Lotto Station - Rude and Embarrassing

<p>On Sa****ay 25 June at 09h45 in the morning I went to check a Lotto Ticket at the Lotto Counter in Kloof Street. Before moving to town, I usually shoped at your Sandown Store where, after checking my Lotto Tickets they have always been returned to me. I have never asked for them; it has always been how they do it. I have always assumed this is how you know that your ticket is not being ****** and used by an attendant - since the machines do not show you what you might have won.</p> <p>That is why I found it very odd when the lady this morning did not show me my ticket, and put it aside after giving me R5 winnings. I asked for the ticket back. She immediately got defensive and wanted to know why I wanted it back. I relayed to her that at the Sandown I have always received it back. She started raising her voice and signaled a security guard over. This was a very strange action, but I remained calm and she told me that I cannot take the ticket, but have to leave it with her. She insisted that she needed the ticket for her till. Because I have never encountered this before I questioned it and asked how I then know that my ticket does not get reused for a winning claim.</p> <p>The next moment, she started screaming at me that I am breaking the law in front of several other customers. Now please know that by now I have not once been rude towards her, screamed or treated her ill in ANY MANNER since I have always believed in treating cashiers with the same respect I would want to be treated. At this point I did lose my temper and I tore the ticket to ensure that it will not be valid anymore. She screamed even louder at me telling me that it has already been validated and again that I am breaking the law.</p> <p>Never in my life have I EVER been so embarrassed in public, accused of breaking the law and put into such a belittled position, especially by a retail attendant.</p> <p>Now I play the Lotto only about once every 6 months and I cannot say what the proper protocol and procedures are. Maybe she was doing it right. Maybe she was hiding something…I don’t actually know and would not like to make such an accusation an without proof.</p> <p>But… 1) Her actions were very questionable and suspicious and 2) I sincerely hope that this is not the kind of service that I can be expecting from Checkers Kloof Street since it is the only Checkers close to me and I might have to consider rather using the Garden Centre Pick n Pay…</p>