Legal Question in Business Law in Virginia

If a customer stole a pricy product from our store, but we have no recorded proof, it that enough to refuse our services to him.
I was the only sales person working in this store. Towards the evening it started to get very busy. At one point i was helping three people, two of them purchased items, and the third person did not want to be helped and ended up leaving the store. After i locked up, i went to the case to check if anything was missing and one item was gone. A couple weeks later, this customer comes into the store wearing the item that went missing that day. he frequently comes into our store but never buys anything. Do i have a right to tell him that unless he can show me a receipt for that item from another store that he is not welcome in our store again. I know that you are allowed to refuse service to anyone as long as it isn't considered discriminating. But what if he says you have no proof that the frame went missing the day i was there and says i am discriminating him because of his race?

Asked on 6/30/11, 12:02 pm

Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

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No, your refusal to serve this probable thief (irrespective of his color)

should not prove problematical (legally speaking) as based on the facts

you've outlined, you have credible and compelling reasons to refuse him services

at your store which have nothing to do with skin color.

Answered on 6/30/11, 5:11 pm

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