CVS Doesn't Like Kids [Cvs]

Lisa sent us a short angry email about her local CVS, and how it treats local teens. Her local store separates customers into two lines, and the line containing the 18 and under crowd is only allowed into the store two at a time. The store employees say it's to keep down shoplifting. Lisa thinks it's blatant ageism, and she's avoiding the store from now on. Teens can be annoying, but did CVS cross the line in punishing all for the bad actions of a few? Read her letter and leave your comments, inside.

At a local trip to the CVS by Rancho Bernardo High School I was appalled to discover the low regard for customer service. When you walk in there is a line where they segregate teens from adults. They allow the adults to just walk in while teenagers have to wait in a long line where only two can go in at a time. The whole time this lady and a security guard stand there while they sneer at teens. When asked about the policy and they commented that it was to prevent shoplifting and that it was legal because it wasn't excluding customers it was just dividing them by age. To me it seems to be blatant ageism, which I'm appalled at. To think that you can be discriminated against by a factor you can not control angers me deeply. Bad customer service doesn't prevent shoplifting. If anything it encourages it. It's a horrible policy on their part seeing how about 50% of their customers are students. Not just that it's an unfair bias to place on high school students, as if they are the only ones who shoplift. In addition it isn't even an effective means to prevent shoplifting, monitors at door would be a more effective option that doesn't infringe upon customer service. It's unfair for teenagers to be treated as second class citizens. When a student asked an adult, who was more than willing, if she would mind purchasing an item for him the lady at the door said to "please not disturb the customers". As if discriminating against your customers isn't disturbing the customers. The local CVS has lost my business.

It's not completely unheard of for stores to restrict the after school crowd, but it's unreasonable to think that only minors shoplift. Clearly none of these teens are Consumerist readers, or they'd already be outside the store with signs proclaiming "CVS Hates Teens!" Would you shop at this store, or are you grateful for CVS keeping the teen scourge at bay? Let us know, in the comments.

Bank of America Gives 6-Year-Old A Credit Card [Kids Today]

Didn't you hate not having access to credit when you were 6? Today's kids don't have to suffer like you did. Meet Bennett Christiansen of Aurora, IL. He's got a shiny new Bank of America credit card with a $600 limit.

From CBS2 Chicago:

Amy Christiansen said her entire family had been receiving credit card applications addressed to each member of her family, including Bennett, who has since turned 6, and Christiansen's 3-year-old child.

Christiansen said she decided to allow Bennett to fill out a credit card application from Bank of America. He accurately wrote in his birthday in 2002, his annual income of $0, and the fact that he is an "other," that is, neither a homeowner nor a renter. He signed his name in writing that was obviously that of a child, she said.

A short time later, Christiansen said she received a credit card with Bennett's name on it.

Christiansen was left baffled, and troubled by the ease with which the application was apparently accepted.

Yes, Bennett signed up and was approved for a credit card. Bank of America has responded: "We do not knowingly solicit or grant credit to a minor," [a spokesperson] said.

Hey, look at the bright side. Assuming a 24% interest rate and a 2.5% minimum payment, Bankrate's minimum payment calculator says that Bennett can have his $600 paid off by the time he's 19.5! (Yeah, we know, even 6-year-olds know not to just pay the minimum payment... it's still kinda funny.)

Mom Shocked When 6-Year-Old Gets Credit Card [CBS2] (Thanks, Bill!)

This HP Customer Service Rep Thinks He's A Genteel Salesman [Customer Service]

A Consumerist reader called HP to ask whether they could help him with a broken computer. They couldn't, of course, but that didn't stop the CSR from trying to ever-so-politely upsell a brand new HP computer at a low, low price. Thanks for calling HP Total Care for Desktops! What can we do to put you in a new computer today?

Kingston S: Welcome to HP Total Care for Desktops. My name is Kingston. How may I assist you today?

Consumerist Reader: hello my compaq has expanded leaking capacitors

Kingston S: Hi [redacted], how are you doing today?

Consumerist Reader: my compaq has expanded leaking capacitors

Kingston S: I understand your concern. Let us go through the issue and check how best we can resolve it.
Kingston S: In order to understand the issue better, please let me ask you few questions.
Kingston S: May I confirm your email id as: [redacted, but misspelled]?

Consumerist Reader: it's [redacted]

Kingston S: Alright. Please let me know if the operating system in your computer is Windows XP.

Consumerist Reader: it's xp

Kingston S: May I know when this issue started?

Consumerist Reader: it's been intermittent for a while it's gotten progressively worse with the compter hanging or not starting

Kingston S: May I confirm the model number of your computer facing the issue as: Compaq Presario 6010US Desktop PC?

Consumerist Reader: that's correct

Kingston S: [redacted], I am sorry about that but I will not be able to assist you in this regard as it is out of my support boundary. Shall I share my views with you instead?

Consumerist Reader: what?

Kingston S: [redacted], you can contact the Authorized Service Providers and they may be able to do something for this.

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