‘Changed how I view it’ Walmart shopper says after spotting flaw in receipt check – his 3-letter reply ‘to show nothing’
A WALMART customer has revealed what made them no longer comply with one anti-theft measure used by the retailer.
With billions of dollars being lost each year due to theft alone, the big box retailer is turning to different strategies to crack down on shoplifting, especially at self-checkouts.
GettyA Walmart shopper has revealed the one aspect of receipt checks at the store that means they no longer comply with the anti-theft measure[/caption]
However, some methods are angering innocent customers who feel infringed upon when facing locked-up items and receipt checks.
One Walmart shopper has revealed that they will no longer comply with the latter after their opinions changed when they realized one key thing about the receipt-check policy at the store.
“I don’t even play that check my receipt stuff no more,” the customer wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“They ask. I say ‘nah,’ and go right to my truck.
“The fact that it’s not done at every Walmart, changed how I view it. So I show nothing.”
A fellow shopper agreed and argued that with “so many self-checkout lines with cameras,” Walmart should be armed with evidence before stopping customers at the exit.
“If you think I stole something don’t have the 55-year-old retiree at the door, have loss prevention and the footage of me stealing at the door,” they said.
Some shoppers who have become so frustrated with the practice have even launched boycotts against entire retailers because of the checks.
Others have shared with shoppers their tactics for avoiding the checks with some choosing to walk by while others argue back telling them to “get a search warrant.”
‘DIDN’T KNOW’
The U.S. Sun has previously shared the exact law on Walmart’s receipt checking policy and how this can differ depending on which store you are shopping at.
One shopper was stunned to learn that they can avoid checks at Walmart, saying on Facebook, “I didn’t know it was an option.”
However, while it may be optional at stores like Target, Walmart, and Kroger, it is not at membership stores like Costco and Sam’s Club.
These retailers have receipt and bag checks written into membership contracts which means compliance is part of the terms of shopping with them.
While Walmart customers navigate receipt checks, others are despairing over locked-up items with one shopper finding a $1.50 item behind glass.
“This is the future of Walmart. I can’t even walk into Walmart and pick up a nail file for $1.50 because it’s locked up,” the shopper said in a TikTok video.
She added that she felt she had to apologize to the store associate tasked with unlocking the cabinets and blasted this ordeal as “the future” of shopping which “sucks.”
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.
Others joined in on the backlash sharing their experiences of having to wait almost half an hour for someone to come and unlock the cabinets.
As a result, other stores, especially online retailers like Amazon are benefitting from not putting customers through arduous and frustrating measures.
RETAIL WARNING
A retail expert previously told The U.S. Sun about a consumer survey that found shoppers will likely go to rival stores if their usual retailer enforces policies that drag out the shopping experience.
The 2024 Retail Automation Survey by Software Advice questioned consumers about “customer pain points.”
One of the key insights of the survey was that 73% of customers want to get in and out of stores as quickly as possible.
However, many of the policies enforced by retailers such as locked-up goods and receipt checks, slow down this process and impact customer satisfaction.
“I understand the balance retailers are trying to strike with preventing theft and ensuring a good customer experience,” retail analyst Molly Burke said.
However, she warned that such measures will “always worsen the customer experience” and drive them towards competitors.
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