My friend is a cashier at WalMart. She told me the other day a woman found an around $500 Blue Ray player with no (I forget what she called it) one of those plastic security devices on it. She had that and some groceries in her cart and pushed it out the door without paying. They are not allowed to ask for a receipt at the door so as not to offend customers. (It's the same with pets--they can't ask "is that an aid pet?" ) and the door greeter called security but they are not allowed to pursue anyone that the security guard has not witnessed with his own eyes stealing. And once someone is out the door without security observing they are home free so to speak.
I can't believe this!!! I even jokingly said "well tell me what he looks like I'll push a cart of groceries out."
We both had a good laugh knowing if I was ever so stupid I'd probably be sitting in jail being a novice at that sort of thing.
I can't believe it. I asked her couldn't they just review the security camera footage and call the police. She said she didn't know but no police showed up there that day.
I found it curious that they would prefer to lose merchandise to a shoplifter rather than risk offending someone by asking for a receipt. At Costco they check everyone's receipts (albeit quickly and perfunctory never really matching it up to the items in the cart). I wouldn't be offended would you?
She has also told me in the past that lots of people get away with stealing the employees are constantly finding empty packing and every once in a while finding something little and expensive removed from the packaging and stuffed into something big and cheap as if the stealer changed their mind.
She told me the security has said he only follows a certain type of person (the tweeker looking type, the really poor "welfare looking" type) and doesn't follow anyone well dressed or that he feels "looks honest".
Am I the only one that finds this ridiculous? Have you ever heard of run across a similar situation?

__________________
The political system is broke and it's a joke.

When I worked retail some 15 years ago it was the same thing. Not WM but Payless Drug Store (now out of business). If we saw someone stealing, we could not confront them. We could call the manager (no security folks). We could not chase or try to stop a customer from leaving...even if they had stolen. If we had witnessed a person taking something from the store and then returning it for money with no receipt, we had to do it because you can't accuse the customer of stealing. Unless the manager was there and saw it...you had to tolerate it
During Xmas, we would have moms drop their small kids off in our toy dept and then walk over to the mall to shop while their kids opened all the toy packages and started playing. Nothing we could do but call the cops and by the time they got there, the mom had come & picked up the kids and left because we couldn't make them pay for the stuff they opened.
Unless I have to, I will never work retail again

__________________
Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

My dh has a friend who works at walmart who says only about 20% of the cameras are ever really on at one time.

__________________
Live, Love, Laugh

There is a security person at one of my Walmarts. He checks "most" receipts. It seems like he doesn't check everyone's (he didn't check mine on 2 occasions), but he stopped people in front and behind me.

__________________

I work for walmart. All our cameras are on. The police do not always use the front entrance so not all employees would know if they showed up or not. We have under cover security and receipts are checked at the door (not always, but the greeters are supposed to check receipts for unbagged merchandise, alcohol, dog food, etc. and any item that sets off the alarm.) Yes, someone does actually have to observe the theft take place. Only management or security can pursue someone out of the store. We cannot rely on a customer saying they have seen someone take something. Not every walmart is managed as well as the one at which I work but these are corporate policies, not individual store policies.

I wonder why this WalMart doesn't do that. I don't think the police went there we have a police log in the paper so if they did I'll see it next Thursday. It's ridiculous to me that a shoplifter can go out the door and the greeter is unable to ask for a receipt. How does your store deal with "aid pets"? I have been in there with my friend and their are small dogs who shiver in the cart and get visibly scared when someone approaches especially if they have a noisy cart. I could be wrong but they don't seem like service pets to me. And the greeter (nor any other store employee) is allowed to even ask much less ask for proof.

__________________
The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Corporate policy is that the greeter is allowed to ask the customer when he or she enters the store if the animal is a service animal. If the customer states that the animal is a service animal then nothing else can be said to the customer. No other employee is allowed to ask if the animal is a service animal. If an employee sees that an animal is being aggressive or causing a problem a member of management is to be called to deal with the situation. We were told this is the result of a lawsuit pertaining to a customer not being allowed to bring a dog that was a "seizure dog" into a store.

I've "beeped" going out of Walmart and been checked. I can't even remember if we figured out what triggered it but I of course had not stolen anything. I don't know why this country has to be so pc. No wonder there are so many problems. Offend a shoplifter? Who gives a crap! lol I wasn't offended when I was stopped and I was totally innocent. I WANT them to check people if they are suspicious or the beep goes off. It's in the best interest of the consumer who pays for this by higher prices.

I wonder why at this store (Springfield, OR) they are not allowed to ask. I'm not sure about the Eugene store as I don't shop there. The only reason I know anything about the Springfield store is my friend. I remember when she told me this she thought it was ridiculous that anyone could bring in ANY type of pet (although she's only seen dogs and birds) into an establishment that sells food and not question it. I think so too.

I'm with you on this one Kathy. It's ridiculous also.

__________________
The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I certainly can't say why an individual store is not allowed to ask. I can only say what we have been told is the official corporate policy. It is possible that the manager of the store you speak of has decided it is best for his store to not ask at all. This could be simply the result of complaints against the greeters. Individual store managers can make stricter policies for their stores if they choose.

Ok makes sense I guess but ultimately when an individual store loses revenue I would think it affects corporate.

__________________
The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Maybe if the stores asked more there'd be less shoplifting? An innocent person has nothing to worry about.....yet a shoplifter might think twice if he/she knew a store was vigilant.

I have heard of someone that had a $300 total purchase that beeped on the way out and the greeter proceeded to unbag the purchases in order to find the offending item that was beeping. This process took forever and was a big mess so the customer took his basket to customer service and demanded a refund. The process can be done in a neat and timely fashion using good sense or it can be done haphazardly and draw undue attention to the customer.

here they always check your reciept even if its just for pop & I demoed in walmart for years & they did have very good under cover security I mean they were young looking boys who looked like shoplifters themselves & no onewas to know what they were doing I figured out who they were when I seen them hide behind my signs watching some young girls shove makeup in there pockets

__________________
mom of 3 greats girls

Not true. Might be at some stores, but the majority of stores have cameras on every register and those cameras are ALWAYS on.

__________________
Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

You are so right about certain stores not persuing shoplifters. I can not phantom why. My grocery store that I work in had 2 employees and a security guard initially observe a shoplifter blatently stealing and then several others who saw them continue stealing. The guard called the police and the store manager HID and would not talk to the police. The thieves (man and woman) had about 200 dollars of merchandise.
They were let go because the manager would not speak to the police or press charges and the guard was repremanded for calling the police.

There was a bank robbery at the bank in the same grocery store and bank employees were no allowed to talk or admit that it happened. Yes there is a bank located in the store.

I guess they just do not want to scare other potential customers away.

My DIL is a manager in retail. She said she usually can tell if someone is shoplifting. One day we were in Wal-Mart and she told me "those two young girls are shoplifting". She said when a person is like right up against the merchandise (they were looking at fingernail polish, makeup, etc.), usually they're stealing something.

I worked at a place called Home Express (no longer around), but kind of like to home store at JCPenney. Since I was cashier I would have to look into items like bed in a bag. This was to make sure there was no theft, but I would tell the customer it was to make sure all the items were in the bag.

I had caught people shoplifting when I was in a department and our security was great at following through. We were not allowed to follow them out of the store some security would have to catch them before the left the building. There were definitely the times when you wished you could be in on the bust. I have a lot of respect for those in retail. I would not want to do it again.

Our Walmarts always check receipts.

__________________
I've never lied to you. I've always told you some version the of truth.

I have NEVER heard of anyone shoplifting at Costco. It must happen sometimes but the receipt checking there must scare off some potential shoplifters. And lol I guess the size of most of the packages must also discourage people as most are too big to be concealed.

__________________
The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Usually it's the normal customers complaining about having to have their cart checked. been posted here a bunch about the trouble to stand and have someone make sure the stuff was bought

__________________
Books just wanna be FREE! See what I mean at:
http://bookcrossing.com

My other favorites
www.paperbackswap.com
www.wheresgeorge.com
www.geocaching.com

I have a relative who is head of loss prevention in a major upscale store. She nabs people often. She also finds employee theft is huge.

I worked at JCPenney a few years ago.

The biggest scam there was people "returning" curtains. Loads of curtains. They got as a "gift". They were always people reeking of marijuana, meth teeth, bloodshot or yellow eyes, skeevy looking.

Who gives multiple sets of $85 curtains as a gift??

And, of course, no receipt.

And there was nothing we could do about it but get their ID and give them a gift card.

It got to the point where we had to call a manager over to do returns of curtains.

The curtains were in a corner of the store that rarely had a sales associate. Very easy to steal.

__________________
"Yesterday my life was duller, now everything's technicolor!"

Actually, based on what I know---theft is one of the biggest losses for Sams Club and Costco.

__________________
Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

I read somewhere that the theft was employee related and people who bought something and used their liberal return policy. I was there when a man brought in a TV that he clearly used and said he wasn't happy with it and wanted his money back so he could buy a larger one. At that time, she had to give him his money back. I know that Costco has changed its electronics return policy in the last few years but when it was the old policy you could return anything at any time. Receipt or not. I have been a member of Costco since they opened in the PNW and were called Price Club. Great return policy and customer service for members.

__________________
GO NAVY WRESTLING!!BEAT ARMY!!!
RJB 3/18/60 - 5/22/04
We miss you, sweet brother
God Bless the USA!!!!! Praying for my Youngster son at United States Naval Academy, class of 2014!!

http://mylifeundertheabaya.blogspot.com/

I can't imagine theft being a huge issue at our local Sams Club. They do everything but frisk you before you go out the door! Several employees, on both sides of the only exit door....checking reciepts and counting every item in your cart before you can exit! Returning items is a hassle also!

I did not know that. I guess being an honest person I look at things from that point of view. Do people eat stuff? Or do they actually steal those big packages?

__________________
The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Theft is part of the reason retail price is so high.....and could be much lower. It is rampant and you perhaps would be surprised. Employees think they are "entitled" and shoppers find ways to beat the system.

Me? I got out of the store once with something in the "basket" part of the buggy where my coupon box was and did a fast turn around, almost sweating. I couldn't believe I had done that and couldn't get back in fast enough to pay. This is part of our dumbing down of America that theft continues to rise. I am concerned it will continue to rise as people continue to keep wanting things, but can't afford them or have absolutely no money and steal as survival.

dl

I cannot comment on why what you described happened. However, 7 or so years ago there was an incident in Dallas/Ft. Worth area. A group dined and dashed (left w/o paying their bill). The server/waitress went out the door to write down their license plate # to file a police report---They ran over her, well actually back over her and killed her.

It's a huge liability to "chase" shoplifters. Get as much information as you can, file a report, press charges, follow through---but chasing them down and tackling them is a huge liability and in most cases dangerous....

__________________
Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

Our Walmart here has checkers by the door to check reciepts, also I normally bring my puppy with me to Walmart,Target,Big Lots and so on...I have been told I can not bring her into the store, I tell them it is a therapy dog, truly she suffers from separation anxiety and can't leave her home alone. I bring her in a stroller made for dogs but looks very similar to a baby stroller, I cover her up until I get into the store then let her look out into the open, many times I had managers and workers come up to me and tell me they would rather her there then half of the kids that come into the store and destroy the place...I am sure one day I won't be getting away with it...but for now I have been taking advantage of it..As long as my dog is with me she is happy..

__________________
¨¨*•✰ It's gonna take an ACT OF FAITH to stand up and face the day✰•*¨¨~ Rick Springfield~