“legal” tender or a counterfeit 10?

i went to the atm and pulled out 0 in twenties. i used 2 twenties to buy lunch for me and a friend at a national restaurant and get and coins as change. 1 hour later, i went to a regional convenience store/gas station and make a purchase with the bill i got in my change earlier. they use a counterfeit pen and declare my ‘bad’ and ask me where i have been shopping. they keep the 10, ask for my name and address AND i still have to pay for my items.

as i surf for info, i learn a couple of things… these pens are not completely accurate (between 80% and 98%) and can give a false reading… and yet, a merchant can retain the "suspect" bill. if the secret service deems it is not counterfeit, they return it to the MERCHANT… what about the innocent consumer passing LEGAL tender.

it’s not the $$$$… it’s the principle.

i don’t get it… the secret service doesn’t recommend (or even mention) using these pens as a means of identifying bad bills on their web site.
first of all, the secret service site actually instructs merchants who suspect a bill is phoney to confiscate it… so, i couldn’t get it back (part of my frustration)… as a law-abiding citizen who has already called the secret service to get their sunday answering service… i am not worried either… but when a bill is returned to the merchant, who holds them accountable to return it… let alone acknowledge they got it back (sorry, i did not get the serial number)… sounds like the honor system.

i SHOULD have gotten a receipt…. but i was a little rattled… being innocent, i had never researched my rights as potential couterfeit-passer…

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