WALMART shoppers are getting so frustrated with the retailer’s anti-theft policies, they are calling on the company to let people steal.
For months major retailers like Walmart and Target have implemented various policies to combat retail theft.
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While the companies have defended the security measures as ways to protect shoppers and their merchandise, many customers claim it ruins their in-store experience.
Particularly, shoppers claim the new policies make it more difficult to buy certain items or that it takes longer to get out of the store.
These anti-theft policies often involve more security cameras, security officers, or even locking items on shelves.
Many retailers have even resorted to checking shoppers' bags and receipts as they walk out of the store.
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This security measure has been met with much criticism from customers – many of whom have said they refuse to comply with the request.
One Walmart customer recently claimed on X, formerly known as Twitter, that receipt checks have become such a nuisance, they would rather have people stealing.
“This is why the people who check your receipt at Walmart piss me off,” the shopper started.
“So for minimum wage, s**t hours, and no benefits, you’re going to bust your a** to save corporate daddy a few bucks from theft?
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“They care more about their profits than you. Let the people steal.”
In a separate post, the shopper clarified they would never personally shoplift, but did not believe it was wrong to steal from large corporations.
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“Small businesses are off limits, those are your neighbors and it cuts into their bottom line,” the shopper wrote.
“But Walmart isn’t gonna miss a few hundred bucks, they can write it off anyway.”
Walmart did not immediately respond to The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
Other Walmart shoppers have expressed their frustrations with the anti-theft policies.
Some say they refuse to stop when asked to show their receipt, while others have claimed employees accused them of stealing if they didn’t comply.
While many might feel pressured to show their receipt or bags when asked after checking out, legal experts have said most stores do not have any legal power to shop shoppers who refuse to comply.
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 Privilegelaws 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 attorneyAlex 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.
There are some retailers, like Sam’s Club and Costco, that operate on a membership-based system where customers have to agree to receipt checks when signing up.
Still, experts still urge shoppers to agree with the employee’s request to avoid any potential confusion.
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"You can say no, but maybe it creates an unnecessary hassle for yourself," Camron Dowlatshahi, a Los Angeles attorney and a founding partner at Mills Sadat Dowlat LLP, previously told The U.S. Sun.
“I would say, show your receipt. It’s just a really simple thing to do. If you didn’t steal anything, it’s relatively simple to do.”
