Did you know that it’s illegal for Wal-Mart to ask to see your receipt? Wait, how could that be illegal? They do it all the time!
At membership-only stores, like Sam’s Club, Costco or BJs, when you sign up for a membership, you’re agreeing to that store’s terms. Within those terms, they explicitly state that they may ask to see your receipt on your way out the door. And, as a condition of membership, you must oblige.
But, Wal-Mart isn’t a membership-only store. It’s open to the public. Anyone and everyone can shop there. Why anyone would actually want to is still just a mystery. But as such, you’re protected by the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Remember learning about that in elementary school … the Bill of Rights? So, what is the Fourth Amendment? The Fourth Amendment guards against unreasonable searches and seizures. It protects you from being illegally detained without reasonable suspicion that you have committed a crime.
Since Wal-Mart doesn’t require a membership to shop there, if they do not clearly and doubtlessly witness you shoplift, they cannot ask to see your receipt. If they only see you walking out the door with an item, but didn’t witness you take it off the shelf and bypass the cash registers, they cannot ask to see your receipt and they cannot detain you. Why? The presence of reasonable suspicion is missing. Simply watching you walk out the door isn’t sufficient reasonable suspicion. Therefore, they cannot legally ask to see your receipt and they certainly cannot stop you from leaving the store. After paying for your merchandise, your legal obligation to the store is complete and you are not required to submit to illegal requests to show proof of purchase on your way out the door.
Now, take a look at this: http://consumerist.com/362866/detained-and-harassed-at-walmart-for-not-showing-a-receipt. And, stop shopping at Wal-Mart!
March 14th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
[...] and working at Wal-Mart is becoming more dangerous with every passing day. From the illegal demands to see proof of purchase to the nazi t-shirts to the Wal-Mart employee being sued by Wal-Mart for money she won in an [...]
August 31st, 2008 at 1:49 pm
[...] Wal-Mart could institute that policy like that. They already harasses you for your receipt on the way out of the store. Maybe they could institute wallet inspections [...]