SHOPPERS are becoming increasingly tired of big corporation’s anti-theft measures in stores.
One of the biggest complaints from consumers around the nation is Walmart’s receipt-checking policy, which was created in an effort to combat rising theft levels since the pandemic, according to the chain.
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But despite Walmart blaming an increase in shoplifting for messing with their bottom lines, projecting to eat about $132 billion combined in theft losses for this year, according to research by Capital One, their profits have reached record-breaking levels in the same time.
Just this month, Walmart reported a quarterly profit of $5.1 billion.
This is triple the amount of money they made during this same quarter just one year earlier.
But even with record-breaking margins, Walmart retail layoffs spiked by over 3,225% last year – leaving many customers to ring themselves up, if self-checkout is still an option in their area, or have to wait in backed-up lines for long periods, no matter their item count.
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This has created a very uneasy feeling for shoppers throughout the country about the treatment they face while simply trying to buy everyday items.
“Thanks, Walmart for hassling me to show my receipt because you don’t want to pay cashiers,” said one customer, Brian Kester, on X, formerly Twitter.
“Now because your camera didn’t like how I put my corn in a bag, I now have to deal with another worker coming and accusing me of stealing and checking everything in my cart,” his post continued, “get better.”
Others say they feel as if they’re treated like potential criminals, rather than customers.
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Legal experts have said shoppers have the right to refuse receipt checks as they have not contractually agreed to be subject to them upon shopping.
Alex Colangelo, a lawyer and business professor, says no matter what state you’re in, non-membership stores do not have any legal power to stop shoppers who do not comply, The U.S. Sun has previously reported.
Unlike membership clubs like Sam’s Club and Costco, where customers have to agree to receipt checks upon signing up, shoppers are not legally required to show receipts at regular retailers.
“So you are required to show your receipt as you leave Walmart, next time someone asks you in California, show them the law,” wrote one shopper on X.
His posts comes with a screenshot of California law, which states that customers in the state are not legally obligated to comply with receipt checks.
“No, you do not have to show your receipt at Walmart,” attorneys at The Hive Law confirmed.
“Greeters will ask you to see your receipt when you’re leaving,” but the lawyers say what they are really asking for, is “permission to search your cart.”
But that doesn’t mean shoppers can’t get in trouble for refusing to comply.
Although customers may not be required to show their receipts, “you might want to anyway,” says attorney Amy Loftsgordon.
If an employee suspects a customer of stealing, by refusing to show their receipt when asked, the store would then have probable cause to detain that shopper until police arrive, even if they did nothing wrong.
William Montgomery, a Walmart shopper from Denver, Colorado, refused to show his receipt to staff when asked.
He was then detained by the store, and eventually let go.
But Montgomery tried to sue the Walmart for false imprisonment, but ultimately lost the case.
Judge Matthew D. Grove, who presided over the case, ruled that Walmart has shopkeeper’s privilege in this case – a provision in Colorado law that protects stores and their employees from any liability if they had “reasonable grounds” to detain and question any customer they suspected of stealing.
But no matter what potential consequences they may face, some customers simply refuse to comply with the new policy.
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“NO. You can never check my receipt,” wrote Chris Barnett on X.
“After I ring up $250 worth of groceries in self-checkout because none of the cashiers are open, don’t harass me by asking to see my receipt.”
Top 5 receipt checking tips from a lawyer
Camron Dowlatshahi, a Los Angeles attorney, spoke to The U.S. Sun about receipt checks and customer’s rights and options when it came to being asked to show your receipt.
- There has been a lot of debate around the legality of a retailer asking to see your receipt, but if it is within the store, it is completely legal. “There’s seemingly nothing illegal about that. You’re still on the company’s premises and their reason to do it is to prevent thefts,” Dowlatshahi confirms.
- However, if they are chasing you out of the store, that changes things, Dowlatshahi said. “Location matters,” he explained. “If you’re outside of the store you’re in the parking lot and they come and start accusing you of theft and that you have to show your receipt, I think that’s a bit of a different situation because now you’re on your way.”
- While customers are allowed to say no to receipt checks, it may cause issues if you do and the store suspects you of stealing. “You can say no, maybe it creates an unnecessary hassle for yourself because now you may have the police come to your house and follow up,” said Dowlatshahi.
- If you are being barred from leaving a store because you refused a receipt check, you could have a legal case — but the store must have held you for a long time. “Let’s say it’s for hours, that’s certainly false imprisonment, and they didn’t have any impetus for doing so,” Dowlatshahi explained. “If a customer has been emotionally traumatized by being held for false imprisonment, I would definitely encourage [them] to sue.”
- “I would say, show your receipt,” he concluded. “It’s just a really simple thing to do. If you didn’t steal anything, it’s relatively simple to do,” the lawyer advised.
(According to Camron Dowlatshahi, a founding partner at Mills Sadat Dowlat LLP)
https://www.the-sun.com/news/11451613/walmart-receipt-checks-law-legality-refuse-detain/