‘It’s starting to bug me,’ says Walmart shopper after she’s asked for receipt – despite not checking out items

WALMART shoppers are growing sick and tired of having to hand over their receipts when leaving the store – even if they don’t use the self-checkout machines.

Rampant retailer theft has forced major retailers like Walmart , Target , and CVS to come up with creative ways to protect their goods and customers.

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As some of these new anti-theft policies include increased security cameras or locking products on shelves, customers have repeatedly griped over one measure appearing after paying for items.

Many popular stores now request shoppers to hand over their receipts to employees, who check that all items were scanned properly.

This typically occurs after a shopper uses a self-checkout machine rather than a register manned by another store employee.

However, one Walmart shopper revealed on Facebook that’s not always the case.

“I’m bouta leave tiffin Walmart a good and bad review,” the shopper said, detailing that she had been at her local Walmart store to buy diapers and other items completely filling the cart.

As a result, she went to a manned register to check out all her items.

“I’m leaving from the register, I’m getting ask to see my receipt,” she said.

“I know I can kindly decline but I don’t.

“But it’s starting to bug me. I’m by myself. Leave me alone.”

She continued: “Next time I should just wave a receipt or tape it on my forehead as I’m walking out. Lol.”

It was not immediately clear which Walmart the customer had been shopping at, however, she appears to be based in Toledo, Ohio.

Shoppers have long lambasted the receipt checking process, with many customers saying they often feel singled out or treated like a criminal when trying to walk out the store after paying .

Walmart has defended the anti-theft measure, previously telling ABC affiliate KXTV that the company’s intent it to “check every receipt.”

There has long been debate as to whether stores like Walmart are legally able to force customers to hand the receipt over when asked.

Generally, experts agree that this can depend on where you are shopping.

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.

Stores using a membership-based model like Sam’s Club and Costco typically have policies about receipt checking written in their membership agreements.

As shoppers must agree to these policies when signing up, this permits those stores to require receipt checks at the door.

However, in other stores like Walmart or Target, shoppers are not legally required to hand over the slip of paper.

Generally, these stores are protected by Shopkeeper’s Privilege laws that allow them to detain a customer until law enforcement arrives if there is reasonable suspicion that a crime occurred.

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 )

While declining to provide a receipt is not enough reason to detain a shopper, it can stoke suspicion.

As a result, legal experts still recommend handing over the receipt when leaving the store.

“I would say, show your receipt,” Camron Dowlatshahi, a Los Angeles attorney, told The U.S. Sun.

“It’s just a really simple thing to do. If you didn’t steal anything, it’s relatively simple to do.”