What’s the legality on this at a grocery store?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once you pay, you own those items. Him attempting to stop you or stopping you could be deemed false imprisonment. If they think you stole something, they chose call the police. He should have asked the cashier first whether she rang them up.

agree. except at costco, b/c its a memership situation so you kind of chose their system.

at the regular store? nope, I am giving them a litle wave and sailing right by.

So, Costco is allowed to do this because it's a membership only store? I've always wondered about this and find it kind of annoying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can talk to the manager but, other than losing a customer, there's nothing wrong from legal standpoint.

If the employee is forcibly detaining someone, then they are committing a crime. If this is in VA, OP could got to a police station and swear out a warrant today

OP was "forcibly detained"? LOL. You sound unhinged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can talk to the manager but, other than losing a customer, there's nothing wrong from legal standpoint.

If the employee is forcibly detaining someone, then they are committing a crime. If this is in VA, OP could got to a police station and swear out a warrant today

OP was "forcibly detained"? LOL. You sound unhinged.

Forcibly (hand on cart) detained (blocked exit)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can talk to the manager but, other than losing a customer, there's nothing wrong from legal standpoint.

If the employee is forcibly detaining someone, then they are committing a crime. If this is in VA, OP could got to a police station and swear out a warrant today

OP was "forcibly detained"? LOL. You sound unhinged.

Forcibly (hand on cart) detained (blocked exit)

This. Its clearly intimidating to do this to someone.

[Anonymous]

It’s reasonable to make sure people don’t “forget” or actually forget to ring up items on the bottom of their cart. He caught you by surprise because you were in a hurry and then you got flustered. You are mad because you were embarrassed and delayed. I don’t think the store employee did anything wrong.

It is very “Karen” of you to assume that no one should ever verify your purchases because you are a middle class or upper middle class presenting middle aged white woman. Your comment about how much you spent on meats reads very “do you know who I am?”.

Take a deep breath. The holidays are stressful. You are busy. Whatever discomfort and annoyance this incident caused you pales in comparison to the truly awful treatment that minimum wage store employee will receive from entitled customers like you over the next 4 weeks.

[Anonymous]

I'm so pissed when Walmart does this to me... I mean staff the self check out area better so they can see if I'm scanning everything. What's the point of doing it on the way out?!

I think the big issue is that criminals are loading up carts and then just walking out with them. And that's something that police should crack down on, but aren't. So stores are trying to step in to do something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can talk to the manager but, other than losing a customer, there's nothing wrong from legal standpoint.

If the employee is forcibly detaining someone, then they are committing a crime. If this is in VA, OP could got to a police station and swear out a warrant today

OP was "forcibly detained"? LOL. You sound unhinged.

Forcibly (hand on cart) detained (blocked exit)

This. Its clearly intimidating to do this to someone.

Maybe if she listened and followed instructions the first time, he wouldn’t have touched her cart. You know like all the non-white people who get shot or assaulted by cops with similar logic?

[Anonymous]

I'd be upset too. I think from now on I'd be prepared for this. Keep your receipt handy and eyes open for greeters.

But yes perhaps you want to send an email to them saying that you felt uncomfortable with the way it was handled - specifically the greeter placing his hands on your cart. That you felt like you were being detained against your will. The store should train the greeter to handle this in a better way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s reasonable to make sure people don’t “forget” or actually forget to ring up items on the bottom of their cart. He caught you by surprise because you were in a hurry and then you got flustered. You are mad because you were embarrassed and delayed. I don’t think the store employee did anything wrong.

It is very “Karen” of you to assume that no one should ever verify your purchases because you are a middle class or upper middle class presenting middle aged white woman. Your comment about how much you spent on meats reads very “do you know who I am?”.

Take a deep breath. The holidays are stressful. You are busy. Whatever discomfort and annoyance this incident caused you pales in comparison to the truly awful treatment that minimum wage store employee will receive from entitled customers like you over the next 4 weeks.

I took the point about the meats to mean that the soda purchase isn’t even close to the most expensive things people purchase at the store. Meat, cosmetics, medicines, laundry detergents, paper towels. Are they checking for these items too? Or are they using the soda as some sort of guise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s reasonable to make sure people don’t “forget” or actually forget to ring up items on the bottom of their cart. He caught you by surprise because you were in a hurry and then you got flustered. You are mad because you were embarrassed and delayed. I don’t think the store employee did anything wrong.

It is very “Karen” of you to assume that no one should ever verify your purchases because you are a middle class or upper middle class presenting middle aged white woman. Your comment about how much you spent on meats reads very “do you know who I am?”.

Take a deep breath. The holidays are stressful. You are busy. Whatever discomfort and annoyance this incident caused you pales in comparison to the truly awful treatment that minimum wage store employee will receive from entitled customers like you over the next 4 weeks.

I took the point about the meats to mean that the soda purchase isn’t even close to the most expensive things people purchase at the store. Meat, cosmetics, medicines, laundry detergents, paper towels. Are they checking for these items too? Or are they using the soda as some sort of guise.

The meats etc were in a bag, so most likely scanned. People "forget" unbagged stuff at the bottom of the cart all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s reasonable to make sure people don’t “forget” or actually forget to ring up items on the bottom of their cart. He caught you by surprise because you were in a hurry and then you got flustered. You are mad because you were embarrassed and delayed. I don’t think the store employee did anything wrong.

It is very “Karen” of you to assume that no one should ever verify your purchases because you are a middle class or upper middle class presenting middle aged white woman. Your comment about how much you spent on meats reads very “do you know who I am?”.

Take a deep breath. The holidays are stressful. You are busy. Whatever discomfort and annoyance this incident caused you pales in comparison to the truly awful treatment that minimum wage store employee will receive from entitled customers like you over the next 4 weeks.

I took the point about the meats to mean that the soda purchase isn’t even close to the most expensive things people purchase at the store. Meat, cosmetics, medicines, laundry detergents, paper towels. Are they checking for these items too? Or are they using the soda as some sort of guise.

It’s because it wasn’t in a bag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He was really rude, he should have said he needed to check if the soda had been rung up, not if you had paid for it (which makes you sound suspect).

I don't think it is illegal (you are on their property) but it was handled badly by the employee.

+1, he sounds like a rogue employee. Especially since, if the soda had not been paid for, it's much more likely to have been the error of the checker (forgetting to check the bottom of the cart) than intentional shoplifting. If it were a smaller set of groceries or if OP had used self-checkout, I might understand the suspicion (but I'd still err on the side of caution and be friendly in checking, not presume they were a thief). But if someone has gone through a checkout with an employee, it's really inappropriate to accuse them of stealing something. Who buys $200 on groceries and then hopes they can skate away with a free $16 in soda? It makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He was really rude, he should have said he needed to check if the soda had been rung up, not if you had paid for it (which makes you sound suspect).

I don't think it is illegal (you are on their property) but it was handled badly by the employee.

I think the words he chose made a big difference. I would’ve been annoyed, but would’ve double check to make sure that they did bring it up.

It’s funny that we’re discussing this again because a month or two ago there was a big Walmart thread about checking receipts. It is not done uniformly, it is not fair and legally they cannot because they are not a private club. Personally, I could never be rude to you a checkers because they’re just working doing what they’re told to do but I will walk by them and not show them the receipt if I am able to just keep going.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous[b wrote:]Once you pay, you own those items. Him attempting to stop you or stopping you could be deemed false imprisonment. If they think you stole something, they chose call the police. He should have asked the cashier first whether she rang them up. [/quo[/b]te]


False. She's on private property. They have every right to detain if they think a theft has occurred. Stop playing lawyer on the internet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous[b wrote:]Once you pay, you own those items. Him attempting to stop you or stopping you could be deemed false imprisonment. If they think you stole something, they chose call the police. He should have asked the cashier first whether she rang them up. [/quo[/b]te]


False. She's on private property. They have every right to detain if they think a theft has occurred. Stop playing lawyer on the internet

You should, actually.

—Paralegal who just consulted an actual lawyer