Due to multiple unexpected medical co-pays I found myself in need of pawning my jewelry. While Gendron's gave me a fair loan price on my jewelry, the man who initially assessed my jewelry pressed to give me more than I'd asked for, which I'd have had trouble re-paying. I got the sense that was the objective but was in no position to tell him what I thought, so I pawned it, but for far less than he wanted to give me. I only took what I needed.
I paid FAITHFULLY by mail for eight months, with a postage-paid SASE included so they could mail me my receipts & monthly pawn renewal certificate. I was never late with a payment nor did I miss any payments. Ever.
After eight months of paying regularly I got a phone call from one of the older Gendrons', who in a very nasty & aggressive tone threatened to SELL my jewelry if I didn't pay him immediately TWICE what I actually always paid. I insisted I had indeed already paid and had the money order receipt to prove it. He INSISTED "they'd not received the payment", still demanded that I pay him double what I owed, with explanation that the extra fee was for the upcoming payment not yet due. I was struggling to keep my calm because this man had MY diamond necklace in his safe and could dispose of it if he could maneuver me successfully. I told him I needed a few days to trace the money order but I absolutely would get back to him, reminding him again I had the money order receipt & pawn renewal certificate for that month.
I went that day to my Post Office and filled out a form & had to pay a fee to the Post Office to get a tracer put on the money order I'd sent Gendrons', to prove who cashed it plus the date it was cashed. It took about a week to get back to me; needless to say, Gendron's had cashed my money order on the 16th of the month; the payment had been mailed to them on the 13th; was due by the 20th of each month.
I even had their bank/bank account number on the cashed receipt as proof along with Gendron's signature.
I called them immediately to say I had proof of their depositing my money order on time, before the payment was due, that I had neither missed any payment nor been late. The Gendron I talked to was the same one who'd been so pushy and nasty on the phone that first call from them. He said to me, after I told him I had a photocopy of the money order that I could fax them, which proved both the date & amount of my payment, he told me" Don't piss me off, okay?!" as if I had done something wrong or offensive in trying to advocate for my consumer rights and protect my jewelry from being usurped by this man. From the beginning I felt this was the plan and I worried about it but still made my payments.
I went to the shop with my document from the post office of his signature/deposit date/bank account. I got NO apology of any kind for the way I'd been treated & spoken to, never mind the way he'd threatened to take my necklace & double charge me. Not a syllable of "I made a mistake, sorry", nothing.
I got my jewelry out, thank God. I would NEVER GO BACK THERE no matter how bad things got. I got the sense that they are accustomed to bullying/talking down to people who find themselves on the short end of life and come in with their valuables to get the cash needed for emergencies or a rough patch. It's hard enough to be in that situation in the first place, but to be treated that way is unconscionable and the exact opposite of what one needs when electing to pawn valuables. Not trustworthy, not even a little bit. read more
