Dana Hale was shopping Thursday night with her 24-year-old daughter inside the Louis Vuitton Store inside a Saks Fifth Avenue location in Troy, Michigan.
She bought $6,731 worth of designer bags, a belt, a keychain and Christmas gifts. She put part on her business credit card and paid the rest in cash.
But then, she was accused of fraud. She says it is for one reason.
“They profiled me because I was in sweats. Because I was black that they could just treat people any kind of way,” Hale said.
The clerk told her she could leave her purchases with her and continue shopping. As she was looking at sunglasses, she was approached by Troy Police.
Her daughter Paris rolled video on her cell phone.
“The name’s not matching on the card. The card’s declined. So we’re like okay. Then this is possibly credit card fraud,” the officer is heard saying on video.
“But it didn’t decline though, it went through,” Hale says.
Hale's receipt shows her purchase was approved and it is on her business credit card account.
“It’s really sad and I’m embarrassed," Hale said. "They made me feel belittled. They made me feel harassed. And it was intimidation that you called the police?”
Dana says Saks Fifth Avenue called her this morning and offered to refund all of her money, $6,700 and she can keep the goods. She’s called an attorney.
Meghan Biango, a communications representative from Hudson's Bay Company, the parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue, said they are investigating the matter.
"Our customer shopping experience is of utmost importance," she said.
