, Judith Leiber and Neiman Marcus - as "outrage."

 

"It doesn't say anywhere on there, but it would have to be a good amount to be shopping in here," the source said with a dark chuckle.

"Oh dear lord, you look like you've been starving! Don't you have any food or water?"

 

-"Someone stole my FEMA debit card."

 

:plain

Always an idiot or two who abuse what they get

wow that riduclas. they feds should take away their cards asap and give it to people who will actually use it for food!

That's absolutely disgusting, you'll always find people who abuse the system for their own personal benefit

I'm not surprised -- happens every time.

I have been to that mall....I didn't know they accepted debit cards.

 

Seriously, if someone in Buckhead has a card....doesn't that ring a few bells in the store employees? Buckhead ain't exactly the lowest place...unless only have two Neiman Marcus locations within 5 minutes is too shabby for you.

Funny how the store employee says it is wrong but accepts it anyway...nothing can get in the way of making a sale.

Oh I didn't even realize it was Lenox. I used to live in ATL.

 

If it was Phipps, there is no way that sh*t would go down...

Funny how the store employee says it is wrong but accepts it anyway...nothing can get in the way of making a sale.

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I wouldn't want to answer to my boss on why I stopped a 600 dollar sale.

 

Abuses like these happen all the time, like the access card and food stamps for example. We give these people the privelege of having us pay for their stuff and they still spend it on more opulent items. These cards for only be the essentials, nothing more.

Funny how the store employee says it is wrong but accepts it anyway...nothing can get in the way of making a sale.

941917[/snapback]

I wouldn't want to answer to my boss on why I stopped a 600 dollar sale.

 

Abuses like these happen all the time, like the access card and food stamps for example. We give these people the privelege of having us pay for their stuff and they still spend it on more opulent items. These cards for only be the essentials, nothing more.

942137[/snapback]

 

If I worked there and I was presented one of those cards I would of at least asked my boss if we accepted them, let your boss make that decision.