A WALMART employee has revealed the truth behind a controversial receipt checking policy, slamming it as “dead wrong”.
The worker showed proof that they are not allowed to check receipts if a customer doesn’t want to show you.
An employee called Adley posted a screenshot from the Walmart training she had to go through on social media.
It showed that employees are told to “Never force a customer to show their receipt”, according to the screenshot.
They are even told to not report an unchecked receipt to management.
The caption of the post said: “It also says that if the line is getting backed up, it’s your responsibility to wave everyone through and stop scanning receipts for a while.
“So if y’all see those videos of Walmart employees physically keeping customers from leaving because they wont show a receipt, getting p***y at them, or requiring them to stop and show a receipt, they’re dead wrong.”
In the comments, many expressed how irritating they find receipt checks.
One person wrote: “Imma be honest you offered me to text myself and I ain’t showing you my phone or sitting in a line or TALKING to you. I want to leaveeeee please.”
Another commented: “Yall saying just show the receipts..why tf I gotta wait in line for you to half a** look at a paper?? Like no wtf.”
And one person went even further, claiming that Walmart was infringing on your rights by checking your receipt.
They noted: ” People need to wake up and stop letting these corporations condition them to give up their rights like it’s normal.
“This isn’t just about showing a receipt. It’s about how easily people roll over and give up their freedom just to “not cause a scene.”
“So when people argue “it only takes a few seconds” or act like you’re in the wrong for not showing it, they’re just playing into the system like sheep.
“You don’t owe anyone proof that you didn’t steal.
“You paid for your items, and unless someone has probable cause, they don’t have the right to stop you or question you.”
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.
But there were some who revealed they don’t mind the receipt checks foe exactly this reason, as it only takes a few seconds.
WHAT IS A RECEIPT CHECK?
In an exclusive chat with The US Sun, Daniel Tsai, a Canadian lawyer and founder of advice website ConsumerRights , reminded shoppers what their rights are.
Tsai stressed that retailers like Walmart need to be careful when it comes to receipt checks.
Generally, there are only a few select reasons why a retailer could detain a shopper, if they witness them stealing or have probable cause to suspect this.
He said: “Depending on the state and jurisdiction, when a store stops a customer that it suspects of shoplifting, it is effectively engaging in a citizen’s arrest whereby they are using the powers of a police officer to detain the suspect.
“If the customer has done nothing wrong, the store would then be engaged in unlawfully confining the innocent customer, resulting in a sort of false imprisonment.
“Stores need to be extremely cautious and mindful of their customers’ civil rights and must have evidence such as video camera footage or eyewitnesses such as security guards and staff, to show they can evidentially prove a crime of theft was in fact committed by the customer.”
Tsai advised that if a store detains you, there are a few key questions you need to ask, such as What evidence do you have?” and, “How long does Walmart intend to detain me?”.
The lawyer also suggested that detained shoppers would be wise to record any interactions somehow, or even write down what is said.
The U.S. Sun spoke with Daniel Tsai about the implications of receipt checks[/caption]
