Walmart shopper irate over receipt check demands chain ‘put a disclaimer’ – his solution lets customers walk right by

A VIRAL video of a man refusing to show his receipt after using self-checkout led one shopper to develop a checkout solution for retailers.

In the TikTok posted on X, a man leaving the retail chain with carts filled with items fought with employees after they asked to see his receipt .

Getty

Getty

“No, you can’t check my receipt,” the shopper said to the employee beside him.

Young children sat in the customer’s cart, which was stocked with different home supplies.

“Come on, let’s go out the door,” the shopper told the children accompanying him.

As the customer left the store, several other employees walked over to ask for his receipt .

“Do you have a receipt for the stuff that was not in the bag? Can we see that?” one employee asked.

Throughout the minute-long video, the man remained steadfast in his refusal to let the three employees check his receipt .

The employees continued to pressure the shopper to comply, leading him to threaten to sue the store.

“Bro, I will sue your a**…don’t play with me boy…Don’t touch my cart and accuse me of stealing,” the man shouted.

The post received over 300,000 views and 10000 comments.

One commenter suggested that retail stores give customers the option of checking out at machines that require receipt checks or going to a cashier.

“Walmart should put a disclaimer at self-checkout stating receipt will be checked at exit,” the commenter said.

“If they don’t agree they can proceed to an employed cashier for check out and not have to present receipt at exit.

“If they don’t agree then the register will reset to start and not checkout.”

Other commenters helped to inform shoppers about their receipt rights.

“You are not legally required to show your receipt at Walmart or other stores,” a user posted on X.

“UNLESS, you’re at a membership store like Costco or Sam’s.  Then, you’re required to show your receipt because you agreed to do so with your membership dues.

“Stop allowing others to have control over you.”

Legally, the commenter is correct.

Stores such as Walmart and Target , which don’t require memberships, are not allowed to ask to see your receipts unless employees suspect a shopper of shoplifting.

Membership-based stores like Costco and Sam’s Club can request your receipts per the store’s terms and conditions.

Although stores don’t have any legal authority to see your receipts, a lawyer previously told The U.S. Sun customers should just comply.

Camron Dowlatshahi, a Los Angeles attorney, spoke to The U.S. Sun about customer’s receipt rights after checking out.

“I would say, show your receipt,” Dowlatshahi said.

“If you didn’t steal anything, it’s relatively simple to do.”

Top 5 receipt checking tips from a lawyer

Camron Dowlatshahi, a Los Angeles attorney, spoke to The U.S. Sun about receipt checks and customer's rights and options when it came to being asked to show your receipt.

1. There has been a lot of debate around the legality of a retailer asking to see your receipt, but if it is within the store, it is completely legal. “There’s seemingly nothing illegal about that. You’re still on the company’s premises and their reason to do it is to prevent thefts,” Dowlatshahi confirms.
2. However, if they are chasing you out of the store, that changes things, Dowlatshahi said. “Location matters,” he explained. “If you’re outside of the store you’re in the parking lot and they come and start accusing you of theft and that you have to show your receipt, I think that’s a bit of a different situation because now you’re on your way.”
3. While customers are allowed to say no to receipt checks, it may cause issues if you do and the store suspects you of stealing. “You can say no, maybe it creates an unnecessary hassle for yourself because now you may have the police come to your house and follow up,” said Dowlatshahi.
4. If you are being barred from leaving a store because you refused a receipt check, you could have a legal case — but the store must have held you for a long time. “Let’s say it’s for hours, that’s certainly false imprisonment, and they didn’t have any impetus for doing so,” Dowlatshahi explained. “If a customer has been emotionally traumatized by being held for false imprisonment, I would definitely encourage [them] to sue.”
5. “I would say, show your receipt,” he concluded. “It’s just a really simple thing to do. If you didn’t steal anything, it’s relatively simple to do,” the lawyer advised.

(According to Camron Dowlatshahi , a founding partner at Mills Sadat Dowlat LLP )