CUSTOMERS have shared their feelings regarding anti-theft measures, with many believing receipt checks and locking grocery carts are embarrassing for them.
One customer shared her story, revealing that the grocery store’s cart she was using locked and prompted a receipt check from a worker.
2
2
She had done nothing wrong and felt like she was being targeted by the store.
The woman discussed her experience with CTV Atlantic.
She was shopping at her local Superstore, a Canadian grocery store, when her shopping cart locked as she left the location.
The moment prompted a receipt check from a worker.
“I called the customer service and I explained my experience,” she said.
“Why would the gentleman ask for my receipt? He said, well, we’ve been having a lot of theft.”
“And I said ‘I’m going to stop you right there.’
“I have shopped here for many, many, many years. I’m 56 years old. I have never stolen a thing in my life,'” she said.
Even though the worker was simply doing their job, the woman didn’t like the experience.
She’s now reconsidering doing her grocery shopping elsewhere.
Various retailers have employed new ways to prevent thefts, including locking carts, prompting receipt checks, and more.
It appears like the wheel-locking technique has been successful in curbing theft, with a spokesperson for Loblaws, a Canadian grocery store, revealing that the measure has had positive effects in Ontario.
“Over the past few years, we’ve introduced a number of different technologies to help mitigate this risk, including smart-wheel technology in carts and plexiglass along certain rails,” said a Loblaw spokesperson.
“This has made a huge difference.”
While some shoppers dislike these security measures, others are OK with them, especially since they prevent price hikes.
“I’m OK with the anti-theft measures because if they don’t have them more gets stolen and our prices go up,” said a shopper.
“I do care about there being jobs, cashiers and that kind of thing.”
“But I don’t think people realize how much theft there actually is in retail and grocery stores these days. So I’m all for it.”
“You can check my receipt any time. I’ve got nothing to hide.”
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 Privilege laws 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 attorney Alex 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.
Credit Gist New Today News in Newspaper Nigeria Headlines
