The jewelry chain apologizes for not accepting u.s. service member's puerto rico driver's licenseas valid U.S. ID. Abdiel Gonzalez, a U.S. serviceman, said a salesperson at a Shane Co. store in Roseville, California, refused to accept his Puerto Rican driver's identification when he sought to buy an engagement ringfor his soon-to-be wife.
Jewelry Chain Apologizes For Refusing Puerto Rican Serviceman's Driver's License As Valid ID
Gonzalez claims that when the employee at the jewelrystore refused to accept his license in October, he displayed his military ID to prove that, as a Puerto Rican, he is a U.S. citizen. According to Gonzalez, the staff refused to accept either ID as valid.
Gonzalez sought to finance the ringwith a Shane Co. credit card, therefore Shane Co. requested a driver's license.
Gonzalez told CBS News, "I felt discriminated against and treated like I was a lie".
After CBS News contacted the company about the event, Shane Co. CEO and President Rordan Shane extended his "sincerest apologies" in a letter to Gonzalez. He thanked Gonzalez for his service and presented him with a $1,000 gift certificate as well as a $1,000 donation to his favorite charity. The company told CBS News:
“„We are deeply sorry for his experience and are making every possible effort to ensure that it never happens again. This is not reflective of our brand values and was not done with malicious intent.- CBS News
Shane Co. stated that it conducted an investigation and discovered that the company's staff training needs to be improved.
Gonzalez eventually bought the ring online without using his driver's license. He sent a message to Shane Co. via their Facebook page but never received a response.
According to the corporation, the message was "unfortunately overlooked by our social team and therefore left unaddressed for an unacceptable amount of time."
"We will be taking corrective measures to make sure all direct messages are responded to in a timely fashion," the businessstated.
In a similar recent situation, Hertz apologized last month for refusing to rent a car to a Puerto Rican man who did not have his passport.
Humberto Marchand didn't require his passport because he is a US citizen and possesses his Puerto Rican driver's license, which is valid in the same way as any other driver's license issued in the US.
In April, a Puerto Rican family flying from Los Angeles to the island of Puerto Rico on Spirit Airlines was denied boarding because the parents did not have a U.S. passport for their toddler.
Because Puerto Ricans are US citizens and Puerto Rico is not an international destination, neither the parents nor their child needs one. Spirit Airlines issued an apology.