Posted on 11/19/2005 8:16:40 PM PST by raccoonradio
(CBS4) METHUEN-- A Lawrence man has been banned from all Home Depots for one year after accidentally walking out of the store with a sharpened pencil he used to write down some notes after buying over $100 worth of lumber.
Michael Panorelli, 51, was with the owner of Salas Auto Repair, George Salas, when the incident occurred. The Eagle-Tribune is reporting that Panorelli and Salas were heading to the parking lot of the Methuen Home Depot when the store’s security guard stopped the two men.
Apparently Panorelli put the pencil he used to take notes into his pocket and forgot about it.
The guard brought Panorelli into a back room in the store where he was given a statement accusing him of trying to take merchandise out of the store without paying for it. He was also informed that civil charges may be brought up against him.
Salas, who accompanied Panorelli into the store was not banned because he did not have the pencil.
Great publicity for the Home Depot chain, guys. The TV report (Ch. 4 Boston) said that Home Depot refused to talk to them about the issue.
I bet HD regional has that dufus manager mixing paint by Monday.
More from the Lawrence Eagle Tribune:
METHUEN — A local handyman said he was banned from The Home Depots across the country for accidentally walking off with a used 41-cent pencil in his pocket.
Store officials won't comment but Michael E. Panorelli, 51, of Lawrence said he was in the Methuen home improvement store Thursday buying some lumber with George Salas, owner of Salas Auto Repair on Lawrence Street in Methuen. Panorelli asked Salas for a pencil to write down some figures.
Salas grabbed the sharpened pencil from a cash register and while the two started loading up $117 worth of lumber, Panorelli says he slipped the pencil into his pocket and forgot all about it.
As the two made their way to the parking lot, Panorelli and Salas say they were stopped by the store's security. The guards accused Panorelli of stealing the pencil, both men said.
"After we pay for everything ... the guy comes outside and stops us and says that we have to go to the office," Salas said. "The guy made a big commotion about a stupid thing. It's ridiculous."
Whisked into a back room, Panorelli was given a written statement accusing him of "the unlawful act of attempting to remove or removing goods or merchandise from one of our stores without paying for it."
The statement provided to The Eagle-Tribune does not identify the merchandise, but Panorelli says it was the pencil. The notice also states he is "forbidden to enter into any and all premises of The Home Depot for a period of one year."
"It's a stupid used pencil," Panorelli said. "I've got a pretty good reputation. I don't cheat anybody. I don't steal from anybody."
Panorelli was given a second document from the store, stating he will receive a letter from The Home Depot's lawyers and civil charges may be taken out against him. The document was signed by Panorelli, the store's assistant manager Daniel Hollaran, and store security guard Scott Jordan.
Panorelli said he was asked to sign a confession that he stole the pencil and he refused.
"I was pretty upset," Panorelli said. "They want to take me to court for half a pencil."
Hollaran refused to comment. He referred all calls to the store's national public relations office, which did not return several calls. Jordan could not be reached for comment.
Yancey Casey, a spokesman for The Home Depot, said he could not comment on the matter until he spoke with the Methuen store manager. He said he learned of the incident from a reporter's phone call Thursday.
A representative at The Home Depot's law firm — Palmer, Reifler and Associates of Orlando, Fla. — said it has not yet received Panorelli's file, but that its lawyers typically determine a civil penalty within six to eight weeks and send a bill to the accused person. Panorelli will then have 20 days to pay whatever losses or damages are demanded by the store.
Salas was with Panorelli because he had hired the handyman to do some work on some windows on his home. Together they were at the store to buy some lumber to make the repairs.
Salas said he was not banned from the store because he was not in possession of the pencil. He also says it doesn't matter because he will never shop at the store again.
"They treated us like we were shoplifting or something like that," Salas said.
If the manager was the one who took these extreme measures over a pencil, the manager should be reprimanded. This act will probably cost the store more money than the pencil was worth, when a simple, "Excuse me, you took a pencil by mistake." is all that was necessary.
"You can do it. We can help. Just don't take our 41 cent pencils or we'll get medieval on your ass."
One would hope. However, my experiences with this store lead me to believe that this is a futile hope :(
Amazing how stupid some people can get. Home Depot should nip this in the bud and apologize.
>>Panorelli will then have 20 days to pay whatever losses or damages are demanded by the store.
41 cents, plus legal costs. How many lost sales is HD gonna get when people read this story? 41 bleepin' cents, people.
We don't "need" to shop Home Depot any more, do we?
I think I'll let them know why.
All we need is about a dozen folks to go to this Home Depot on Monday, fill a cart with a bunch of stuff, park the cart by Customer Service and say "Could you keep an eye on my cart, I left my pencil in my car?" and then just leave the cart and drive away.
They WILL get the point.
Does Lowes sell pencils with their name on them?
Maybe a couple dozen folks could individually donate one to the front desk...
>>We don't "need" to shop Home Depot any more, do we?
At least not the one in Methuen; not sure if this idiocy is chain-wide.
Hopefully they'll get the point and apologize, drop the
suit, etc.
What's really silly is Home Depot ought to be giving out pencils complementary. All other sorts of businesses give out pens and pencils as a way of advertising. Most of my pens advertise some sort of business, most of which I've never even heard of. Since HD gets a lot of business from contractors who often need to jot down calculations, they should just give pencils out.
Who did the manager think he was, Tony Stewart?
Shop at Lowes BTTT
What I don't understand is how there could be a sharpened pencil for sale, I've often wished to buy such an item, but I've never seen one. Not even in Home Depot.
I'll also add that Ikea supplies little pencils, and note pads, and even tape measures, for their customers to use. The pencils are the same kind you get for free at the racetrack.
Cripes I hate Home Depot.
lol...
Are you telling me that I can finally get a clerk to pay attention to me just by walking out with a 41 cent pencil? And here I thought complaining to the service desk was the answer.
Hey, look at this BC; zero tolerance in the private sector. I wonder if this assistant manager previously worked in "education".
I am in the market for some lumber and was thinking of Home Depot - Not any more. So they have already lost much more than the 41 cents just on the loss of a sale to me.
It especially bothers me because I am absent minded about such things and it could have happened to me.
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