Walmart shopper blasts ‘receipt police’ after ‘Karen’ greeter goes too far at checkout – chain promises ‘serious’ probe

WALMART has once again come under fire for its controversial receipt checks.

The measure that was implemented to quell the increase in theft, has left many shoppers angry after being delayed from leaving the store.

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X/chiefsfan1999

One angry shopper based in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma blasted Walmart on X by saying that one of their “Karen receipt police” laid hands on her husband.

“ @Walmart One of your ‘Karen receipt police’ put their hands on my husband while we were leaving because she wanted our receipt,” the user wrote in the post.

“She placed her hand on my husband’s arm to express her opinion. If this happens again this conversation will be had on a different platform than X.”

The user also posted a picture of the receipt which totaled $216.11.

Walmart’s customer service account quickly responded to the account.

“Matters like this are very serious, and we’d like to know more. Could you please send a DM with more information,” the account wrote.

It is unknown If the woman responded to the superstore.

This is not the first time that customers have shared their irritation with the retailer.

One user put the store on blast after she was forced to show her receipt after using the store’s controversial self-checkout machines.

“You’re wrong in this one. I hate having to show my receipt to the people who just watched me check out my own stuff@Walmart,” the woman complained on X.

“And all these other stores are paying these people to stand around while I do their work, I’m not having it.”

The firm has prompted anger after limiting some self-checkout lanes to people purchasing 15 or fewer items.

A second person also took to Facebook regarding the anti-theft policy.

“Another Walmart rant,” seethed the customer.

Legality of receipt checks and detention

In an effort to curtail retail crime, stores are increasingly turning to receipt checks as shoppers exit.

Legally, stores can ask to see a customer’s receipts, and membership-only stores have the right to demand such checks if shoppers agreed to terms and conditions that authorize it.

Many legal professionals have weighed in and come to similar conclusions, caveating that all states do have specific laws.

Generally speaking, stores have Shopkeeper’s Privilege laws that allow them to detain a person until authorities arrive when they have reasonable suspicion that a crime, like theft, has been committed.

Declining to provide a receipt is not a reason in itself for a store to detain a customer, they must have further reason to suspect a shopper of criminal activity.

Due to the recent nature of the receipt checks, there is little concrete law on the legality of the practice, as it takes time for law to catch up with technology.

Setliff Law, P.C. claims that “there is no definitive case law specifically relating to refusal to produce a receipt for purchases.”

For stores that improperly use their Shopkeeper’s Privilege, they could face claims of false imprisonment.

“The primary law that applies to these types of wrongful detention cases is called ‘False Imprisonment’,” explained Hudson Valley local attorney Alex Mainetti .

“Of course, you’re not literally imprisoned, but you’re detained by a person who has no lawful authority to detain you and/or wrongfully detains a customer.”

It is likely that as altercations in stores over receipt checks continue, more court cases will occur giving clearer definitions and boundaries to the legality of receipt checks.

“If you’re going to have four employees watching over everyone in the self-checkout area, and then have another one watching receipts of only the people exiting the self-checkout lanes on the way out, obviously you don’t trust people to shop there.

“If that’s the case, then shut down the self-checkout and use those five employees to open five more regular checkout lanes.”

One shopper slammed the policy stating that the measure makes customers feel like they are not trusted.

“Also, you don’t have to show them your receipt as you leave,” she said.

“I just walk right by and haven’t been addressed about it once.

“Once I pay for my goods, they belong to me, so they have no business checking anything.

“They don’t check my purse as I come in, so why is it OK for them to check my belongings on the way out?”