Calm Man Successfully Buys TV And Denies Walmart Receipt Checkers

TheConsumerist ^ | March 7, 2011 | Ben Popken

[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. ”

[muawiyah]

Sounds like we have a den of thieves pushing a point solely to their advantage.

We have an open carry law. You ol'boys go delaying people getting out of the store by playing games with the receipt checkers you might just find out that doesn't mean walking around with a popped beer bottle eh.

Politeness first, then go home and beat your dogs or something.

[Sir_Ed]

Hah hah!

Ed

[muawiyah]

Your pre-requisites are very subject to judicial interpretation ~ and I assure you the judges would look at a punk like you and decide you stole it even if you paid for it.

Just some folks like that.

And don't delay the lines ~ the customers don't like that, and they are not Wal-Mart, and frankly THEY DON'T CARE WHAT KIND OF PUNK YOU ARE ~

[Thumper1960]

When WallyWorld decides it is their policy to use full body scans to check every "customer", you'll be fine with that. After all, "They are a private business, and therefore can set whatever rules they want to conduct business." (Though, of course, they can't 'set whatever rules they want') Most thinking people wouldn't be. Of course, if you want your wife's bonus to inflate, perhaps she and her fellow employees should stop stealing from WallyWorld and thereby cut down on the losses at that particular retailer.

By way of full disclosure, I worked there for a short time during the early part of this manufactured "recession" and know quite a few things about WallyWorld. They didn't get to be big by being customer friendly nor pro-American.

[Sir_Ed]

Okay...say I cede your point, a store can make you abide by any agreement, even if it violates state law.

Okay, then let’s have Wal-Mart force everyone to burn any leftist literature they have at home, if you want to shop there, ya’ gotta burn the Communist Manifesto and any books by Bill Ayers.

Also, any one that wants to shop there must register third-party Independent and promise to vote for Conservative pro-lifers over the next ten years.

And, they have to give $10 to the Salvation Army! And they have to promise not to swear at anybody, to not watch any X-rated movies, and to go to church every Sunday, ONLY if the church is Christian and conservative!

Hey, I like this idea of saying stores can force you to do anything they want, even if it’s against state law! Thanks, great idea!

Ed

[Rebelbase]

So, earlier in the day I explained this article to my girlfriend along with the slow erosion of liberty in this country.

Tonight we ate out and when ordering I asked for a substitution on a special and was told by the waitress, no dice, it’s not allowed. I acquiesced and my girlfriend says, “aren’t you going to say something? Your rights are being denied”. I about spit my drink across the table.

[Thumper1960]

One merely exiting a store with a purchased item is not evidence of a suspected theft. Since no loss prevention agent nor store employee observed a person taking or concealing an item for the purpose of theft, there can be no suspicion of theft. Unless, of course, the retailer suspects all customers of theft and treats all customers accordingly. Retailers would do better to strip search their own employees and monitor their executives 24/7 to greatly reduce financial losses.

[muawiyah]

Everyone should have already burned any leftist literature they keep at home.

What's wrong with you?

[Publius6961]

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.”

You're probably right. The only thing necessary for evil to triumph, it an endless stream of IQ-challenged DemonRats who can keep saying "Just following orders..."

In deference to the sheep here, wondering why you were being a "dick," perhaps you can print out the citation of the state law you are aware of and cite it on the back of a tee shirt, or something.

[Sir_Ed]

I’m a union member? Damn, I didn’t know that! I didn’t know self-employed web designers joined unions!

Who’s my shop steward then? Since I’m the only one here, it must be me! But...I don’t know which local we belong to...

And I’m a seminar poster? The last seminar I went to was 30+ years ago, in Spokane, to a Bill Gaither seminar...and we didn’t discuss Wal-Mart, we discussed the Bible, marriage and God.

Ed

[muawiyah]

I always get substitutions on specials ~ and the waiters make sure that happens for me every single time.

I also tip them.

There are some people who couldn't get a substitution if it were nothing but mashed potatoes instead of french fries.

[Publius6961]

Sorry but “Rick” is a dick. His little display is pointless. I’m not impressed by assholes.

If he is right, I must agree someone else here is the cute word you just used.

Lie down and lick boot, if that's your choice.

[Thumper1960]

How does it feel to be an azzhole?

I’ve never been able to know what it’s like, but since you are one, enlighten the rest of us.

You toss out the commie tag when you can’t get your way and folks won’t knuckle down to your way of thinking. We call this being authoritarian.

It’s also called being an azzhole.

[KrisKrinkle]

“Natural law is also on the side of Wal-Mart.”

Expand on that please.

What logic leads to the conclusion that natural law, with its basis in a state of nature, is on the side of Wal-Mart, a corporation that could not exist in a state of nature, whose very existence requires an organized society.

This is a request for information, not a dig.

[Publius6961]

Is there punctuation in your future?

You're not familiar with al baby, are you.

[muawiyah]

You funny little friends already tossed the commie card earlier so I thought I'd give it back to you.

The problem with punks who want to push around the employees at Wal-Mart is that they're all union geeks who like to spend their weekends beating up old ladies in Wisconsin.

We know your type.

[Sir_Ed]

Actually, the opposite’s prolly true...some good ol’ boys I know who open carry (we have it here, too) if some clerk grabbed their shoulder and said they were being held against their will, they’d prolly be inclined to pull their gun and stop the clerk from illegally detaining them.

It’s the way ALL Americans used to feel, till the Docile Sheep Ethos raised its simpering head...

Ed

[muawiyah]

“Organization” is elemental. The state of nature could not exist without it.

[Sir_Ed]

That’s why I just walk around the lines...I’m not a sheep, docilely submitting to people ordering me around, against state law.

I just walk around the docile serfs, meekly submitting to an authority they have no actual duty to submit to...it’s scary, how submissive some Americans have become.

Ed

[Sir_Ed]

Zooom, right over your head!

It’s called IRONY.

Ed