A SHOPPER who was furious at being asked to show her receipt after being forced to use self-checkout says there is only one store she would go to.
In-store receipt checks have been the subject of debate among shoppers, with many saying they refuse the order.
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Retailers use the practice to reduce the risk of theft, which has cost the industry billions of dollars in recent years.
However, one shopper went on a lengthy Facebook rant after being forced to use self-checkout in a store.
“The only place I stop to let them check my receipt is at Costco, and I never self-checkout at Costco,” he wrote Sharon Maria.
Stores like Costco and Sam’s Club have policies regarding receipt verification that every shopper must agree to before signing a membership contract.
READ MORE ABOUT RECEIPT CHECKS
“We do this to verify that purchased items have been processed correctly by our cashiers,” he said Costco.
“It’s our most effective method of maintaining accuracy in inventory control, and it’s also a good way to ensure our members are charged appropriately for their purchases.”
Marie explained that the store she was at had an employee who checked everyone’s receipts as they left.
She said she chose not to “participate in this nonsense” because she had already scanned her items at self-checkout.
“So I skipped the exit line and left,” she wrote.
“I heard her say ‘Umm, excuse me’ as I continued walking and raised the receipt above my head, leaving the store.
“You can trust me to do self-checkout or you can put your registers back where they used to be.”
Marie said she was not interested in proving that she purchased your items as she “did her job for you.”
“If you want me to be an untrained cashier, that’s your problem, not mine.”
LEGAL EXPERTS WEIGH IN
Experts have debated whether or not customers should show their receipts when asked by store employees.
Camron DowlatshahiLos Angeles lawyer and founding partner of Mills Sadat Dowlat LLPtold the US that customers have rights regarding receipt checks.
“You can say no, but it might create unnecessary inconvenience for you,” he said.
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 a reason in itself 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.
However, he warned that police may show up at a person’s home to follow up if the store has reason to believe they were stealing.
“I would say, show your receipt. It’s a very simple thing to do,” he said.
“If you haven’t stolen anything, it’s relatively simple to do.”
However, a retailer may not use excessive force without probable cause when checking a receipt, he said a lawyer with West Coast Trial Lawyersa personal injury law firm.
“It must be non-discriminatory,” he added.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
