The epic conflict between shoppers and receipt checkers continues! Reader Michael was unwilling to wait in line to have his cart searched, prompting Wal-Mart to threaten to file a police report as they wrote down his license place…
So, my wife & I stopped in at Wal-Mart to get a few things. I didn’t have long before I had to be at work, but we had enough time to do our shopping. So we get what we need, pay at one of their express lanes, and then went to leave the store. It’s at about this point that we notice a line of several carts waiting for the people greeter to search through their bags and check their receipts.
Since I didn’t have a lot of time to waste, I simply went around the line and started out the door. At this point the people greeter told me I had to stop and allow her to go through everything I just purchased. I politely told her that she did not in fact need to search my property, and that they lost any right to go through the items in my cart when I paid for them. I proceeded to walk out of the store.
While I was transferring everything from the cart into the car, several Wal-Mart asset protection employees approached me, and asked to see my receipt. I told them no, at which point they stated that the merchandise was stolen. I told them I paid for everything, but did not have any more time to waste with them. I started to back out of the parking spot, when one of them tried to walk behind my car, I told him to move out of the way, that I didn’t want to hit him. He said he was getting the license plate, so I waited a few seconds for him to write it down, then proceeded to back up. Another one of their employees called the local police department. I also called to give them my contact information, and let them know what happened.
Then I called the store manager to make a complaint about the way I was treated. He stated that they had just started a policy to check receipts for any unbagged items. I explained that they were going through every bag in every customer’s cart, and that the delay this created was unacceptable. He said he had not heard anything from his staff, but he would follow up with them to find out what was going on. I gave him my name and phone number, and he said he would follow up with me. I have not heard anything yet.
About thirty minutes later my wife received a call from an officer of the local police department. He asked for our side of things, and then said he would smooth things over. While I understand that most people would just show the receipt and let them poke through your things, there really is no reason to do so. If you were any where else, and someone accused you of being a thief, and then asked you to let them search through your things to prove your not, would you allow it? I wouldn’t, in fact my reaction would be to leave, quickly. Thats what I did in this case, and thats what I plan to do in the future. If enough people were willing to stand up for their rights, this would stop happening.
Other readers have had luck referring their complaints about overzealous receipt checking to the executives at Wal-Mart. Here’s some instructions on how to craft an EECB to lauch on Wal-Mart, as well as some contact information.
(Photo: Jeff Holbrook )
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If they demand your receipt and you don’t want to show it, just take your cart directly to the returns counter and tell them you want a refund so you can go spend your money at Target instead.
I shop regularly at Wal-Mart, because it is cheaper than my other local alternatives. Say what you will, that is my choice.
I’m a middle aged (ouch it hurts to type that!) White guy, who is usually reasonably groomed and dressed. I rarely buy more than 3 bags of stuff at any one time.
Although receipt checking is rampant at my local store, I have never once been asked to show one. I never break stride on my way out. Sometimes I ignore the checker, sometimes I look them in the eye, and once in a while, I even greet them with a “good night” or whatever.
I strongly suspect that there is a significant amount of racial profiling going on in my local store. Almost everyone I see stopped to show their receipts is either Black or Hispanic. I have often commented to friends and relatives how interesting it would be to sit in the parking lot with a zoom video camera and record the action, to gather data in support of this theory.
One of the big news shows needs to do an undercover story.
@SomalakshmiAkon: Amen!
I live in a small town and thus have to occasionally shop at Mall-Wart. Every time I leave the store after a purchase – and without a bag because I don’t need anymore plastic bags making cost of my gas go up – I hope that someone wants to check my receipt so I can tell them no and walk on and see the reaction.
Bag checking is not to see if the customer is stealing per se, but to see if their employees are purposefully not ringing things up for friends, etc.
Come on Mall-Wart, bring it on and call my dad – THE CHIEF OF POLICE!
What I do in my store is have a ‘pre-check out’ security enforcer stand at the entrance of each line that is open to confirm each item the customer intends to purchase. I also have the same security enforcer bag the items for the customer, taking this job away from the cashier.
In order to purchase the items from my store, the customer must go through this process which adds depending on the amount of items a minute at most.
So how this works is that the 1st security enforcer checks the incoming items the customer has, scans them with a portable hand scanner, then goes to the bagging area past the cashier.
As the cashier conducts the transaction and moves the items into the bagging area, the security enforcer scans each item as it comes down the belt, with the hand held scanner making sure the items match up from the first inspection. The security enforcer then bags each item, and obtains the receipt from the cashier.
Once my enforcer is confident that the transaction has been honest and secure, he/she hands the customers receipt to them. Then the customer is free to leave, with no door checks.
You can also set this up with 2 security enforcers at a time per lane. 1 stands at all times at the entrance and checks the incoming items, and the other stands at the bagging area with a hand scanner to confirm what the 1st enforcer scanned.
Wireless technology is used to transfer the 1st enforcers scanner to the 2nd enforcers scanner. This of course costs more to me per lane, so I only do this when traffic is heavy.
So if you come to my store, I promise you will NEVER be asked to show your receipt after you have legally purchased your items. They are yours as soon as you have paid and have been given the receipt.
I do still have the usual security features for those who try to smuggle out product in their pants, handbag, etc.
It is truly unfortunate that these mega chains treat their customers like criminals even after they paid for the items. What these places fail to understand is that the ‘last line of defense’ is AT the checkout lane – not past the security scanners where ambush employees are places to demand ‘proof’ you bought something.
And following people into parking lots while blocking their car is criminal.
@JiminyChristmas: I fault the shopper because they knew it was going to happen before they went there. They seem to prefer to create conflict, going out of their way to avoid a simple receipt check. You know it when you frequent a store that does it, when you enter and see other shoppers showing receipt on the way out and when you pass by the signs explaining the policy.
This is not an issue of defending personal rights and freedoms, or of the stores oppressing their patrons. You are free to shop anywhere you like, and to show your preference for the businesses that don’t do the checks, as long as you don’t mind paying more to compensate their lack of active theft deterent policies.
If you disapprove of it so strongly, elect a new store: Vote with your wallet.
Chad,
Willful ignorance of the law is not a justifiable excuse. Try telling a cop that you didn’t see that traffic sign. And the same maxim applies to Walmart. If you don’t think that laws should apply equally to everyone and everything, then why are you commenting?
Either you believe and should man up and stand up, or you should just shut up and be an good little corporate sheep.
“Without justice there can be no peace. He who passively accepts evil is as involved in it as he who helps to perpetuate it.” MLK Jr.