‘I’m Still Banned,’ Boasts a Walmart Shopper Fed Up with Receipt Checks – He Refuses to Comply and the Law is on His Side

A SHOPPER has been banned from Walmart for failing to show his receipt after checking out – and others are fed up too.

Walmart customers have faced a dizzying array of changes to the in-store shopping experience since the national retailer began rolling out self-checkout machines years ago.

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Now, some shoppers are fed up with problems they say are caused by kiosks, like accidental scans, accusations of theft — and especially checking receipts.

Many customers have criticized receipt checks, which require employees to double-check customer receipts at the door to make sure they recorded everything correctly.

Receipt checks have proliferated along with self-checkout machines as a way to discourage theft at several large retail chains.

But for some Walmart regulars, the extra step to leave the store is too much.

“I’m still banned from the local Walmart for not showing my receipt,” Brother Mouzone’s Protege (@_Derrt) wrote in a publish on Thursday on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

He shared the comment in response to another post criticizing receipt checks.

“Dear @Walmart, NO. You will never be able to check my receipt,” Fitzgerald (@ChrisBarnettII) he wrote.

“After I pay $250 worth of purchases at self-checkout because none of the registers are open, don’t bother asking to see my receipt,” he said.

The post seemed to resonate with some X users who also had negative feedback about Walmart.

“Bro, not even your cashiers/employees have good customer service,” another user commented.

“Amen”, a second person he said.

WALMART UNDER FIRE

A Lawyer’s Top 5 Receipt Checking Tips

Los Angeles attorney Camron Dowlatshahi spoke with The US Sun about receipt checks and a client’s rights and options when it comes to being 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.

(According to Camron Dowlatshahifounding partner of Mills Sadat Dowlat LLP)

COSTLY MISTAKES

Retail leaders said their companies are losing more than $100 billion every year due to “shrinkage” – or loss of product, including theft.

As a result, some stores had to close.

Walmart in Aurora, Colorado — just east of Denver — recently gave customers just a few weeks notice that it would close permanently next month.

Other locations have chosen to remain open but have removed all of their self-checkout machines.

Walmart fans in Shrewsbury, Missouri — a suburb of St. Louis — learned on Friday that their store would begin removing its self-checkout machines on Sunday.