‘They told me it’s optional’, says Walmart buyer who questioned presenting the receipt – they went straight to the company

A WALMART shopper fights back after having to show his receipt as he leaves the store.

A Walmart customer took matters into his own hands after getting tired of showing his receipts when leaving the store.

The user responded to a TikTok reposted on X by user X Clown World (@clown world_).

The video shows a man using a lint roller on people as they enter the store and they all comply.

“One thing I’ve learned over the last few years… People will literally do anything with no questions asked,” it said on TikTok.

In response to this post, a user wrote about how they struggled with Walmart’s receipt checks being met.

“At Walmart, sometimes an employee will check your receipt on your way out,” said user X Marci (@4marciangeli) he wrote.

“I emailed and asked customer service and was told ‘it’s optional’…I informed Walmart and they stopped doing these checks.”

“But almost everyone complied.”

Responses to the post echo similar sentiments of frustration at having to show a receipt after using self-service machines.

“No, one time they asked to see it and I said no,” replied X user Linda Williams (@lkwilliams700).

“I also asked why they were more or less accusing me of shoplifting since everything except the plants were in bags.”

“Again, I just told them this isn’t Sam and I don’t need to do this. Both times, I kept walking.”

Membership-based stores like Sam’s Club and Costco have the legal right to request your receipt after checkout, in accordance with the company’s terms and conditions.

Receipt checks have been implemented by non-member retailers to help combat theft, but now customers have had enough.

Camron Dowlatshahi, a Los Angeles attorney, previously told the US Sun that unaffiliated stores do not have the legal right to check your receipt.

The only time non-member retailers like Walmart and Target can check your receipt is if the store suspects shoplifting.

This right, known as Shopkeeper’s Privilege, allows store owners to detain shoppers if they have reasonable grounds to believe they were shoplifting.

Other social media users have posted on YouTube customers directly asking store employees what reasonable reason they have for seeing their receipts.

YouTube user Jay Morgan (@jaymorgan), posted a video of him asking a Walmart employee why he needed to see his receipt.

The employee did not respond.

Those who are not suspected of shoplifting have every legal right to refuse receipt verification, but Dowlatshahi warns against doing so.

“You can say no, but it might create unnecessary inconvenience for you,” Dowlatshahi said.

“I would say show your receipt. It’s a really simple thing to do.”

A Lawyer’s Top 5 Receipt Checking Tips

Los Angeles attorney Camron Dowlatshahi spoke with The US Sun about receipt checks and a customer’s rights and options when asked to show their receipt.

1. There has been a lot of debate surrounding the legality of a retailer asking to see your receipt, but if it’s in the store, it’s completely legal. “Apparently there is nothing illegal about this. You are still on the company premises and the reason for doing this is to avoid theft”, confirms Dowlatshahi.
2. However, if they’re kicking you out of the store, that changes things, Dowlatshahi said. “Location is important,” he explained. “If you’re outside the store, you’re in the parking lot and they come and start accusing you of stealing and that you have to show the receipt, I think it’s a little bit of a different situation because now you’re in your way.”
3. Although customers can say no to receipt checks, it can cause problems if you do so and the store suspects you of stealing. “You might say no, maybe it will create an unnecessary hassle for you because now you might have the police coming to your house and following up,” Dowlatshahi said.
4. If you’re being blocked from leaving a store because you refused a receipt check, you may have legal action – but the store must have detained you for a long time. “Let’s say it’s for hours, that’s certainly false imprisonment, and they didn’t have any impetus to do it,” Dowlatshahi explained. “If a client has been emotionally traumatized by being detained for false imprisonment, I would definitely encourage [them] process.”
5. “I would say, show your receipt,” he concluded. “It’s a very simple thing to do. If you haven’t stolen anything, it’s relatively simple to do,” the lawyer advised.