ANTI-theft measures like receipt checks continue to provoke the ire of shoppers who claim they are not legally obligated to hand anything over to employees after checking out.
As more retailers continue to implement increased security policies in an attempt to curb retail theft, shoppers have repeatedly blasted the measures, claiming it ruins the customer experience.
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Receipt checks, bag checks, and items behind locked on shelves have grown increasingly common in major retailers like Walmart and Target across the country.
At the same time, shoppers have turned to social media to air out their frustrations.
“I’m tired of them trying to check my receipt at the door at Walmart,” one shopper previously said.
“Like if you wanted to check soo bad, y’all should have been behind them mf cash registers.”
“One thing I’m not gonna do is wait in the Walmart check receipt line,” another said.
“That line was super long and that lady looked at me crazy when I walked right past her. I’m not about to let you look at my ticket for some ground beef.”
“It’s time to consider boycotting the self-checkout lanes at Costco as it’s evident that they need to hire more employees to improve the overall customer experience,” another shopper said after a lengthy receipt check experience.
Are you required to show your receipt?
Attorney Amy Loftsgordon warns that customers of membership-only stores like Costco may have agreed to receipt checks when signing up.
If you aren’t required, Loftsgordon says you can refuse and won’t be detained unless staff has reasonable suspicion of shoplifting.
Still, she says there are benefits to complying.
Some have even urged other customers to avoid complying with the policies, saying shoppers have no legal obligation to hand over their receipt in most stores.
One shopper recently took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, to advise other shoppers on when exactly they might actually be forced to hand over a receipt.
“Also a reminder… The only place that can make you show a receipt is Costco because you agree to it when you buy a membership,” the shopper said.
“We should be refusing to check/scan receipts at all other stores. They can’t legally hold you in the store because you refuse. So, refuse.”
Legal experts have agreed that generally, most shoppers aren’t required to hand over receipts when asked after checking out.
However, attorney Amy Loftsgordon from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, said it can depend on the circumstance.
Refusing a receipt check by itself typically shouldn’t cause a store employee to stop customers from leaving the store, Loftsgordon has said.
However, they can take further action if there is reasonable suspicion that the customer was shoplifting.
If there is no reasonable suspicion, the attorney said it would be inappropriate for any store employee to stand in the way of a customer, use abusive language or physically detain a shopper.
Loftsgordon said that most employees should be aware that customers cannot be detained for failing to show a receipt.
However, this is not always the case and she recommends staying calm and asking to see a manager if you find yourself in this situation.
Loftsgordon does also warn that membership stores – like Costco and Sam’s Club – may have clauses in their contracts requiring customers to agree to receipt checks when leaving the store.
“Under the terms of your agreement, the store doesn’t need to suspect that you engaged in shoplifting to detain you at the door,” she said.
Even if you don’t have to comply with a store’s receipt check request, Loftsgordon still recommends complying anyway.
“Stores do spot checks to ensure that the cashier put all of your items in your cart, and to keep costs down by deterring shoplifting,” she said.
“So, undergoing a receipt check ultimately benefits you and might be worth a little hassle.”
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