Walmart: Show your receipt, or we'll get your license plate number!

[-MG-]

Can somebody explain this one to me?!

I ventured out to wal-mart last night to pick up a fan, handful of lighters, and a few groceries, spending less than $100. After standing in line for about 20 minutes to checkout (note to self: don't go just after payday!) we finally get to leave the store.

As we're leaving the old "greeting lady" picks us out of the crowd and decides we need to show her a receipt. I very politely tell her no and keep on walking (wait, did I say politely? ). She proceeds to give us a VERY dirty look, runs over to the front doors with a notepad and pen, and stares at us while we load the car and leave, jotting down our license plate number as we go.

Seriously?!? c'mon!

</rant>

Anybody with wal-mart ties know what she thinks she’s going to do with that information? Do they really go back and check the cameras for everybody that doesn't show a receipt to see if you shoplifted?

[madurolover]

Why not just show the receipt?

[massphatness]

Originally Posted by madurolover

Why not just show the receipt?

Unless I missed something, I agree. There are some store's (BJ's Wholesale Club, for example) where you cannot leave without security checking your receipt.

[Lorglath]

Originally Posted by madurolover

Why not just show the receipt?

It's the principal

[madurolover]

Originally Posted by Lorglath

It's the principal

I would imagine that the employees have the option of checking anyones receipt that they want to.

[mikeyj23]

Originally Posted by Lorglath

It's the principal

The principle of taking 2 seconds of your time to prove that you purchased what you're walking out of the store with? The principle that thousands of dollars a day walk out the door of department stores and that cost gets transferred to us? The principle that loss prevention at stores like Wal-Mart keep prices down for the rest of us who don't steal?

[DonnieW]

Originally Posted by Lorglath

It's the principal

Principal of what, exactly? If one is still in the store - by law you're obliged to prove you paid. Whether they enforce it or not is another question. I would have simply showed her the receipt.

[epyon26]

Why, did you dress like you just robed a liquor store, or look like you stole something. Cause you know us cigar smokers, nothing but a bunch of cleptos.

[BigVito]

Originally Posted by madurolover

Why not just show the receipt?

Originally Posted by massphatness

Unless I missed something, I agree. There are some store's (BJ's Wholesale Club, for example) where you cannot leave without security checking your receipt.

Originally Posted by Lorglath

It's the principal

[SIZE="6"]WTF?!?![/SIZE]

Originally Posted by mikeyj23

The principle of taking 2 seconds of your time to prove that you purchased what you're walking out of the store with? The principle that thousands of dollars a day walk out the door of department stores and that cost gets transferred to us? The principle that loss prevention at stores like Wal-Mart keep prices down for the rest of us who don't steal?

Originally Posted by DonnieW

Principal of what, exactly? If one is still in the store - by law you're obliged to prove you paid. Whether they enforce it or not is another question. I would have simply showed her the receipt.

[BigVito]

Originally Posted by epyon26

Why, did you dress like you just robed a liquor store, or look like you stole something. Cause you know us cigar smokers, nonthing but a bunch of clepots.

I am not a pot, kettle maybe.

[massphatness]

Originally Posted by Lorglath

It's the principal

I'm am not trying to be an a$$hat, but what principal would that be? I'm not an attorney, but I would presume I would have to abide by the policies of a store if I wanted to shop there. Provided those policies were within the law, I don't simply get to flout them because I don't agree. I can always choose to shop elsewhere.

I can name a number of stores that use loss prevention techniques such as the one the OP describes. Refusing to have his receipt checked would raise suspicion given the store's policy. That in turn leads to the taking of the license plate number as described. What the store does at that point is anyone's guess, but I could see them filing a police report. Suspicion of shoplifting? I don't know.

My point is, if you decide to take a course of action outside what's generally expected in a given situation, you shouldn't be surprised if there are consequences.

[-MG-]

Originally Posted by DonnieW

...by law you're obliged to prove you paid...

To the best of my knowledge, it's the other way around. If they beleive you stole, they have to proove it. Once the transaction is complete, it's your property, not theirs, regardless of if you are in their store.

AFAIK, At least around here they can't physically detain you or have the legal authority to inspect your belongings, but they can call the police if they have reason to suspect you stole.

[madurolover]

Originally Posted by -MG-

To the best of my knowledge, it's the other way around. If they beleive you stole, they have to proove it. Once the transaction is complete, it's your property, not theirs, regardless of if you are in their store.

AFAIK, At least around here they can't physically detain you or have the legal authority to inspect your belongings, but they can call the police if they have reason to suspect you stole.

Not trying to give you a hard time but I just fail to understand why you would not just show the receipt.

[screwbag]

It was Profiling....Had to be.....

But it's fun to answer with a question....

they ask ... may i see your reciept?

then you ask....

1. May I see your ID?
2. May I see your Proof of residency?
3. Jesus Crhist your old....!!! Feels good doing work that a monkey could do huh?
4. do you change your depends on breaks? or wait till ya get home?

i dunno it's just fun to mess with people....
I always show my reciept if they ask....well,except the occasional time that I will have bought a couple of things...and I have a reciept....but when the old lady asked for my reciept I just clutched my bag....looked around all panicked....and then ran out of the store....
God i love messing with people! and will be fun tryng to see them accuse me of shoplifting...with a reciept...

In some locations if they stop you for being a presumed shoplifter and you aren't...you can press charges and win....in some states it falls under some vague false arrest fine print.... but now i'm just babbling......

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by -MG-

To the best of my knowledge, it's the other way around. If they beleive you stole, they have to proove it. Once the transaction is complete, it's your property, not theirs, regardless of if you are in their store.

And their first action to prove it would be to see whether or not everything in your possession was paid for, via the receipt.