A LAWYER has confirmed that while Walmart has the right to ask for your receipt, you are not legally required to show it.
Major retailers such as Walmart have been more diligent about their receipt checking as theft continues to rise across the country.
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However, Setliff Law, P.C. claims that "there is no definitive case law specifically relating to refusal to produce a receipt for purchases."
The law firm said that a store can detain you if they have probable cause, a right that is protected by Shopkeeper's Privilege laws.
This law, which varies by state, dictates what a store owner can and cannot do regarding detaining customers for suspected theft.
It also protects shopkeepers from accusations of false imprisonment by the detainee.
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While refusal to show a receipt may raise suspicions among staff, Setliff Law P.C. claims that it is not grounds for probable cause for detainment.
"Probable cause might be clearer where a security device sets off an alarm upon exiting the store, or the thief is seen concealing or taking items," the law firm writes.
In membership-only stores, such as Costco and Sam's Club, however, the law firm confirms shoppers are legally required to show their receipt upon request.
When a member of these types of stores signs the membership agreement, the contract states that to be a member of the retailer, they must abide by the laws set by said retailer.
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One unpublished case in Virginia, however, acknowledges that the action of asking for a receipt does not equal false imprisonment.
In the case of Henderson et al. v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., the court recognized that Virginia's Shopkeeper's Privilege law was broad.
‘What happens if I don’t show my receipt?’ Walmart shopper asks worker – and she’s left baffled by his response"The Court dismissed Henderson’s case based on failure to state a claim," said the firm.
According to the Court, Henderson did not admit to or produce a receipt when asked, which constituted probable cause.
"The store employees had probable cause to believe [Henderson] had shoplifted and …the employees acted as ordinarily prudent people would have acted under the circumstances," per the case.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Walmart for comment.
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