Shopping While Black- Wet Seal

Attached below you will find an incident that happend at a local Wet Seal in my area. No one should ever be harrased and made to feel like a theif, when they know they never did a thing wrong. Just a patron comming into a store buying a good. BEWARE....

To Whom It May Concern:

I am sending this email to Wet Seal Inc. to advise of an incident that occurred at one of your local Wet Seal chain stores. This past Friday August 14, 2009 I was a patron at the Wet Seal Store at the xxxxxxx in xxxxxxx, CT xxxxx.

I went in looking for a shirt that I had initially found on your website, so I knew exactly which shirt I wanted to purchase. Thankfully I located the shirt; however the shirt was up on a higher rack that I was unable to reach. I asked one of the sales associates to take a shirt down for me so that I could try it on. The sales associate put her finger up advising me to hold 1 sec because she had to go to the register for a minute. I waited close to 5 minutes. While waiting, I began to browse other clothes.

The sales associate never came back over to assist in taking the shirt off the rack. I found a pole and proceeded to take a shirt down. That�??�?�¢??s when management realized I was taking a shirt down and told me that if I needed any thing else ask one of the associates. I advised that I did ask however the associate never came back to help.

I then proceeded to walk into the fitting room to try on a shirt when I noticed the manager ran into the fitting room to advise one of the associates that I had (4) shirts that I was going to try on. I found that to be somewhat odd for the manager to let the associate know that, when I was also walking to the back to the fitting room. I could have easily told the associate along with her counting the items to verify that I had the correct amount, before entering the fitting room.

I came out of the fitting room and decided to buy the shirt that I originally came in the store to buy.

After I made my purchase I went over to look at a pair of earrings for another possible purchase. As I examined the earrings closer I noticed that the earrings were not something that I was interested in. I then put the earrings back on the hook and started to proceed out the store with my wallet and receipt in my hand.

As I was almost out the door I heard a voice saying �??�?�¢??excuse me I need to check your wallet.�??�?�¢?? I was so shocked and caught off guard, I complied. She then stated she needed to also go through my purse and through my bag. She stated �??�?�¢??my associate said you took a pair of earrings�??�?�¢??.

The manager whose name is Mary never once apologized after making such accusation. She never called upon mall security or the local police when making these accusations. I feel as if I was racially profiled, it was an invasion of privacy, and I am still extremely humiliated. I have also most recently made a written complaint about the company to the local mall management.

No one should ever be made to feel like this, especially when they did not take or steal. I have spent thousands of dollars with your chain store over the years.

At this time I am seeking legal representation in this matter. I am also seeking to receive financial compensation for the hurt, pain and humiliation that I encountered while visiting your store. As you can clearly see, this was a covert form of racial discrimination. I found this situation to be unfair, humiliating, and down right insulting.

I would appreciate if someone from your company could please contact me via email or telephone within the next 30 days.

Unhappy Customer,