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    Walmart customer blasts chain as ‘breeding ground for false accusations’ over security check & compares shoppers to cows

    By Charlotte Maracina,

    2 hours ago

    A WALMART shopper has become enraged at the store after new extreme security measures, comparing the chain to a lion’s den.

    The customer posted on Facebook blasting the company for its self-checkout machines , which the shopper claimed is “a breeding ground for false accusations.”

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3ewvUW_0uwjve8n00
    A Walmart shopper posted on Facebook slandering the store for its receipt check policy
    The US Sun
    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3s1i3S_0uwjve8n00
    The customer said they used to not mind the receipt checks, but has since grown frustrated with the company
    Getty
    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1Yu1hF_0uwjve8n00
    The shopper said they will shop at the store’s competitor, Aldi
    Getty

    “Walking into Walmart is like a cow walking into a lions den,” the customer began their post .

    “Shopped at Walmart for years. When Walmart launched self checkout it was great, however it’s become a breading ground for false accusations.”

    The shopper pointed out the cameras above the self-checkout kiosks are meant to catch thieves, yet the store still asks to see your receipt as you leave the store.

    “So why are employees asking for your receipt then?

    “Walmart’s cameras are set in a position to allow the camera to see each item you’re scanning,” they said.

    The customer said they never used to mind showing their receipt after checking out, but they’ve grown more annoyed with the security protocol.

    “I can have an employee check me out and they still ask for my receipt. On this day as I was walking out I was asked for my receipt.

    “My response ‘No’ GO ask your cashier she checked me out!” they exclaimed.

    The shopper slammed the store for not doing their part when it comes to loss prevention, and said that employees need to stop acting as deputies.

    “Before Loss Provention can accuse a customer of stealing a customer must have actually stepped out of the Walmart doors. Also Loss Prevention must have cause for them to be watching a customer,” the customer wrote.

    “Decided to shop at Aldi. A lot more bang for my buck. Walmart your prices are RIDICULOUS! OVER CHARGING CONSUMERS AND NOW HARRASSING INNOCENT SHOPPERS!! SHAME ON YOU!

    “Not everyone is steals from you Walmart! Also the employee can print a reciept right there at the SELF CHEKOUT register!”

    Shoppers all over social media have slammed the retailer for its heightened security policies.

    Walmart, along with competitors such as Target , has been locking up products, checking receipts, and in more extreme cases, removing self-checkout machines altogether.

    Top 5 receipt checking tips from a lawyer

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2Sl27e_0uwjve8n00

    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 )

    The restrictions come as retailers are losing an unprecedented amount of profit due to theft.

    In 2023, retailers reported losing $121.6 billion due to theft, a study by Capital One Shopping reported.

    That number is expected to skyrocket to $150 billion by 2026, leading some stores to take extreme measures.

    Although many stores are now asking customers to show their receipts after using self-checkout, the only stores that can legally enforce the checks are membership-based stores such as Costco or Sam’s Club.

    Walmart and Target are within their legal rights to ask for a receipt, but can only enforce the check if a shopper is suspected of shoplifting.

    Camron Dowlatshahi, a Los Angeles attorney , previously told The U.S. Sun that while customers can refuse the checks, he advises them to do so anyway.

    “I would say, show your receipt. It’s just a really simple thing to do,” he said.

    Latest self-checkout changes

    Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategy in an effort to speed up checkout times and reduce theft.

    Walmart shoppers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at various locations were made available only for Walmart+ members.

    Other customers reported that self-checkout was closed during specific hours, and more cashiers were offered instead.

    While shoppers feared that shoplifting fueled the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers are simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance.

    One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would stop the fiercely contested receipt checks.

    However, that test run has been phased out.

    At Target, items are being limited at self-checkout.

    Last fall, the brand surveyed new express self-checkout lanes across 200 stores with 10 items or less for more convenience.

    As of March 2024, this policy has been expanded across 2,000 stores in the US.

    Shoppers have also spotted their local Walmart stores restricting customers to 15 items or less to use self-checkout machines.

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