‘Not on their payroll,’ blasts Walmart shopper who was ‘harassed’ at receipt check – greeter sent her back in the store

A FRUSTRATED Walmart shopper has slammed the retailer for its stringent anti-theft measures.

The chain introduced receipt checks at several stores across the US earlier this year in an attempt to crack down on shoplifting.

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But shoppers are growing tired of these checks and many have taken to social media to voice their complaints.

“ Walmart needs to stop harassing honest people,” Arthur Brito wrote in a post on Facebook.

“I showed her the receipt and she still wanted me to talk to customer service to double check my items.

“Nope time is money and I’m not on their payroll.”

Although receipt checks are a popular policy at many retailers across the US, customers are getting fed up.

Some now choose to avoid the checks altogether.

“I just keep walking, if they don’t trust their cashiers then that’s their problem not mine,” one shopper said.

” She lucky you showed the receipt s**t, I walk right by, time is money,” another customer said.

Shoppers argue that if they can be trusted to checkout their items by themselves, there is no need to check their receipts.

The checks are not a universal Walmart policy, only certain stores have implemented the measures, but customers are unimpressed.

“I’m not stopping for anyone to check my receipt on the way out of Walmart ever again,” a customer wrote on X.

Some shoppers have debated the legality of these checks, arguing that they are not obliged to comply.

“There is not a law I have to show my receipt. Have a nice day,” one shopper said.

Others have threatened to take their business elsewhere if receipt checks continue.

“Maybe we need to boycott Walmart,” another customer wrote on Facebook .

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.

RECEIPT CHECKS ELSEWHERE

But Walmart is not the only retailer frustrated shoppers have hit out at.

Kroger has also implemented these unpopular anti-theft measures.

The chain introduced the measures to six stores in the US earlier this year.

And shoppers were not happy about the news .

“You get checked on your way out after giving these companies your hard-earned money,” a Kroger shopper said .

“All it does is delay and aggravate customers,” another complained.

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