Posted on 03/11/2011 7:51:18 PM PST by Daffynition
Rick is the Gandhi of receipt-check deniers. He writes in with a story of how he bought a 37 inch TV from Walmart and was able to successfully say no to the receipt checker blocking his way with his body. Rick did this by calmly and reasonably explaining his position to the assistant manager who showed up and by ignoring everyone around him who was trying to provoke him. Sometimes the quietest voice speaks the loudest.
Rick writes:
“ After work I stopped by the Walmart to pick up a TV for my girlfriend. After circling the whole store in search of the bathroom before realizing it was right next to the entrance, I made my way back to the Electronics section and picked out a TV quickly. I wanted a midsize Vizio, so I chose the 37" 1080p Eco model. I purchased the TV with my debit card at one of the rear registers about 20 feet away, and walked to the front of the store carrying the box in both hands.
I made it through the first set of doors into the front atrium of the store, but before reaching the outer doors I heard a man say "Sir?" I turned and faced Tony, the receipt checker.
Tony: May I see your receipt? Me: No thanks! Tony: Oh, ok.
I turned and continued walking towards to automatic doors. Tony called again, so I turned back.
Tony: No, I need to see your receipt. Me: No thank you! Tony: What do you mean? Me: I mean no thanks; I'm walking to my car with my purchase. Tony: Well, I need to see your receipt. Me: I just purchased this TV in the back of the store. I don't need to show you a receipt. Tony: Yes, you need to show me your receipt. Me: Actually, state law dictates that once I pay for something, I don't need to show ownership of it. I just paid for this TV, the receipt is in my pocket, but my hands are full, and I don't feel like getting it out. I'm going to leave now, thank you.
At this point Tony has positioned himself between me and the door. As I step towards the door he places his hand on the box in my hands and lightly pushes back, preventing me from moving.
Me: You cannot prevent me from leaving the store with my purchase. Please move out of the way. Tony: I can't just let you leave the store with a TV without checking your receipt.
At this point a woman, who has been standing with her family near some vending machine starts throwing snide comments at me such as "Just show him the receipt; it's not that hard" and "god, you don't have to be such a prick about it." This continues on for the rest of my "stay" here, but I choose to ignore her.
Me: Are you unlawfully detaining me? Tony: I just want to need to see your receipt before you leave. Me: I have paid for this, I have the receipt, but as I have said, state law protects my right to not need to prove ownership of something I have purchased. You cannot physically prevent me from leaving the store. I am now going to leave the store.
I try and step around Tony, but he again pushes on the box in my hands to prevent me from moving anywhere.
Me: Are you illegally detaining me? Tony: Yeah, if that's what you want to call it. (Realizing he just said something bad) Listen, Walmart policy says that I need to check your receipt. Me: Then Walmart's policy is in violation of Virginia state law. They should have informed you that you don'tneed to see a receipt. Tony: (Misunderstanding me) How could they have told me already that you'd bought this? Me: No, when Walmart trained you, they should have informed you that you can't force people to show their receipts. You can only ask. Tony: I'm just a first-class worker, I don't know about any of that.
Now I am starting to fill like the prick the woman near us keeps calling me. This atrium has two exterior doors on opposite sides, so I turn around ready to walk towards the other door to leave, but another receipt checker has walked up at this time. I can't remember her name, so I'll refer to her as S, since I believe that's what her name started with.
S asks me what's going on, and I explain that I'd like to take my purchase to my car, but Tony is demanding me to show a receipt. S agrees with Tony that I need to show my receipt for "purchases like this". I give her the same explanation I gave Tony, that by state law, I don't need to prove ownership of something I just purchased.
Me: You are welcome to check the security tapes to verify that I just purchased this TV at one of the registers in the back, but I don't need to prove ownership. S: You need to show your receipt before you leave the store. Me: According to state law, I don't. S: Well I'm sorry, sir, but that's Walmart policy. Me: Then Walmart's policy is in violation of state law. S: It's not that hard to show a receipt. Me: No, it's not hard at all, but state law says I don't have to. I'm going to leave the store now. S: No, the store manager is coming. Me: When is the store manager coming? S: The assistant store manager... Me: When is the assistant store manager coming? S: Yeah, she'll be right here. Me: Ok.
I finally put the box on the floor. (Woman: "Now just take four fingers, put them in your pocket, take out the receipt..." I'm mentally yelling at her, but completely ignore her externally.) After waiting (what felt like) 2 minutes the assistant store manager appeared around the corner. S walked towards her, and I waved at the store manager to show I wasn't threatening nor uncomfortable with her arrival (in fact I welcomed it.) S pointed towards me and walked somewhere else, but Tony stayed behind me the whole time. I can't remember the assistant store manager's name, either, so I'll refer to her as M.
M: Hello, sir, how are you today? Me: I'm doing fine, but I'd like to leave the store with my purchase. M: Well, what's the problem? Me: Tony, here, says I can't leave unless I show my receipt. M: Do you have your receipt? Me: Yes, but I just purchased the TV in the back of the store and had my hands full with the box, so I didn't want to take it out. Tony physically prevented me from leaving the store. Now I'm refusing to show me receipt for the principle of the matter. State law dictates that I do not need to prove ownership of something I have purchased, meaning I do not need to show a receipt. M: Hmm. (She thinks for a bit.) Where did you buy the TV? Me: In the back of the store. M: (Thinks a bit more.) There are two registers in the back. Me: *sigh* I purchased the TV at the register closest to the front of the store. There was a man checking out with his family at the register nearest the rear of the store. I paid for the TV with my debit card, and then picked up the TV myself. The cashier asked if I was going to carry it, and I said "yes, it's light." I then walked to the front of the store. M: (Thinks a bit more, taken aback at the detailed report.) Ok, sir, it is your choice to leave the store with your purchase. Me: Thank you.
I pick up the box, turn around, and tell Tony to "have a good night" as I exit the store.
The thing is, I bear no ill will towards the Walmart employees. They were simply not educated as to their role and lawful restrictions. I thought Walmart would have fixed this issue after all of the heat they've gotten about it over the years, but clearly this store didn't get an internal memo. The situation could have definitely gotten worse. I'm almost glad the second checker arrived, as I don't know what Tony would have done had I tried to exit the store through the other door. (He is an older gentleman, so I don't think he would have tried to tackle me, but if he had actually placed a hand on me or otherwise gotten more physical, I would have been placed in a very awkward position.)
I don't think an email to a Walmart executive will do anything. I'm open to any advice on how to inform this store's management about the situation, so that they can properly train their employees. I feel badly about my interaction with Tony and M, since the honestly believed they were doing their jobs. I feel like I should stop by and give them gift cards for performing admirably in the tough situation Walmart has put them in, but that might be received poorly. ”
"Don't fight it son. Confess quickly! If you hold out too long you could jeopardize your credit rating."
Your wife’s bonus is made a lot safer by W*M heading off lawsuits by training their door people that they have no authority to detain you.
Just keep out my way and all will be good.
I'm sure you feel the same eh!
Let’s scrape away all of the BS here. Your premise is flawed to begin with.
When you walk through the front door of that store you have made a tacit agreement to abide by the rules set forth by Wal Mart. If not they have the right to refuse you service.
When you purchased the TV, you again agreed to a set of rules set forth by Wal Mart called a purchase agreement. It includes the return policy etc. They are a private business, and therefore can set whatever rules they want to conduct business. You as a free American can choose to, or not to obey those rules. If you choose not to then you can choose to shop at another store whose rules you do agree with.
You do not have any “right” to shop at Wal Mart, and you do not have the “right” to break Wal Mart’s rules, immediately after you entered an agreement to abide by those rules when you made your purchase.
It’s the same argument we conservatives have been using for years abut the anti-smoking nazis. These are private businesses. If they want to allow smoking , and you don’t like smokers, then your right ends with your decision to go to an establishment that doesn’t allow smoking where you’ll be comfortable. You don’t have a right to go into the smoking business, and start demanding that everyone put out their cigar, or cigarette because you’re there and don’t like smoking.
So, my wife’s bonus aside, you are still off base. If you don’t like Wal Mart’s door policy, shop elsewhere. That sir is your “right”.
Safeway puts an orange tag on water bottle flats that’ve been rung up.
You absolutely would lose your job. Partly because it's not the greeter's job to stop suspected thieves anyway -- you'd be violating Wal-mart policy by detaining him; Wal-mart has security people for that.
And also because in the described scenario, there's no evidence of theft, so even if you were W*M security instead of a greeter, you'd still be guilty of criminal false imprisonment (and W*M would throw you under the bus so fast it'd make your head spin, since you were not following their procedures).
I think what you mean, is more than *prevent* a theft...it is to ingrain the policy that *everyone* is being watched and to make sure Mr. Six-Pack gets the message. ;)
Your misperception of someone "harassing the help" is in reality, someone who has the courage and conviction to stand up for their (and your) rights.
Pity you don't see the connection and apparently lack the personal courage to do so for yourself. Sure you want to be a member of a Conservative forum, where standing up for one's rights is to be APPLAUDED, not to be considered a nuisance?
Stop right there. That sentence is only good as long as Wal-Mart abides by the law.
That is not the case here, as has been demonstrated.
OK. But it appears you are wrong on the facts. Wal-mart has a policy encouraging ITS EMPLOYEE at the entrance to ask for a receipt for large/unbagged items, etc. Wal-mart DOES NOT have a rule that obligates customers to furnish a receipt upon exiting. I challenge you to find such a rule anywhere. Could they make one? Yeah. But they haven't. You're defending a fiction.
Just checking to see where receipt checking is against state law ~ in Virginia ~ and it’s not popping up. However, in Virginia if a merchant suspects you of shoplifting they can keep you for up to 1 hour awaiting the arrival of the police. Check this site: http://www.expertlaw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52469&page=1
I guess I've lived to long, for the freedoms I enjoyed have progressively been taken away while I was busy making a living and not paying attention. It must be why the ruling elite wants to hasten the demise of my generation for we remember to much that they want forgotten.
The whole concept is ridiculous to begin with, just put a goddamn red or orange or yellow dot sticker on the box, change the color daily, problem solved.
The article we are discussing has false information regarding the state of the law in this state.
Reserve your anger for the government's jack booted thugs.
End of story Br'r Sloth.
That’s true, but I’m not sure how it’s relevant to either me or the person I was replying to, as neither of us was badmouthing Wal-mart.
When we get seminar posters in here all following the same party line, and most of them attack Wal-Mart that usually means UNION AGITATION.
This guy is a jerk. Just show the receipt. It’s standard practice, to keep shoplifters from stealing stuff thus increasing costs. It’s not an invasion of privacy, it’s just demonstrating that you’ve purchased something.
It’s my understanding that some employees facilitate theft for other employees, allowing them to pass through the checkout lanes without paying for certain things. Checking a receipt is proof that something has been purchased, and not stolen.
P.S. Disconcerted means that I am saddened by all the Freepers who are saying “Submit ... It's easy ... just submit .... do not resist”
I know it's an old book full of old ideas but "1984" is a short read.
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