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Walmart (Prevention Loss), the schadenfreude is delicious!
- Thread starter GraveRobberX
- Start date
old manatee
Banned
I've never been to Germany, so I'll take your word for it that this type of scenario consistently ends without drama.
I've lived in a couple of broke ass areas in the US, and pretty much every big store you go into has some maniac profiling and harassing the customers. They often don't have proper training, any real legal authority, or accountability. If they have been provided a Segway they will stand on it and yell down at you.
John Rabbit
Banned
Literally the opening frame of the video (hands on cart, blocking her way) and I'm roiling inside.
I have zero doubt that if she was a man, or was with a man, this wouldn't have happened.
I have zero doubt that if she was a man, or was with a man, this wouldn't have happened.
I listen to "you stay out da wadah" just as often...
Gordon Shumway
Banned
lol..Love it.
In the U.S., selling alcohol to a minor will get the store fined up the ass and possibly the cashier arrested, so it makes sense why that is reasonable.
Looking into the bags of customers when you have no reason to think they're stealing does nothing, except waste everyone's time.
I work at a Walmart while in college and the only time anyone checks any receipts is if the detector goes off, usually a quick 10 second look and they're done. That makes sense. Otherwise we're advised to use 'aggressive hospitality', which means if we see someone in the store look like they're trying to steal something we'll go up and ask if we can help them with finding anything. If someone is obviously stealing something (running out with carts full of items) we'll usually have someone follow and get a license plate for the police.
No need to make innocent customers feel like criminals.
The Jackdog
Member
selling alcohol to minors is illegal. im also not checked everywhere. some stores only need to check if i dont look 21. some have to no matter what, which i get either way.
the other is accusing me of being a criminal. youre looking into my bags for no reason other than you think anyone coming to buy stuff at your store is out to rob you.
eh. Saturn "security" in Germany once wanted to check my backpack. dumb fuckers. of course I'd forgotten that I had my scrubs dvds in it and they went ape shit lol, manager came and let me "leave" lol.
today I'd just say "no, call the police if you want to have a look"..but I've never been asked that again. but I also stopped going to saturn or other big stores.
LumpOfCole
Member
I think this exact situation happened in an episode of Superstore.
ElectricBlanketFire
Member
"gonna take me to cussin jail?"
Legit spit-take. This lady is a hero.
Legit spit-take. This lady is a hero.
Z_Y
Member
Ninja Scooter
Member
Lmao
Checking ID go buy alcohol is a legal requirement. Asking to see someone's bag or receipt for things hey have already purchased and legally belong to them is not.
So did you end up getting fired?
Did the lady you confronted get sent to cussing jail?
How? He's someone who asks to check customer's bags, as this thread is complaining about. He's from the other side of things. How is that irrelevant?
Ninja Scooter
Member
You should be mad at your employer for having such a stupid and pointless policy.
I would like the answer to this as well. Why did he concede he was wrong? The website supported him and she just said to ring it up. He didn't, so for all he knows she was doubling down on her bluff.
No, I don't think she stole anything. I'm just trying to understand what happened.
One is invasive, the other isn't. So...
http://i.imgur.com/UwjVyeL.png
Sounds like the other guy found the clearance sticker right there at around 1:30 in the video
chekhonte
Member
If forcing people to open their personal property isn't an allegation or suspicion then what is it?
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Okay, so a few things:
1) Being polite doesn't get someone off the hook for doing something disagreeable. Kindness isn't sounding kind, it's being kind.
2) You correctly say it's not your fault, but the consumers have no way of airing their grievances with the person whose fault it is, so it not technically being your fault is not likely to be of comfort to consumers.
3) Bag checks are a policy that inconvenience consumers and provide no benefit to them. I would agree to a bag check if I got a discount on my next purchase. Employee shrink is a far greater challenge for retail than consumer shoplifting. The marginal impact of shoplifting on sticker prices is essentially zero. A company of course has a prerogative to do things that benefit themselves and not consumers, but consumers have a prerogative to respond negatively to those things. And also, most stores that do bag checks lie by claiming the bag checks are about protecting consumers, and it's offensive to be condescended to.
I personally do not abuse bag checkers (although I have walked past them a few times when I've been in a rush), but let's not lose sight of the actual problem here.
I didn't catch that, good eye.
SuperBanana
Banned
Any store is perfectly in their right to ask to ask for proof of purchase. Otherwise you can walk out with anything and claim it's legally yours. A store belongs to someone and is private property which means they're allowed to check your bag if you enter it.
You have to physically witness theft.
killdatninja
Banned
I'll preface by saying I don't mind getting my bags checked as long as it's quick, if it's more than a minute, I'm more than mildly annoyed.
You act like someone checking the bag for 2 seconds actually does something. Let's say someone in AP actually discovers that the this one person actually *legitimately* stole an item and has it in the bag. There's nothing that AP person can legally do other than publicly shame that person (like this douche bag did in the video). So my question to you.. What does bag checking actually accomplish?
Nothing.
The proper protocol is follow the person on cam (or by "pretending" to work around the area he's in), catch the theft on cam & call the cops. Never confront the thief for stealing when you have no real authority to do so. Everything else is dumb rent-a-cop tactics.
Soapbox Killer
Grand Nagus
IN Pa the law is basically you have no right to enter a private establishment even if the place sells goods and services. Therefore once you enter the premise, you are subject to whats called "good faith". So unless you do something that shows criminal intent of theft or fraud (popping off the tags from an unpaid shirt), no one "should" approach you demanding to search or recover items until you pass all "points of sale" . So stuffing you school bag full of DVD and games is completely legal until you pass the checkout counter. Detaining shoplifters is completely legal so long as you have " Line of sight" to the action of theft or fraud"
First rule of loss prevention: If you didn't see it, it didn't happen. On camera or in person.
Also, "Booster Bags" (a bag lined with a layer of aluminum foil that blocks rfid signals so you dont "beep" when you walk out with stolen shit) will get you locked up even if you don't steal anything if you are in a retail environment and its a felony.
Why is this allowed?
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
A store is "perfectly in their right" to do virtually anything -- the question is whether what they're doing is practical, reasonable, and actually accomplishes anything.
... you can do this with bag checks too. Theft is theft, and not theft is not theft. The reason they do bag checking is for their own convenience of not needing to get law enforcement involved when they suspect someone is shoplifting but can't prove it and to deter other potential shoplifters from taking a chance. It's not because the bag checking has any force of law. If you don't want to have your bags checked, walk right on out.
Ninja Scooter
Member
And a customer is well within their rights to tell the stores to fuck off. A store can't then hold you hostage and make you prove that you aren't a criminal:
Soapbox Killer
Grand Nagus
This is when the LP officer better be right, or his his is fired and the company is out of some cash, $5000 was the standard settlement. You have people who's only job in life is to trick the LP into thinking that they stole something so you approach them and they sue the company for deformation of character. If the Lp agent is insistent then you call the police and or sheriff and let them decide, no different than if a guy on the street accuses another guy of stealing from his car or something.
demigod
Member
I don't mind Best Buy, Fry's, Costco for checking my receipt. What pisses me off is Walmart checking MINE instead of the person in front of me(i go with my wife and 4 year old son). Must be because i'm asian. I didn't want to make a scene because she was a very old lady, but next time i probably will.
My problem with the receipt checkers isn't a legality question, it's that the whole thing is security theater. They aren't preventing theft. If I wanted to steal from Wal-Mart it would be incredibly easy.
We bought $200 of groceries and the cart was full. A single gallon of milk was left unbagged since they, you know, have their own handle built in. Red alert! The doorman had to scour through the long receipt to make sure we paid for the 97 cent gallon of milk.
I said "Sure, you got me. I bought everything else and thought I could steal the cheapest thing in the cart by placing it in clear view instead of hiding it under all of this other stuff"
"I'm just doing my job"
An all-time classic defense.
One time the door person abandoned her post, so like anybody should do in that situation I just left the building. She comes chasing after me across the parking lot yelling that she "must" check my receipt.
It's absurd. I think they should operate like Scrabble challenges. You want to hold me up and make an implication of theft? Fine. But when you check my receipt item by item and see I've stolen nothing I get a refund and my entire cart for free. There needs to be some risk to the store for the amount of my time they waste.
I get it though, I have no rights in your privately owned building so you are free to treat me like trash. The same companies worried about Amazon putting them out of business are happy to make their default position that of "all customers are thieves." I can't wait for the day Amazon grocery expands to my area.
We bought $200 of groceries and the cart was full. A single gallon of milk was left unbagged since they, you know, have their own handle built in. Red alert! The doorman had to scour through the long receipt to make sure we paid for the 97 cent gallon of milk.
I said "Sure, you got me. I bought everything else and thought I could steal the cheapest thing in the cart by placing it in clear view instead of hiding it under all of this other stuff"
"I'm just doing my job"
An all-time classic defense.
One time the door person abandoned her post, so like anybody should do in that situation I just left the building. She comes chasing after me across the parking lot yelling that she "must" check my receipt.
It's absurd. I think they should operate like Scrabble challenges. You want to hold me up and make an implication of theft? Fine. But when you check my receipt item by item and see I've stolen nothing I get a refund and my entire cart for free. There needs to be some risk to the store for the amount of my time they waste.
I get it though, I have no rights in your privately owned building so you are free to treat me like trash. The same companies worried about Amazon putting them out of business are happy to make their default position that of "all customers are thieves." I can't wait for the day Amazon grocery expands to my area.
Aeriscloud
Banned
KEEP IT UP!
shira
Member
I think the local and state police just fast tracked his application.
Prolly starting at Lieutenant.
peteykirch
Member
You do understand that sometimes they are there to actually help the customer?
Case and example one time at Costco I didn't notice the cashier scan something twice when I only had one. Person working the door checked my receipt saw that I had less items than the receipt showed, realized they double scanned something else, and I got my money back on something I didn't buy.
I will say most of the time it's just "security theater" because a place like Wal*Mart really doesn't care about theft.
I worked there during one Black Friday and they had the genius idea of leaving all the game cases wide open so people didn't have to wait for someone to unlock it. What happened? I went into the bathroom which was adjacent to electronics and found about 15 gutted video game cases. They will look the other way at any chance to sell more merchandise.
Even though you're using Costco as an example...
Do they also only selectively help aside from selectively checking your receipt/searching your cart?
Are they being paid to look at your receipt for you so you don't fuck up when you completely ignore it?
Also, I'm willing to bet yours will be one of few, if any, where someone at the door has helped instead of harassed.
peteykirch
Member
They are being paid to do both, though I'm sure the majority of the time it's too look for theft versus a cashier overcharging someone.
hammysaurusrex
Member
I switched all my merchandise purchases over to Amazon. It's great not being treated like a criminal while I shop.
I do Costco for groceries. Costco does do receipt checks... but it's usually an 80 year old super friendly gentlemen in a wheelchair that just looks at the cart for all of 2 seconds and then puts his yellow highlight on the receipt. I'm okay with that two seconds of my time providing that dude with employment.
I do Costco for groceries. Costco does do receipt checks... but it's usually an 80 year old super friendly gentlemen in a wheelchair that just looks at the cart for all of 2 seconds and then puts his yellow highlight on the receipt. I'm okay with that two seconds of my time providing that dude with employment.
GraveRobberX
Platinum Trophy: Learned to Shit While Upright Again.
Sometimes it benefits in your favor!
As posted above, sometimes double scans go through.
The item count and what your leaving with do stand out and the people are very nice and helpful.
My uncle bought diapers for his granddaughter, he bought 2 boxes was charged 3, he also had stuff for his house and the receipt was long...
He was aloofedby the total being a little bit too high, but paid no mind to it, said he will look it over in the car.
Good for him this cool dude counted everything and went your missing something
Uncle was confused, receipt showed 3 boxes rather than 2
Refund get.
Now my uncle checks the whole receipt there with pricing, sorry if line gets backed up, but it's better to leave with items you purchased.
Also Costco you buy in Bulk and big items, so it takes roughly 5-10 seconds to show your cart.
They look at receipt and how many items it has and count how many items in your cart, if they match, yellow tag marked.
This dickhead thought he got the better of this lady, going I know that Lion is $15!, not seeing the tag and the receipt for $7 charged, but he knew in his heart of hearts it was $15
Maybe he was using the simba plush as a pleasure toy so he knew the price, just like that GAFfer friend fron Amin Confessions... "Hakuna Matata"
The Greek Freak
Member
Same.
Every cabby who turned his light off right before picking me up/lied about their CC machine etc and the other shit you listed. They can all get fucked, I don't want to be near them.
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
IMO, the store clerk checking the ID is even more invasive than them asking to check the bag. I can't imagine at what point would the contents of my grocery bag be more valuable than the info on the ID.
Aarglefarg
Member
I don't like that they put me in that situation. But why not also at the people who abuse me for doing my job politely as consistently with the sign at the entrance of the store and so many other stores?
All these signs in employee areas demanding we check all bags and the bosses requiring it are what we are thinking of, not thinking that someone is stealing. They are also not being forced to show their bags.
I can understand the point of view that a few people have, that it is an inherently nasty policy to have as a (clearly posted) condition of entry that we will ask to check bags. Only a small minority of people have that view and most consider it reasonable. I mean, bring a big bag into a shop that says upon entry they can ask to check...
Who cares if they are hitting out at the wrong target, someone is right there so that makes them fair game.
Employees are treated as 'potential criminals' too if people frame it like that. There are various rules we have to follow to show that we aren't stealing things and our work is checked. We aren't allowed to serve friends or family. Things we buy or bring in from outside need to be stickered and so on.
Mysterious
Banned
So glad Canadian Walmart stores don't have loss prevention lol. I've never had my receipt checked. They even have self-checkout!
mugoldeneagle03
Member
As someone who knows plenty about AP/Retail this guy will 100% be getting his ass fired for this...gg
When I have $200 of groceries bagged and they search the receipt line by line for the one gallon of milk that is unbagged, never looking through even one of the cart full of bags, they aren't there to help me.
I'm perfectly capable of making sure I am not double charged for items, which is why I watch the monitor when a cashier is doing it. If I do self checkout, I simply just don't double scan items. It's not hard.
DeaconKnowledge
Member
That "cussing jail" line killed me. Hilarious.
You Are Viewtiful
Member
This happened to me at BestBuy Canada once (checking my bags/receipts) and it was really embarrassing.