A WALMART shopper gave a firm answer to a worker after he was stopped to show his receipt while exiting the store.
Receipt checking has become a common practice among retailers to curb theft, which has cost the industry billions.
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However, shoppers have raised concerns about the measure, saying it makes people feel targeted.
X user @Darron_Mastodon explained that he never shops at Walmart but went to the retailer to make a quick purchase.
“I bought ONE thing and the lady gonna ask me to see my receipt…that s**t irritated the hell outta me,” he wrote.
“I don’t care if that’s normal procedure, you don’t need to see a receipt for ONE item.”
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Another person replied to Darron’s tweet, saying they get upset when asked for a receipt, especially when the workers stare at them as they checkout.
“Right! I know they got eyes on everyone in the self-checkout,” said Darron.
He added that he thought about not giving the worker his receipt but since it was an old lady he “let it go.”
However, other shoppers haven’t been as calm when asked to show their receipts.
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A woman nearly cursed out a Walmart employee after she was asked to show proof of purchase while leaving the store.
“I’m walking outta Walmart carrying in my arms 2 36lb bags of dog food and this greeter gonna ask me for a receipt,” wrote X user @Youandeyeteewhy.
At the time, her hands were full and the simple request left the customer so frustrated that it “took everything in me not to curse her a** out.”
Instead, she stared at the employee for a few seconds and left the store without a word.
“Tf is wrong with these people.”
NO POLICY
Receipt checks at Walmart upset customers as there is no policy on the company’s website that requires it.
At stores such as Costco, BJ’s, and Sam’s Club, customers are required to sign a contract before shopping there.
Legality of receipt checks and detention
In an effort to curtail retail crime, stores are increasingly turning to receipt checks as shoppers exit.
Legally, stores can ask to see a customer’s receipts, and membership-only stores have the right to demand such checks if shoppers agreed to terms and conditions that authorize it.
Many legal professionals have weighed in and come to similar conclusions, caveating that all states do have specific laws.
Generally speaking, stores have Shopkeeper’s Privilege laws that allow them to detain a person until authorities arrive when they have reasonable suspicion that a crime, like theft, has been committed.
Declining to provide a receipt is not a reason in itself for a store to detain a customer, they must have further reason to suspect a shopper of criminal activity.
Due to the recent nature of the receipt checks, there is little concrete law on the legality of the practice, as it takes time for law to catch up with technology.
Setliff Law, P.C. claims that “there is no definitive case law specifically relating to refusal to produce a receipt for purchases.”
For stores that improperly use their Shopkeeper’s Privilege, they could face claims of false imprisonment.
“The primary law that applies to these types of wrongful detention cases is called ‘False Imprisonment’,” explained Hudson Valley local attorney Alex Mainetti.
“Of course, you’re not literally imprisoned, but you’re detained by a person who has no lawful authority to detain you and/or wrongfully detains a customer.”
It is likely that as altercations in stores over receipt checks continue, more court cases will occur giving clearer definitions and boundaries to the legality of receipt checks.
Part of this agreement is that shoppers have to show their receipts as they exit the store.
“It is standard practice at all our warehouse locations to verify purchase receipts when customers exit our buildings,” reads the Costco website.
“It’s our most effective method of maintaining accuracy in inventory control, and it’s also a good way to ensure that our members have been charged properly for their purchases.”
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However, since Walmart doesn’t have a similar policy, many shoppers ignore the request.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Walmart for comment.
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https://www.the-sun.com/news/11885281/walmart-receipt-check-angers-customer-normal-procedure/