‘Making a scene,’ fumes Walmart customer chased by security for their receipt – they could prove store was in the wrong

A WALMART shopper has hit out at the store after they were allegedly chased by staff for not showing their receipt.

The Walmart customer took to social media to recount their ordeal.

“In 2018, I had no idea they check receipts, so I just walked out with my stuff that I paid for," the shopper wrote on X.

"I wasn’t halfway to the car before security came chasing after me, making a scene like I was shoplifting.”

The customer had already discarded their receipt, leading to a further confrontation where they had to re-enter the store to verify their purchase.

As shoplifting and petty retail theft continue to escalate at high-end department stores and discount retailers alike, many stores have rolled out new security policies to keep shoppers – and products – safe.

One of the ways stores are combatting would-be thieves is by checking customer receipts before they walk out the door.

The concept is simple -- once a customer pays for their purchases at a cashier-manned register or self-checkout kiosk, they simply have to show their receipt to an employee stationed near the store's exit.

The employee then looks over the receipt and glances over the customer's purchases, ensuring the items match up.

Receipt checks aren't the only measures Walmart has implemented to combat theft.

The retailer recently implemented a new policy for its self-checkout kiosks, limiting transactions on all machines to 10 items or less.

Walmart said it hopes to make shopping more convenient for customers, and limiting the number of items per purchase helps speed up self-checkout orders and wait times.

However, the store has also drawn criticism for not appropriately staffing cashier-manned registers, leaving many customers with large orders waiting in long lines.

And, despite limiting transactions to 10 items or less at self-checkout lanes, many customers find the majority of kiosks closed – even during peak shopping hours – as there are reportedly not enough employees to monitor them.

While long lines and receipt checks are more of an annoyance, shoppers seem to agree that one security measure trumps the rest.

Some stores, including Walmart, have resorted to locking items behind plexiglass displays, causing customers to have to flag down an employee in order to access everyday essentials like shampoo or deodorant.

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.

Even customers who order items for curbside pickup or delivery aren't immune from the security measures.

Last month, one Walmart customer shared how one of the items in her recent pickup order – a pack of razors – was still locked in a clear display case, rendering the purchase useless unless she returned to the store.

Still, despite the store's efforts, it remains unclear how these policies are preventing or reducing shoplifting statistics.

ANNOYED SHOPPERS

Another Walmart shopper shared their experience of being stopped for a receipt check for a $2 flip-flop purchase.

They were in shock and thought a receipt check for a cheap item seemed absurd.

“It’s f**king $2 flip-flops," the shopper said.

“I hate Walmart.”

Walmart shoppers are also frustrated with other policies by the retailer.

A new return policy requires customers to go through the process online.

It includes several steps that must be followed correctly or the return will be denied.