Was What Happened to Me Legal?

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Quoting bam!

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Ok....will an email suffice? I just get irked when products are pushed when people don't need them.

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Yes...........

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Quoting ragedracer

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I have been shopping at Wal-Mart for ~20 years. This has never happened to me before. So if I don't know before I enter the store, what then? I should submit to a voluntary search, that isn't really voluntary, because if I refuse, I give them reasonable cause to believe I'm a shoplifter. Also, by declining to show my receipt, I should be submitted to forceful detention, and be openly accused of shoplifting in front of who knows how many other customers? That doesn't seem right..

rr

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You're right. It doesn't seem right, and what happened to you, in a word, sucks. But that IS policy for a lot of retailers.

I'm surprised no one has asked you for your receipt before - it's certainly the practice at the WalMarts around here and in every other one I've been dragged into.

It's one of the reasons I don't shop there. I also skip Best Buy, for the same reason.

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Quoting LawResearcherMissy

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You're right. It doesn't seem right, and what happened to you, in a word, sucks. But that IS policy for a lot of retailers.

I'm surprised no one has asked you for your receipt before - it's certainly the practice at the WalMarts around here and in every other one I've been dragged into.

It's one of the reasons I don't shop there. I also skip Best Buy, for the same reason.

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I've heard of it, but its never happened to me. So, I guess then, retailer policy trumps your rights as a citizen? Does their policy expose me to forceful restraint when I have done nothing wrong, nor have they even observed me doing something wrong.

What if they said they needed you to remove your shirt before leaving? Would that be OK, since an innocent person has nothing to hide? How far can they go?

rr

The average person in the street is asking themselves; "So why didn't you just shwo them the receipt? Especially after it became clear they wouldn't let you leave."

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Quoting Security Consultant

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You need to re-read what I wrote. I think you will find that I disagree with what happened to you.

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I see that, but then you agreed with Missy.

What if they were singling out every hispanic person? Would your advice be, "if you don't like it, find somewhere else to shop"? Or are certain civil rights greater than others?

rr

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Quoting Scruit

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The average person in the street is asking themselves; "So why didn't you just shwo them the receipt? Especially after it became clear they wouldn't let you leave."

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In the same vein, what about being stopped by the police? Should you just let them search your car just because? I mean, hey, if you're innocent, why not? right?

rr

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Quoting Scruit

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The average person in the street is asking themselves; "So why didn't you just shwo them the receipt? Especially after it became clear they wouldn't let you leave."

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Ok, so I'm average. Why didn't you? Really?
No thank you?
If I asked you for your receipt (I would have had a reason, btw), I would expect the average honest person to give it to me.

I would have.

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Quoting mmmagique

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Ok, so I'm average. Why didn't you? Really?
No thank you?
If I asked you for your receipt (I would have had a reason, btw), I would expect the average honest person to give it to me.

I would have.

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Because I didn't feel like it. I had places to be. I had done nothing wrong. based on the fact that they were checking EVERYONE's receipt their reason is just because. Trying to say that this prevents shoplifting is baloney. Almost all losses to shrinkage can be attributed to employees. Either stealing or making errors.

If the police stop every car on the road and ask to search it, would you say yes or no when they got to your car? Would saying no give them probable cause to detain you? They didn't suspect you of anything, they are just stopping everyone. They have no reason, otherwise, to believe you have or are committing a crime.

rr

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Quoting ragedracer

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Because I didn't feel like it. I had places to be. I had done nothing wrong. based on the fact that they were checking EVERYONE's receipt their reason is just because. Trying to say that this prevents shoplifting is baloney. Almost all losses to shrinkage can be attributed to employees. Either stealing or making errors.

If the police stop every car on the road and ask to search it, would you say yes or no when they got to your car? Would saying no give them probable cause to detain you? They didn't suspect you of anything, they are just stopping everyone. They have no reason, otherwise, to believe you have or are committing a crime.

rr

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The consitution doesn't govern the behaviour of companies. Even if it did, asking you to show them the piece of paper that you were given by the checkout 50 feet away is not unreasonable.

You didn't say anythign about them trying to search you. If you want the us a cop analogy then the receipt is like your license plate. If you refuse to show your plate then the police will think you are breaking the law.

I know you don't like it, but the fact remains that I believe an objective view of the facts presented must conclude that the LP has every reason to suspect that you had stolen the contents of the cart, and that you created (and certainly prolonged) the confrontation. It would also be unreasonable totell walmart that they cannot detain people they suspect of theft. You said yourself your path tot he door was not directly from the checkout (which would not have raised suspicions) but instead could easily have appeared to be an attempt to bypass the registers.

Your state may consider the employee grabbing your arm to be a crime - the police will asnwer that question for you if you call them to make a report. Otherwise, live and learn. If they have a policy of seeing a receipt when you exit the store apparently bypassing the checkouts, then don't go back there unless you;re willing to show your receipt.

You have going there for 20 years you know the policy. Why not just have the reciept ready. I seldom shop Walmart (prefer Target) but when I am in there I have the recipet ready.