What Of Merchants That Will Not Accept Legal US Tender?

This is called shoplifting, and not legal.



This is not true. They can detain you, and call the police and press charges and get you arrested.

If only this were true. I'd get my wallet holding just $100 bills and visit every place that won't take bills larger then $20, and go on a "FREE" shopping spree every day.

Questions are no bother! We are here to learn and I hope you got an answer to your satisfaction.


to the Community!

And even if you are paying a DEBT, if they refuse the legal tender that does NOT cancel the debt, you still owe it, but since you HAVE made a legal offer to pay it they can't add on additional interest and penalties for late payment.

Well dollarcoinman I would say something was accomplished (some education on the question)
Not every one knew this and I am sure. The information was very informative as well. Granted there is a whole lot more to this. That was a well accomplished start.

I was a detective, and my ex is a lawyer; though this is NOT legal advice, nor is it comprehensive.

No, a merchant does not have to take what you offer.BUT there are some differences. For instance, I go to a nice restaurant and shoot the works and the bill comes for $500. I bring out the proverbial wheelbarrel of pennies, and the merchant refuses to accept it. I then walk out and the merchant calls the police. The police stop me before I get in my car....and the merchant is screwed. You see I did not TENDER an OFFER. I OFFERED to pay a debt. The service had already been rendered. As the offer to pay the debt was refused, I am off the hook....criminally( check the law in your local first, this is just a general observation and a case I was actually involved in, 25 years ago). Now the merchant still has the right to come after me in a civil action. However, it can get sticky. In the case I was involved in, the merchant took the person to court, and admitted not taking payment when offered. The judge in this case ( and all judges are different) ruled that an offer had been made and refused and so the debt was annulled. He also made the Merchant pay the court cost. NOW THIS COULD WELL HAVE GONE THE OTHER WAY.

AS for walking out of a store with merchandise if payment is refused, that you can not do. I think this has to do with case law in California where a person was waiting at a counter at a store to pay for some sort of bottled, non-alcholic, drink and the clerk was too busy talking to their "buddy". The customer drank the liquid while waiting to pay, and the clerk kept ignoring them, as I recall, for around 10 minutes. The customer then exited the store at which point the clerk realized that the item had not been paid for. As there was no intent to commit a theft, and as the customer HAD made an attempt to pay and been ignored; the court ruled that there was no crime. This did morph, in the 70s and 80s, into a vague general rule that if they made a good faith attempt to pay and the merchant could have accepted payment but did not, then the intent portion of the statute was not fulfilled. But in all cases a merchant had the right to recover merchandise not paid for.

Now understand that my experiance is in California and well over 25 years ago. Things can and do change. This was not legal advice, just some personal experiance(s).

I wonder if the rejection was because it was a damaged Ike and not a more common denomination with damage.

You should have bought it, not only would I have liked to see it,but I think it might have made a good pocket piece for you.

With regard to @jmkendall 's post, there are also legal cover for the merchant in their posted policies (this was a big deal in NYC when I was growing up due to counterfeit $20s).

If the sign at the register says "No bills over $10" and you try to pay with a $20, you haven't made an offer.

But as he suggested, that's local law.