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. ”
Natural law has been apparent to people in a conscious sense ever since the first male offered a bunch of bananas to a willing female.
Muyiwah, I want some of what you’re smoking!!
I’ve never believed it was okay to beat up little old ladies! Or big young ladies, for that matter!
So, just to elucidate one more time, it is NOT a state law to show your receipt, it is perfectly legal to say “no thank you” when asked and be on your way. If they want to detain you, they must have probable cause that you have stolen something, but walking out of a store holding a bag in your hand, whilst refusing to show your receipt is NOT probable cause, they must have directly observed you pocketing something and walking out the door.
SO...showing a receipt is a VOLUNTARY action. The store cannot require you to show it, absent a written agreement, as in Costco, where I would show my receipt because the member signs an agreement stating he agrees to show the receipt!
Now, if it IS truly a voluntary action, you have every right to sidestep a line of people showing receipts, because it is VOLUNTARY. It is is if they are presenting departing customers with a survey, and asking customers to fill it out, you have the right to say “No thank you,” to the survey-takers, as well.
So, if one declines to answer a survey, or declines a free sample of jerky, or declines to sign up for a weekly sweepstakes or DECLINES TO SHOW THEIR RECEIPT, all you are doing is declining voluntary actions and sidestepping an action you don’t wish to be involved in. That is NOT line-jumping!
I hope you understand because there’s some fundamental issues involved here, that, if you grasp them, will truly expand your horizons!
Ed
You did not.
Your argument is invalid and your response incoherent in the context of the discussion.
You have not, and your post does not, answer the question:
Why is natural law on the side of Wal-Mart and not on the other side?
That question was prompted by the following statement from your post 335: "Natural law is also on the side of Wal-Mart."
I am humorless when that happens.
“Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”
>> Sorry but “Rick” is a dick. His little display is pointless. I’m not impressed by assholes.
A foolish comment given the ever increasing bureaucratic tyranny.
Generally speaking the term “bureaucracy” is used for government entities. However it could apply to Walmart as a stretch of the definition. Nonetheless if somebody doesn’t like Walmart’s security procedures I would suggest they purchase their TV somewhere else. Wouldn’t that be simpler? Why spend your money with a company who’s procedures you don’t care for?
I stand by my claim that “Rick” is an asshole and pretty much hold the same view of his defenders.
>> and much hold the same view of his defenders.
Are you calling me an asshole?
I knew many would make the same observation and comment about his posting and I wanted to be the first ... get it out of the way, as it were.
I have been following Al for a very long time here on FR because of his wry sense of humor and his ability to stir things up. I feel comfortable in thinking that every time he posts it is with a humorous grin on his face and a mischievous twinkle in his eye. ;-)
Wow...you are denser than a head of cabbage.
I don’t hold up the line, I say “no thank you” and step around the docile serfs, actually SHORTENING the wait for the servile type, like yourself.
Ed
What they are checking is the number of items. Since Sam’s doesn’t bag items, it’s easy for someone to have an item in their cart and not pay for it. We had an extra cheese in ours that the checker failed to ring up and it was caught at the door.
Not when you get into a hassle with the clerks. Then, too, you divert the attention of the security people ~ a trick frequently used so that another thief can operate a little easier.
“Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, Creeps in this snail mail pace from day to day To the last text of recorded tweets, And all our yesterdays have LED lighted fools The way to dusty co2 death. Out, out, brief Lithium battery! Life’s but a walking hologram, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon American Idol And then is heard no more: it is an ebook Told by an idiot, full of sound, fury and carbon credits, Signifying nothing.”
LOL! Excellent update ED.
Muyiwah, it is a voluntary act to show them my receipt. I choose to voluntarily not show them my receipt, end of story...
Ed
Like it or not, the store must operate within the LAW. If the law says you cannot FORCE someone to show a receipt for a purchase before leaving a store, you cannot do it.
You can ask, but you cannot force. I hate walmart for this very reason, and for others.
You’ve got your money, at this point I OWN everything in my bag, I have no legal obligation to PROVE to you I own it, and you have no legal right to harrass me as I leave your store.
bttt
I see, so you feel its okay for others to require you to show papers of ownership at their will??
Companies must operate within the law.. they can ask to see a receipt, but they cannot force, at least not in VA and if they prevent you from leaving, they are violating the law.
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