The smiles to cover the tears... :(
I JUST NEED TO POUR OUT THE FEELS FOR WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT, 12/13/16 --- wherein two of my credit cards were used up for a total of 14K in The Face Shop by the evil group of pickpockets who (for sure) rounded up on me, their innocent, oblivious victim, and stole my long, red wallet from my bag while I was doing my last minute Christmas shopping in crowded National Bookstore in Robinsons Place Mall in Manila.
I instantly learned it was missing and stolen upon check-out from the bookstore, and when instantly at that exact same moment, a text message came from my bank that "I" purchased 14k worth of items from The Face Shop, 2nd floor of Robinsons Place Mall... We were able to block my cards soon, but a large amount was already used up by the crooks to buy items.
We were not able to defend and fight for "justice" to prevail as Robinsons Place Mall itself, and both National Bookstore and The Face Shop didn't have enough CCTVs to monitor certain areas there. I guess there are more blind spots than monitored spots in this mall.
Another thing, apparently National Bookstore's CCTV operator went home already, and no one knew how to view the outlet's activity last night. The mall's security guards came late too to respond, especially when they had to usher/escort us to their office for a statement, and elevators were too darn slow too, and just about everything and everyone else "cooperated" for the criminals to escape smoothly and without notice.
The sales girls and cashier of The Face Shop, however, told us that they would be able to recognize the faces of the pickpockets if they saw them on CCTV. Sadly, no CCTV is available for checking last night. We were asked to return today so we can go to National again (And surely, to tell our story once more. Sa tutoo lang, nakakainis na paulit-uilt ka magkukuwento sa lahat ng personnel na makaharap mo).
Hassle talaga and very distressing. What is also wrong here, is that The Face Shop allowed someone to purchase 14k worth of items from them without checking whether my credit card's specimen signature at the back matched that of my pickpocket's. Only my name, "Anne", was signed, and not my signature. So now we are talking to our banks, requesting to void the sale, and not let us pay.
So what to do when all things don't work according to how they are supposed to be?
We just prayed that God would "take care" of them. :(
I feel very sad mostly for the other cards inside my wallet: SSS. TIN, other government cards, school ID, a few family pictures, driver's license, library card, gasoline cards, discount cards, ATMs, etc... other cards of equal importance...
I'd be needing the help though, of my lawyer friends, to help us make a strong letter addressed to my banks, to reverse the sale because my signature was not properly verified by the merchant, and another letter to The Face Shop, for allowing the sale to go through without verifying my signature.
Any help would be much appreciated.
