Business & Tech

Clarkson Road Kmart Gets $8K Mystery Payoffs

"Layaway angels" have made anonymous payments for others.

In a nationwide trend, mystery 'Layaway angels' have paid off the accounts for others worth thousands of dollars at nearby Kmart, Manchester and Clarkson roads.

Anonymous do-gooders have spent almost $8,000 on holiday presents on layaway this December, according to management.

"They've made some families very happy," store manager Fred Camp said. "They've done everything from break down and cry, to just say, 'thank you.'"

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Layaway is an installment payment plan, but the item stays in the store until the last payment is made.

Camp said similar good will happened in previous Decembers, but not so much as this year. When it hit the news in other parts of the country, that's when it started happening here, he said.

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"It's not a very difficult thing to do," Camp said. The 'angels' just walk up to the layaway desk and and ask to pay for someone's presents. Once, it happened right in the line.

Camp said six or seven people have paid off the debts in the Ellisville store in amounts from $100 to $3,000.

Layaway debts have recently been paid off in , , , Massachusetts, , , and other parts of the country.

Walmart brought back layaway this year, but a call to the Manchester store confirmed that no anonymous payments have been made there.


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