Wal-Mart sightings

[smileyeagle1021]

yes... this is a first for me... sightings that don't involve UTA

I was at the Wal-Mart on 1300 south... this is actually one of the better wal-marts... but it's also right across the street from a haunted house... and everyone at the haunted house likes to park in the garage at wal-mart... and they will just walk up and down the traffic ramp... this sucks because there is are blind corners and no pedestrian space on the ramps... these hooligans were also raumping around wal-mart as well, trying to jump over the safety pole things in front of the doors, running around the aisles, basically being a nuisance... what is it about halloween that brings out the suck in people.

Oh and the employees overall were nice... except for one. Now, I don't mind having my receipt checked on my way out... I know that is standard practice there for anytime there is an item that doesn't fit in a bag the receipt gets checked... I accept that as the cost of keeping the prices down... that said... seriously... if I already have my receipt out and am walking towards you, please don't have a spasm yelling so the entire store can hear (quite a feet in that store) "sir sir, you can't leave until you show me your receipt"... what the hell... I was doing nothing to indicate that I was trying to sneak past you... in fact I went out of my way to make it clear that I intended to stop and show my receipt because I know that's the store policy.

[Fenrus]

Smiley... this is the Wal-Mart on 13th south... you know, the whole "edge of Glendale/Rose Park" Wal-mart? I know you made no effort to run, but there are quite a few people who would. It's probably engrained into EVERYONE's mind that works there that you have to yell it, not for the people exiting, but for the people shopping or checking out who WOULD try to run by...

Besides, the Millcreek wal-mart is better... cuz it's in MY jurisdiction... :P

[smileyeagle1021]

yes Fenrus, but two things, first their selection sucks, second it is the opposite direction from me heading to work (the whole point was that I wanted to pick up my weekend snack supply for work, as well as a new heater while I'm there because my furnace is broken )

[marasbaras]

These days, I'm not as militant as I used to be with the door checkers (mostly, 'cause I live in the Philippines and the door guards who check your receipt are real guards ... with pistols).

However, had some lame moron been like that to me (and he didn't have a gun), my response is simply "forget you".

[unperson]

Ummm.. Not Legal.

Unless Wal-Mart has a paid membership in play now, they have no legal right to stop you going out the door - it is Loss Preventions' jurisdiction, and they have very specific policies about what MUST be seen, IN PERSON, to stop someone.*

Sams' Club and Costco get away with this because checking receipts at the door is part of the membership policy - if you don't want to comply, you cannot be a member.

When I'm confronted at the door by the receipt-checkers, I either walk past them without a word - or, if they're yelling, I tell them to call the cops if they're concerned I'm shoplifting... otherwise I'm walking out with my purchased goods.

Don't comply with unlawful orders given by people with a false sense of power. I don't care what your Corporate Policy Book says - if you try to stop me from leaving simply because you want to look at the receipt for the goods I've just bought, I will enjoy discussing the consequences of unlawful detention with you. I'll still let you read my receipt, since I'm not a total d!ck, but I will also be calling the police to handle MY complaint.

*Note - CA resident, so this may be different elsewhere.

[smileyeagle1021]

*Note - CA resident, so this may be different elsewhere.

yes, in many places refusing to show receipt is grounds for suspicion, in which case LP has every right to hold a person...

...that said, at least in Salt Lake the attitude is that if it bothers you that much feel free to go to the Target on the other side of the valley, they charge more, but hey, they don't check receipts.

and part of my opinion on it is, that if I want to have any claim to say that people have to follow my rules on my property, that means that I have to be willing to follow other people's rules on their property, otherwise I'm a hypocrite.

[otakuneko]

They don't check receipts at the Walmart I went to a week or two ago. And I was walking out, item in hand, receipt in pocket.

'course, said item was a wallet, and already taken out of its container. Anyone looking might've assumed I had walked in with it rather than just bought it.

[Primer]

I know that is standard practice there for anytime there is an item that doesn't fit in a bag the receipt gets checked.

I can understand if *everything* in my cart is not in a bag, but when most is and a little (20 lb bag of dog food) is not, how do they think I got past check-out without paying for it? Do *they* know that their checkers are that bad? No offense to any WM checkers reading this.

I don't get upset about it. It's faster and easier to just show my receipt.

[freeatlast]

yes Fenrus, but two things, first their selection sucks, second it is the opposite direction from me heading to work (the whole point was that I wanted to pick up my weekend snack supply for work, as well as a new heater while I'm there because my furnace is broken )

You should be in Indiana right now - highs in the low 80s today, tomorrow and Monday. You wouldn't need a heater. In fact, it is so warm in my (2nd floor) apartment right now, that I have been thinking of turning on the AC for the evening.

[Jack Doe]

yes, in many places refusing to show receipt is grounds for suspicion, in which case LP has every right to hold a person...

...that said, at least in Salt Lake the attitude is that if it bothers you that much feel free to go to the Target on the other side of the valley, they charge more, but hey, they don't check receipts.

and part of my opinion on it is, that if I want to have any claim to say that people have to follow my rules on my property, that means that I have to be willing to follow other people's rules on their property, otherwise I'm a hypocrite.

Bah, y'all know my opinion on the receipt check issue, but again REFUSAL TO SHOW A RECEIPT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE REASONABLE SUSPICION, regardless of jurisdiction. Again, read Terry v Ohio ruling which supersedes any state law.

[marasbaras]

I still say the simple solution is to setup the entrances and exits so that you can't leave without having gone through a checkout line ... makes it much easier to watch everyone.

I showed my receipt at Costco. BTW, has anyone noticed that the people checking receipts at Wal-Mart don't even seem to pay attention? What's the point?

@unperson: same thing in WA. If they detain you, it must be for shoplifting or some other crime. The law gives the legitimate customer the benefit of the doubt. As it should be.

[Auto]

When I'm confronted at the door by the receipt-checkers, I either walk past them without a word - or, if they're yelling, I tell them to call the cops if they're concerned I'm shoplifting... otherwise I'm walking out with my purchased goods.

Don't comply with unlawful orders given by people with a false sense of power. I don't care what your Corporate Policy Book says - if you try to stop me from leaving simply because you want to look at the receipt for the goods I've just bought, I will enjoy discussing the consequences of unlawful detention with you. I'll still let you read my receipt, since I'm not a total d!ck, but I will also be calling the police to handle MY complaint.

Bravo.

Totally agree.

[Auto]

yes, in many places refusing to show receipt is grounds for suspicion, in which case LP has every right to hold a person...

Nope.

LP has no rights beyond holding you until the cops arrive.

And if cops find you did nothing that merits arrest, Wal-Mart's on the hook.

[smileyeagle1021]

And if cops find you did nothing that merits arrest, Wal-Mart's on the hook.

exactly...

they'd be stupid to say refusing to show receipt shows you shoplifted and to hold you for it because they would be on the hook if it turns out that you didn't shoplift... after all, people can call the police for whatever reason they want... they just have to face the consequences when it turns out to be bullshit...

that said... I'd rather just take the 30 seconds to show the damned receipt than however long it would take to get the police involved to prove a point.

[South Texan]

BTW, has anyone noticed that the people checking receipts at Wal-Mart don't even seem to pay attention?

Not only have I noticed it, I once handed the guy a receipt for something I bought a week before, and he never even looked to see if the receipt matched the item or was for the correct date.