Girl Scouts, Bell-Ringers Part Of Raley's Solicitation Ban
WEST SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Girl Scouts and Salvation Army bell ringers won't be in front of Raley's this year after the chain banned all outdoor solicitors from its stores.
Raley's says they've received thousands of complaints from their customers every year about people who couldn't take no for an answer.
"They felt uncomfortable and even sometimes they felt harassed," said spokeswoman Nicole Townsend. "We cannot choose who we allow, or who we prohibit from soliciting outside of our stores, so the fairest approach was to have a no-solicitation policy."
John Cieri is one of those customers upset with solicitors.
"They antagonize people in there," he said. They antagonize bad, and they follow them out in wheelchairs to bum money."
Girl Scout mother Tamra Walton said her little girl is far from harassing customers when she asks people passing by to buy a box of cookies.
"They are doing stuff to learn how to manage their money, raise money," she said. "So for anybody to ban it from in front of the store is just ridiculous.
A spokesperson for the Girl Scouts says the group understands the policy and says it won't hurt their cookie sales.
The ban doesn't include picketers like the ones striking in front of Raley's in November, because it is not considered solicitation.
