What kind of legal action can one take against stores that insist on asking for your receipt upon leaving?

I just dealt with Walmart in Mountain View, CA. The manager insisted that they had the right to ask for my receipt. I know my civil rights and he was definitely wrong. Is anyone a lawyer out there that knows what I can do as a consumer?

okay. thanks for all the answers. but those of you that think it's legal aren't doing your homework. only membership stores like sam's club and costco are allowed, since it's in the contract. other stores do not have the right to ask for your receipt. i used to work in retail and we were always told to keep it discreet and ONLY ask if the packages set off the sensors. all you're doing by giving them your receipt without question is being sheep.

Ok I have noticed there are quite a few very unintelligent people answering on here. EVERYONE has a right to their privacy. I have had to deal with this problem at Wal-Mart before. They are not government associated agents and they are not cops so no you don't have to do a thing they say. And there isn't much they can do because if they were to come after you and try to tackle you or hold you against your will and get the cops involved and you were found to be innocent then you can sue the ever living crap out of them.

The time it happened to me I was with my g/f getting personal stuff for us and we went to the last register on the end right near the exit and these 2 guys that were harassing people for thier receipts and to look through their bags were right there while we checked out. We had one thing and paid and went to leave. Well as I'm walking out the door one of them was trying to get me to stop so they could harass and invade my privacy so I ignored him and kept walking all the way out. Then the other one started following after us and yelling for me and I just kept walking.

He followed me all the way out to my car and got right next to me screaming at me and I turned to him and said what?!?!

And he said... " that guy was asking to see your receipt "

I replied so?

And he was like you walked out. I said I sure did because I didn't feel like being treated like a criminal and being harassed. And he started threatening me and saying he was going to call the cops and I said go ahead I didn't commit any crime and walmart is a bunch of fuc*kers for treating customers like that.

Anyway people on here are ridiculous saying it's for the best. etc. etc. Those are the same people that think letting the government totally invade and destroy our lives and constitutional rights for "safety" is good.

Benjamen Franklin said it best...
"Those who would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither."

You have a right to ignore their requests when there is no reason for them to be harassing you. Don't get so intimidated and grow a spine. Let them even try to mess with you when you have done nothing wrong and you will be very wealthy thanks to walmart's fascist dictatorship ways.

Yes, doesn't that annoy the crap out of you? It does me, and WalMart and Sams Club are the worst ones. Unfortunately, the store is well within their rights to ask you for a receipt upon leaving the store. They weren't accusing you of stealing an item, they simply are confirming your payment of the items you purchased at their store. At least this is the way the laws are where I live. Now, if you get in contact with a Consumer Counseling Agency, they are likely to tell you the same thing. If you really would like to take legal action against this store, I would probably go through a local attorney.

Stores have every right to ask to see receipt, review recceipt and items purchased, it is called theft prevention and deterrent. Your rights were not violated. Many people steal products thus raising the price we all pay, a little inconvenience is small price to pay for apprehension of criminals. You can thank criminals for this.

walmart does that here too. Any large and or unbagged item needs to be checked off the reciept. It has nothing to do with your civil rights being violated. It is prefectly legal it is called store policy. When your a big store such as wal-mart you are targeted by theifs all the time, they have to cver their bums some way.

Stores reserve the right to institute their own policies as you have the right to shop else where. The fact that you think your civil rights was violated is almost laughable really. Considering all that is going on in todays world people still cry over a recipet. It amazes me.

I have had them ask me a few times too but usually it is if something is too big that will not fit in my cart. Personally I think it is stupid I mean you can get pass the check out a cd but a big vacuum, that is going to be hard to miss as you are checking out. I wasn't aware that it was against your civil right though. I figured that as a store they were able to make any rules they saw fit. What is it about showing your receipt that is bothering you?
I would think if you have such a problem with Wal-Mart and do not agree with their policies then perhaps you should shop at Kmart or Target. Target has much better stuff anyway.

Yeah, I hate that with Walmart and Sam's Club. The purchases that I have in my cart now belong to ME and it pisses me off that they rifle through my stuff as I head out the door.

I just walk out. They call after me but I ignore them. There's no law that says I have to stop. They didn't see me steal anything, (since I didn't) so they can kiss my rear.

Once in awhile I will set the buzzer off if I've bought a tool or something. I will stop so they can check, but I get damned annoyed when they start scanning stuff like apples. I've been known to say, "You know, I doubt it was my 10 lbs of APPLES that triggered the alarm." Usually, stuff like that, tools, printer ink, DVD's I keep all together so they can scan that stuff.

And you know they are TOTALLY trying to manipulate you when they put a little old lady or man at the door so you feel compelled to comply, I mean, what kind of a heel are you to ignore Granny?

I do anyway, though.

Civil Right? You have to be kidding. right?
They have every right to make sure that you paid for everything in your cart. Is it annoying and a pain in the butt. Of course it is. Is it a violation of your civil rights. UMMMMMM NO! It is a lot of stores policy to check your receipt before you leave their premises. Build a bridge and get over it!

you can just ignore them and walk out.

try shopping at target across the street - they never ask such a thing.

edit : wow unbelievable how many people are jsut sooooo certain they have to stop to show a receipt in a store, and who are sooooo wrong...

What makes you think that "civil right" cover things like loss control in a store. If they check everyone's receipt as they leave (especially if they didn't go directly from the cashier to the exit), ther is no violation. If they only checked a particular class of people (by ethnicity, gender, etc), you may have some sort of a case.

You DON'T know your rights. If you did, you would not have asked this question. You don't even have the right to enter the store. Management ALWAYS has the right to check receipts, or even packages of ANYONE leaving a retail store. Your options are to comply with their rules, or DON'T go to the store.

Target does that too, but only because it's a preventative measure against shoplifting. Just as stores have the right to require that bags be checked in upon entering the store, they also have the right to ask to see the receipt upon leaving the store.

I left a Meijer's once and some dildo asked to see my receipt and I said that I would gladly show it to him but that I would also hit him in the mouth as soon as he looked-when the police arrived I showed them,reluctantly,my receipt and they admonished the store Mgr. -People wake up please-you do Not have to take this crap .

I actuallly understand the embarrasment you must have felt though the best way to get some thing is right a letter to wallmart explaining you feelings they will most likely blast you will vouchers and alot of them, thing like $25 off your shopping and lots of other money off vouchers. click me for best answer

I don't have that problem. I'm not a lawyer, but they do ask me for a receipt when the alarm goes off. The door greeter has to log the number of the item. The security device in the product sometimes doesn't get deactivated.

It's not a civil rights issue. It's a store policy. And they have every right to do it. Otherwise there's no proof that you bought the thing you're returning at that store.
Definitely not a civil rights issue.

If you just purchased items, and are leaving the store, they have every right to check your receipt against the items in your basket....unless you are guilty of theft, then you should not be worried about them checking your receipt!!!!!

Well, they do have the right to ask for your receipt, but you also have the right to say no.

Check out this blog entry by Legal Lad:
http://legallad.quickanddirtytips.com/st...

Are you sure you know your legal rights. Most Walmarts (and other stores) post that they have the right to inspect any and all packages. It is common practice too. Sorry if you don't like my answer.

I know my civil rights and he was definitely wrong

what civil rights are these, you are on their property with items that may be theirs, just show them your receipt. This isn't covered in the 4th amendment.

they have the right to ask for your reciept thats a lot of stores policy to make sure your not shop lifting, just cause the store you worked at said do it discretely dosent mean its against the law

Stores do have the right to ask you for a receipt. I've had to show a receipt before. It's not a big deal.


edit:

Sheep? No, honey, I just have nothing to hide.

Thats why you get a receipt like a till\ rail\bus\ cinema ticket you have them to show on demand to prove you have paid
yanks and civil rights get real

I'm not able to answer your question but I can tell you they do that at Costco also. It's like they're assuming everyone is a thief.

shut up and just leave it alone.
ignorant
people have worse problems than you, leave the lawyers alone.

None. It's private property. You have every right not to shop there.

Just walk out of the door and wait for them to have you detained by the police.Do not comply with them as if you are being pursued by a felon looking to rob you.Only comply when you see a police officer with a badge.After the arrest .Sue them the corporation will pay off so don't take the first offer .False arrest.
They slammed a friend of mine and were making offers the next day.Without the suit.
Walmart is crap.I never stop.They always holler at me ,I just keep walking .Never cower down to the puss heads.They fired most of their security to save money.
Or you can comply like the first answer
"Put the strings on the Puppet"
Cali has better rights for the citizens


Store policy needs to be advertised on the entrance lawyers.
Infringement of rights.If wally town is making new statutes ,let them send all patrons the manual before executing the stand.
Innocent until proved guilty"?

I have a personal problem letting the corporate spungeheads change my personal rights without congressional votes.

I just watched a special on walmart .They are worse than I ever thought.Their slime.www.walmartmovie.com

If you let them push you everyone will join in .PEOPLE stand for something ,this is you're home, act like it.
Rage against the machine said it well.
"If you settle for nothing now ,you will settle for nothing later"
I am a Veteran and swore to protect you,
But when I am sitting in America I think the citizens can at least stand up and be counted .

Any store has the right to ask for a receipt at the time of a costumer leaving they can pick random people and check there bags or they can check every ones bags its the rights of the store.

I have worked in many stores and i think that you may wont to do a lil more homework wall mart has the right to ask for your receipt at anytime why the hell do you think they have someone by the door they could come up to you just because they don't like the way you look and say i need to look in your bag because i think something isn't right before you get smart with people do your ******* homework

Nothing. They have the right to ask to see your receipt.

Most Walmart stores check everyone leaving the store. You are not special. That's one of the ways they are able to keep their prices down.

Knowing that they will likely be asked for a receipt just prior to leaving the store, people think twice about trying to walk out without paying. The cost of shoplifting is passed off to the consumer in other stores.

The only right you have, is to not shop there again if that practice angers you.

The blog entry from "legallad" below, supports the case that the store has EVERY right to insist that you show your receipt.

I see your added comment. You are referring to the policy of the store where YOU worked. They have the right to set that policy. The same way Walmart has the right to set THEIRS.

I suggest you read the link I referred to that is posted in one of the answers below.