Wal-Mart Reports Couple To The Police For Not Allowing Them To Check Their Receipt

[Fenway]

The epic conflict between shoppers and receipt checkers continues! Reader Michael was unwilling to wait in line to have his cart searched, prompting Wal-Mart to threaten to file a police report as they wrote down his license place...

So, my wife & I stopped in at Wal-Mart to get a few things. I didn't have long before I had to be at work, but we had enough time to do our shopping. So we get what we need, pay at one of their express lanes, and then went to leave the store. It's at about this point that we notice a line of several carts waiting for the people greeter to search through their bags and check their receipts.

Since I didn't have a lot of time to waste, I simply went around the line and started out the door. At this point the people greeter told me I had to stop and allow her to go through everything I just purchased. I politely told her that she did not in fact need to search my property, and that they lost any right to go through the items in my cart when I paid for them. I proceeded to walk out of the store.

While I was transferring everything from the cart into the car, several Wal-Mart asset protection employees approached me, and asked to see my receipt. I told them no, at which point they stated that the merchandise was stolen. I told them I paid for everything, but did not have any more time to waste with them. I started to back out of the parking spot, when one of them tried to walk behind my car, I told him to move out of the way, that I didn't want to hit him. He said he was getting the license plate, so I waited a few seconds for him to write it down, then proceeded to back up. Another one of their employees called the local police department. I also called to give them my contact information, and let them know what happened.

Then I called the store manager to make a complaint about the way I was treated. He stated that they had just started a policy to check receipts for any unbagged items. I explained that they were going through every bag in every customer's cart, and that the delay this created was unacceptable. He said he had not heard anything from his staff, but he would follow up with them to find out what was going on. I gave him my name and phone number, and he said he would follow up with me. I have not heard anything yet.

About thirty minutes later my wife received a call from an officer of the local police department. He asked for our side of things, and then said he would smooth things over. While I understand that most people would just show the receipt and let them poke through your things, there really is no reason to do so. If you were any where else, and someone accused you of being a thief, and then asked you to let them search through your things to prove your not, would you allow it? I wouldn't, in fact my reaction would be to leave, quickly. Thats what I did in this case, and thats what I plan to do in the future. If enough people were willing to stand up for their rights, this would stop happening.

Receipt Checking Controversy: Wal-Mart Reports You To The Police For Not Allowing Them To Check Your Receipt

[4sarge]

Never had that happen to me at Wal-Mart but I'm not much of a Wal-Mart shopper but it happens every time at Sam's (owned by Wal-Mart)

http://alex.halavais.net/wp-content/...8/pinkslip.pdf Try This

[melensdad]

I refuse to shop at Wal Mart.

[flagtag]

Originally Posted by Fenway

The epic conflict between shoppers and receipt checkers continues! Reader Michael was unwilling to wait in line to have his cart searched, prompting Wal-Mart to threaten to file a police report as they wrote down his license place...

So, my wife & I stopped in at Wal-Mart to get a few things. I didn't have long before I had to be at work, but we had enough time to do our shopping. So we get what we need, pay at one of their express lanes, and then went to leave the store. It's at about this point that we notice a line of several carts waiting for the people greeter to search through their bags and check their receipts.

Since I didn't have a lot of time to waste, I simply went around the line and started out the door. At this point the people greeter told me I had to stop and allow her to go through everything I just purchased. I politely told her that she did not in fact need to search my property, and that they lost any right to go through the items in my cart when I paid for them. I proceeded to walk out of the store.

While I was transferring everything from the cart into the car, several Wal-Mart asset protection employees approached me, and asked to see my receipt. I told them no, at which point they stated that the merchandise was stolen. I told them I paid for everything, but did not have any more time to waste with them. I started to back out of the parking spot, when one of them tried to walk behind my car, I told him to move out of the way, that I didn't want to hit him. He said he was getting the license plate, so I waited a few seconds for him to write it down, then proceeded to back up. Another one of their employees called the local police department. I also called to give them my contact information, and let them know what happened.

Then I called the store manager to make a complaint about the way I was treated. He stated that they had just started a policy to check receipts for any unbagged items. I explained that they were going through every bag in every customer's cart, and that the delay this created was unacceptable. He said he had not heard anything from his staff, but he would follow up with them to find out what was going on. I gave him my name and phone number, and he said he would follow up with me. I have not heard anything yet.

About thirty minutes later my wife received a call from an officer of the local police department. He asked for our side of things, and then said he would smooth things over. While I understand that most people would just show the receipt and let them poke through your things, there really is no reason to do so. If you were any where else, and someone accused you of being a thief, and then asked you to let them search through your things to prove your not, would you allow it? I wouldn't, in fact my reaction would be to leave, quickly. Thats what I did in this case, and thats what I plan to do in the future. If enough people were willing to stand up for their rights, this would stop happening.

Receipt Checking Controversy: Wal-Mart Reports You To The Police For Not Allowing Them To Check Your Receipt

I would have told them that if they wanted to pay me my highest hourly wage rate for a MINIMUM of 2 hours (what my job pays) and/or any portion of an hour over that - full hour's pay, then, I would let them. My time is very important to me! (I'm getting old!) In other words, I already paid for the merchandise (more than it is worth), so THEY could pay ME for my TIME if they wanted any of it. Turn about is fair play!

[melensdad]

Originally Posted by flagtag

I would have told them that if they wanted to pay me my highest hourly wage rate for a MINIMUM of 2 hours (what my job pays) and/or any portion of an hour over that - full hour's pay, then, I would let them. My time is very important to me! (I'm getting old!) In other words, I already paid for the merchandise (more than it is worth), so THEY could pay ME for my TIME if they wanted any of it. Turn about is fair play!

On a similar note I sent a lawyer a bill for wasting my time at a deposition, when she didn't pay I turned her over to a collection agency

[Hiram Abiff]

Originally Posted by melensdad

On a similar note I sent a lawyer a bill for wasting my time at a deposition, when she didn't pay I turned her over to a collection agency

And??

[esrice]

Mike I thought that was actually YOU until I got to the end. Sheesh.

I worked Loss Prevention for Saks Inc. for several years. We had some of the best training in the business. Although merchants do have rights to retrieve their merchandise, its only after it has been STOLEN.

We had no room for error. Once my LP Manager stopped two girls for lifting 2 prom dresses. Long story short, he didn't follow our rigid "5-steps" and they didn't have any dresses. Turns out daddy was a Carmel lawyer who won a settlement for $XX,XXX. Manager lost his job.

My advice: If you are stopped and you KNOW you didn't do anything wrong, keep on walking. They don't have any evidence and they are taking a gamble. If they touch/grab/assult you, call your attorney.

[melensdad]

Originally Posted by Hiram Abiff

And??

The lawyer got fired from the law firm. She was not a parter, it was her first year at the firm. She was terminated from the firm about 60 days later. I didn't get the money for "my wasted time" but I sure got satisfaction. It was astounding to hear her justification when she called me to ask why I sent her a bill.

I did a somewhat similar thing when I went to the doctor. They started a new policy that said they would charge me $50 if I failed to keep my appointment and the wanted me to sign the notice stating that I understood and agreed to it. Not only did I not sign it, I turned around to the very full waiting room and pointed to some old man who had been sitting there for longer than I had and I asked the nurse loudly if that man was getting a discount off his bill for the time he spent waiting in the waiting room for every minute spent sitting there after his appointment time? She said no. So I asked the man what time his appointment was for? He said something like 15 minutes ago. So I asked him if he signed the form? He said Yes. So I said that the doctor would charge you $50 if you missed your appointment and if he sees you for only 30 minutes then he is charging $100 per hour so if you have been sitting for 15 minutes then the doctor owes you a $25 discount!!! Some other lady then mouthed up and asked for a discount. Not less than 3 minutes later I was in an exam room and my doctor came in and apologized to me. I never signed the form.

Yup, I'm a jerk. But I see no reason to hand over my rights, my money, my time to people who don't deserve them.

Funny thing is that when you call the abusers out for what they are doing most of the time they end up apologizing all over themselves. For the times they don't do that, usually a supervisor or some executive above them will end up apologizes on their behalf.

Originally Posted by esrice

My advice: If you are stopped and you KNOW you didn't do anything wrong, keep on walking. They don't have any evidence and they are taking a gamble. If they touch/grab/assult you, call your attorney.

[karlsgunbunker]

MY wife used to work for Wally World.
They are only supposed to check the large items thet don't fit in a bag.
While she was working there they had many people walk in and put a TV in their cart and walk out the front door.
Thieves also put something in a cart and go to the Service desk and try to return it.
The crooks are getting bolder but it doesn't give Wal-Mart the right to search you w/o cause.

Sam's does it because so much stuff does not fit in a bag and it just keeps people honest if they might be checked.

[wolfman]

It amazes me to learn some of the items that now have those "loss prevention" transponders in the package these days, and yes I don't mind if the door greeter checks my reciept if the person at the checkout doesn't get one killed, but that is about the only reason I will let them look through my bags.

wolfman