As more consumers become frustrated with anti-theft measures like receipt checks, one shopper has revealed a key phrase he uses to avoid getting pulled over.
Receipt checks have become a common occurrence after customers use checkout options such as self-checkout, with employees looking to make sure all items have been scanned correctly.
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However, not all buyers are advised about the process before purchasing their items.
A buyer pointed this out in a post to X, saying they refuse to fulfill the order.
“Walmart does not post any signs that receipts need to be verified,” said the shopper, known as Jon. he wrote.
“I go out all the time without showing it.
“There is no law that requires a person to present a receipt,” he said, adding that he says a specific three-word phrase to avoid being pressured by officials.
“I tell them to call the police, I’ll wait,” the Walmart customer said.
He noted that some stores, like Costco, require customers to fulfill receipt verification orders.
This is due to the fact that retailers operate as members, requiring members to sign an agreement when signing up.
These agreements typically detail that buyers will be subject to receipt and identification checks.
The buyer is not alone in their frustrations.
Many Walmart customers also said they refuse to comply with the request, often ignoring employees when asked to show their receipt.
Others claimed the request makes them feel like thieves or criminals when they have done nothing wrong.
There has been a lot of discussion about whether customers, who are not shopping at a store like Costco or Sam’s Club, are legally obligated to comply.
In general, large retailers like Walmart, Target and CVS are legally allowed to ask customers to show their receipts.
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.
- 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.
- 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.”
- 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.
- 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.”
- “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)
Although many do not have the right to demand the piece of paper, stores can usually detain buyers suspected of shoplifting.
Stores must have reasonable suspicion that a crime such as robbery has occurred.
Simply refusing to show the receipt is not enough reason to prevent the buyer from leaving the store.
However, legal experts have indicated that refusal to comply could still raise suspicions.
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.
“You can say no, maybe it will create unnecessary hassle for you because now you can have the police come to your house and follow up,” Camron Dowlatshahifounding partner of Mills Sadat Dowlat LLPtold The US Sun.
As a result, Dowlatshahi recommends showing your receipt whenever asked, even if you haven’t done anything wrong.
“I would say, show your receipt,” he said.
“It’s a very simple thing to do. If you haven’t stolen anything, it’s relatively simple to do.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
