Question about showing receipts in Texas

[McKnife]

It's happened to me when I was younger... back in my "sheeple" days. I was followed to my car by a Walmart associate and forced to open my bag and verify purchases on the receipt. It was embarrassing and I vowed never to let it happen again.

Searching vehicles, showing receipts and searching grocery bags.... same concept and results on the same attempt to guilt you into givng up your rights... "you don't have anything to hide, so just do it."

[jordanmills]

What harm comes from allowing police to search you vehicle/property? They are just doing their jobs.

That's a heck of a leap from showing a receipt to searching vehicle/property. I would NEVER allow a retail store to "search" me. But if they're just checking my receipt against the items in THEIR shopping cart, I don't really see the problem either. If they DID try to stop/detain me, we'd have a BIG problem. But just showing the receipt doesn't bother me and certainly doesn't rise to the level of a "search" of my vehicle/property.

Not a leap at all. And they often paw through MY items in MY bags. Would you mind them searching your purse too?

No, I absolutely would not allow them to search through my personal bags. But I don't have a problem with them looking inside the shopping bags and shopping carts that THEY provide in THEIR store while simply checking that I have the items I paid for. If they tried to look into my bag or my wife's purse, I'd tell them NO in no uncertain terms and threaten to call the police if their harassment didn't cease immediately. But that's never happened to me.

I've never had a receipt checker paw through my bags. And I believe it is quite a leap from this policy to a full search of a vehicle or person. They're asking you to prove you purchased the goods you have, and in my experience it doesn't happen that often (Sam's etc. are exceptions).

Well if you only are about keeping some of your effects free from search, that's your business.

[bigred90gt]

I've never understood the disdain for these people. They are merely doing their jobs, and that job is to ask to see your receipt. What, may I ask, is the problem with showing them your receipt? What harm to you is it to show them when they request it?

What harm comes from allowing police to search you vehicle/property? They are just doing their jobs.

Please tell me you are not serious. How can you honestly equate a company asking to see the receipt for the items you are leaving their property with, with a police officer searching our car?

I've never had one go through my bags either. best Buy is the only store I've been to that requests to see the receipt for all purchases. Walmart only wants to see the receipt if you have items that are not in a bag. In both cases, i see no reason or need to argue with them and do not see the request as unreasonable.

[G Wagner]

Receipt checking a "marking" curtails shoplifting. The "slows" the leaving with an unmarked receipt, and then returning to the store for "a free second same-item". When this occurs, the customer can return one item (in short, receive their money back) and keep the extra.

[A-R]

Well if you only are about keeping some of your effects free from search, that's your business.

Yes, I make choices about when and where I draw the line on a great many issues. So just agree to disagree and don't let it get personal, OK. Thanks.

[McKnife]

I've never understood the disdain for these people. They are merely doing their jobs, and that job is to ask to see your receipt. What, may I ask, is the problem with showing them your receipt? What harm to you is it to show them when they request it?

What harm comes from allowing police to search you vehicle/property? They are just doing their jobs.

Please tell me you are not serious. How can you honestly equate a company asking to see the receipt for the items you are leaving their property with, with a police officer searching our car?

I've never had one go through my bags either. best Buy is the only store I've been to that requests to see the receipt for all purchases. Walmart only wants to see the receipt if you have items that are not in a bag. In both cases, i see no reason or need to argue with them and do not see the request as unreasonable.

A right is a right... I choose not to waive them in any capacity.

[speedsix]

...at Costco...they actually look at the cart to see if what's in there fits the receipt...at Sam's...they don't often look at the cart...just mark the receipt...I think that's where the disdain comes in...you stand in one more line so that they can't do their job correctly...and most don't even try...they might as well be doing something else...and we are inconvenienced for no good cause...if they actually were capable of and did verify that items in the buggy had been listed in the receipt...great...and it would do some good...as it is...wasted time...non-member stores...haven't had it happen...the GWagner explanation makes great sense...if they'd do it consistantly...

[The Annoyed Man]

Mr. mountain, meet Mr. Molehill.

I show them my receipt, yeah, the one with 49 items on it, and they make a 1.5 second show of looking at it, mark it with their yellow marker, and I'm on my way. I couldn't care less If they know what I bought, or what they think about it. They're just trying to do their low-paying jobs, it's no skin off my nose, and I've got much bigger fish to fry.

It seems like a pretty picayune thing to get in a lather over.

[speedsix]

there are actually laws on such things? why?

Texas has "Shopkeepers Privilege" -- the right to detain anyone they think could be stealing and whatnot. But, can you imagine being held against your will and utterly embarrassed when a retailer decides to detain you by handcuffing and walking you to the security office? What if their suspicions are wrong and you have committed no crime. Oopsy -- can't just say sorry. You were unlawfully restrained and falsely accused. There can be a whole slew of other criminal and civil charges depending on the specifics.

This is why most stores in Texas fire employees for pursing a robber/thief. They would rather take the loss than get slapped with a lawsuit.

...can you cite for us the law that allows a citizen shopkeeper to handcuff a customer and force him to go to a security office in Texas??? I know they can detain you, but that's a bit much...and I'll have to read it in law before letting a civilian handcuff and search/disarm me...haven't heard of that one...that's a lot more than detaining...I'd want a sworn peace officer to do that...

[steveincowtown]

I think you are right, it is a civil liberties issue. The government shouldn't be in the business of regulating how a private store conducts business. They can ask to check whatever they like, you can accept or deny, and they can refuse service. I think that is true freedom.

[McKnife]

...can you cite for us the law that allows a citizen shopkeeper to handcuff a customer and force him to go to a security office in Texas??? I know they can detain you, but that's a bit much...and I'll have to read it in law before letting a civilian handcuff and search/disarm me...haven't heard of that one...that's a lot more than detaining...I'd want a sworn peace officer to do that...

Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. § 124.001 (West 2005)

The "shopkeeper's privilege" expressly grants an employee the authority of law to detain a customer to investigate the ownership of property in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable period of time if the employee has a reasonable belief that the customer has stolen or is attempting to steal store merchandise.

[added by me] - Reasonable standards for detainment - Handcuffs, Arms/Legs, Physical presence or even simply vocalizing applies.

[speedsix]

...nope...handcuffing a compliant shopper who has agreed to wait until a police officer comes without creating a disturbance is NOT reasonable...nor is a bodily search when there is no attempt to escape or opportunity to dispose of anything that they think you might have on your person...not reasonable at all...not the quoted code or Tx Crim Proc Code Art 18.16 give them that right...once you agree to wait till the police arrive...anything further is unreasonable and unwarranted...not just my opinion, but shared by recognized security experts... i.e. http://www.security-expert.org/shoplifting.htm.." onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

[suthdj]

As for showing the receipts at the door it depends on my mood, however after they find the offending item that caused the alarm to sound and take the 5 minutes to log it because the cashier forgot to clear the item on the demagnetizer we should get paid for our time.

[McKnife]

...nope...handcuffing a compliant shopper who has agreed to wait until a police officer comes without creating a disturbance is NOT reasonable...nor is a bodily search when there is no attempt to escape or opportunity to dispose of anything that they think you might have on your person...not reasonable at all...not the quoted code or Tx Crim Proc Code Art 18.16 give them that right...once you agree to wait till the police arrive...anything further is unreasonable and unwarranted...

Speedsix, you're getting too specific with scenarios, which is probably why the law is gray. Would it be reasonable to use handcuffs on a suspect physically resisting detainment? Sure it would. If the suspect was cooperative, than cuffs wouldn't be necessary. I've personally seen it go both ways.

We're getting away from the point of the whole thread.

Is it required or lawfully required to show a receipt? No.

Should you show receipt when asked? Your choice. I don't.

Can shopkeepers detain you if they suspect you have stolen or attempting to steal? Yes.

[speedsix]

...Home Dippy's the worst about not cleaning the bug and letting the alarm beep...it's usually ignored or if you stop and look at the clerk...they wave you on out...never in thousands of visits have I been asked to wait or return...and I wore one of their Big Smith pocket work shirts for weeks...beeping in and out of the store daily...till I accidentally turned it inside out on about the 5th washing and found the bug sewn into a piece of tape under the arm....that was a hoot....the weakest point in their case would be why they ignore dozens and pick one to enforce...good security is evenly executed...