A WALMART shopper has gone viral after raging against the store’s receipt checking policy.
The angry customer lashed out at Walmart, which has seen increasing problems regarding its self-checkout machines and cash receipts.
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“Public service announcement from someone other than me”, Donie (@DoniThDon_) wrote in a publish on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, in July 2023.
“Now you almost exclusively do self-checkout. Last time I was there, the lady checking receipts at the exit was stopping everyone.”
“I chose not to participate in this foolishness,” the rant continues. “So I just skipped the exit line and left. I heard her saying “Lord, Lord” as I continued walking. I simply raised my hand above my head and waved my receipt as I gently walked out of the store.”
The user continues the rant by saying that the retail giant can “trust me to do the self-checkout or you can put your cashiers back in place so they can resume position.”
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“I’m not interested in the work, so if I fail, that’s okay. I’m also not interested in proving that I did your job for you,” the person seethes.
“You expect me to be an untrained cashier, so that’s your problem, not mine.”
“Don’t audit me again for a position you refuse to employ,” the person concludes.
The statement was met with approval from other users.
“I don’t play this game”, a user commented.
“On principle and because there’s always some old lady doing it. Seriously? Why put an elderly person in that position?
“I paid for the items, they are mine now and the receipt is mine. They have no authority to ask to see it.”
“Technically checking receipts is a violation of the 4th amendment,” a second user pointed.
Despite commentators’ certainty about their constitutional right, the 4th amendment only protects against illegal searches and seizures by the government and not by private companies.
But that doesn’t mean shoppers are always forced to stop.
“Legally you don’t have to show it, just keep walking unless they are accusing you of shoplifting,” a third person he said.
User X is not alone in his anti-receipt verification feelings.
Legality of receipt and detention checks
In an effort to reduce retail crime, stores are increasingly turning to checking receipts as customers leave.
Legally, stores can ask to see a customer’s receipts, and members-only stores have the right to demand such checks if customers agree to the terms and conditions authorizing them.
Many legal professionals have evaluated and reached similar conclusions, warning that all states have specific laws.
Generally speaking, stores have Retailer Privilege laws that allow them to detain a person until authorities arrive when there is reasonable suspicion that a crime, such as robbery, has been committed.
Refusal to provide a receipt is not in itself a reason for a store to detain a customer; she must have additional reasons to suspect a client of criminal activity.
Due to the recent nature of receipt checks, there is little concrete legislation regarding the legality of the practice, as it takes time for the law to catch up with technology.
Setliff Law, PC states that “there is no definitive case law specifically relating to the refusal to present a receipt for purchases.”
For stores that misuse the Retailer Privilege, they may face charges of false imprisonment.
“The primary law that applies to these types of wrongful arrest cases is called ‘False Imprisonment,’” the local Hudson Valley attorney explained. Alex Mainetti.
“Of course, you are not literally arrested, but you are detained by a person who does not have the legal authority to detain you and/or wrongfully detains a client.”
It is likely that as store altercations over receipt checks continue, more lawsuits will occur giving clearer definitions and limits to the legality of receipt checks.
Another user, Protege from Brother Mouzone (@_Derrt), revealed that he was banned from his local store after refusing to show his receipt to the clerk.
The post was made on top of another response criticizing the practice.
“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.
Walmart’s crackdown on shoppers comes as several retailers say they lose hundreds of thousands of dollars due to “shrinkage” — also known as lost product, including theft.
The loss of merchandise resulted in the permanent closure of a Walmart in Colorado after giving residents just a few weeks’ notice.
Outrage over the cooperation also comes after its human resources director, Donna Morris, announced that the company would cut hundreds of jobs.
Morris made the announcement via an internal memo obtained by Quartz.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
