A WALMART shopper raged against the store for its controversial receipt check measure.
The customer shared their short response that has allowed him to avoid stopping for staff.
2
2
Receipt checks are an anti-theft measure rolled out by several retailers.
This would consist of an employee standing between the checkout area and exit.
Shoppers could then be stopped and asked to show their proof of purchase.
The member of staff would then check the receipt alongside the items purchased before letting the shopper go.
Gus (@DodgerGus_) explained why he would never participate in this in-store measure.
“It’s against the law to hold you against your will @Walmart that’s kidnapping,” Gus claimed in a post on X.
“And no I don’t have to show you my receipt.”
Gus also shared a message to other shoppers on what four words he has used during encounters with receipt checkers at Walmart.
“If you’re reading this, just walk out they can’t hold you or detain you it’s against the law,” he added.
The law on receipt check rights has differed at certain stores, The U.S. Sun has previously reported.
Store owners have been protected under US law under something called The Shopkeeper’s Privilege.
This has meant stores have the right to detain suspected shoplifters on the premises if they have probable cause to believe they have stolen.
Despite this, simply refusing to show a receipt is not enough to detain a customer.
“There must be some factual basis for believing the person has stolen or is attempting to steal,” experts at Legal Match have explianed.
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)
“A merchant cannot use the Shopkeeper’s Privilege to stop anyone without a reasonable cause.
“This requires probable cause, not just a hunch or suspicion.”
MEMBERS RULES
Shoppers at a certain type of retailer must show their proof of purchase, despite this law.
Customers at membership stores, like Costco and Sam’s Club, would have agreed to receipt checks when the signed up to visit the warehouses.
“To ensure that all members are correctly charged for the merchandise purchased, all receipts and merchandise will be inspected as you leave the warehouse,” Costco’s website said.
This policy has not made all warehouse shoppers rage as one person branded it as “Awesome.”
