A woman went viral on TikTok after revealing how failing to pay for an Ashley Furniture couch led to her unexpected arrest and a felony charge that haunted her for years.
TikTok user @shaybay_0 shares her cautionary tale in a video posted on Aug. 18. It has since amassed over 540,000 views. The video, captioned "POV: I went to jail for not paying on my furniture from Ashley furniture," details the unexpected brush with the law that turned her life upside down.
"I don't know who need to hear this, but get them folks back they [expletive] furniture," she warns at the start of her video. She goes on to recount how failing to pay for an $1,800 sectional from Ashley Furniture resulted in a felony charge and a three-day jail stint.
But, for @shaybay_0, consequences went far beyond a few days in jail. She reveals that for the next seven years, her felony record prevented her from securing stable housing or employment. “Can't get an apartment in my name. Can't get no good job. Couldn't even drive for Uber,” she says in the video.
@yappingwithquinn Please dont be like me!
♬ original sound - yappingwithquinn
While admitting her mistakes, the TikToker questions the severity of the punishment. "It just seems so wrong," she states, before pointing out she had no prior record.
"I just do not want nobody else to experience what I experienced because that [expletive] was crazy," she concludes.
In the comments section, viewers questioned how something as mundane as failing to pay for a couch could lead to prison time.
“Jail???!!! I thought they would have just put it on your credit report” one commenter pointed out.
Another wrote, “Wait if they sued you then why jail and just not garnish your wages or something?”
Why was it a felony?
As it turns out, the TikToker ended up with a felony charge due to Georgia’s theft by conversion laws, which she references in her follow-up TikTok.
According to Peachstate Lawyer, a Georgia-based law firm, "theft by conversion occurs when a person lawfully obtains another individual's funds or property and then unlawfully converts such property to his/her own use."
In the TikToker's case, this law likely came into play because she initially acquired the couch legally by making a down payment. However, her failure to complete the payments or return the couch to Ashley Furniture is what led her into trouble.
What's more, the severity of the charge—a felony rather than a misdemeanor—appears to come from the value of the property involved. Peachstate Lawyer explains:
"In Georgia, funds or property valued at less than $500 are generally charged as misdemeanors. Alternatively, if the property in question is valued at a price greater than $500, the prosecution may file felony charges against the accused."
To avoid similar situations, keep open lines of communication with the retailer if you're unable to make timely payments. Furthermore, make sure you're aware of local laws and potential consequences for nonpayment.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @shaybay_0 via TikTok comment and to Ashley Furniture via email.
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