Man refuses to let Best Buy check his receipt upon exit, drama ensues |
I’ve always wondered why sometimes when leaving Best Buy they check your receipt and other times they don’t and the following post describes what happened to one person who said no when asked to show his receipt.
Aaron Hopkins from die.net rants about his dealings with Best Buyers after refusing to let them check his receipt before leaving the store.
One interesting part of this to me was the Best Buy employees that parked a vehicle behind him blocking his exit. And then when he demanded to leave the manager finally said ok. I’m sure the actual event was less dramatic than Mr. Hopkins’ text, but some of the letters that followed, particularly the one from the California policeman who also refused to have his receipt checked too and the alleged Best Buy employee who explained the other side of the process in great detail.
Firstly, let me say that I don’t mind the receipt verification process. I understand that shoplifiting costs these businesses a great deal of money and never in the many, many times leaving Best Buy has this receipt checking proved to be any significant inconvenience or annoyance to me. In fact, many times the Best Buy employee hardly even looks at what we have in the cart or are carrying and just swipes swiftly at the receipt with highlighter and ushers us — often with a smile — on our way.
Now let’s talk about Costco. Ever shop there? That place looks through practically every item in your cart. We have waited in line there behind many other carts waiting for receipt inspection. This is a much more inconvenient exit policy and I wonder if the same receipt checking policy applies to Costco as does Best Buy?
Still, we don’t have to shop at Costco or Best Buy if we don’t like these policies, prices be damned, so we are willing participants to the way they conduct business. Also, the employee is just doing their job. They aren’t evil and out to conduct false arrests on people who don’t comply so I can’t take any of this that seriously.
What are your thoughts on this receipt checking policy? Does it bother you, is this just people looking for conflict or might this someday lead to a class action lawsuit as one person suggests?
Did this post make you go hmm?
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I find nothing wrong with checking the receipts. It’s to the better interest of all involved. Due to us(the consumer) paying, in the long run, for the shoplifting. If it wasn’t done, the thefts would increase, and we would pay even more than we are now. Congratulations to the Best Buy people for checking the receipts. I feel that there is nothing wrong with their policy and if the customer that was stopped does not like it, he can shop somewhere else!! I feel that there are people out there that just try this issue to gain for themselves monitarily.
Comment by JJ Mataya — February 18, 2006 @ 4:09 pm PST
Has never bothered me. I usually still have the receipt in my hand.
They could probably automate it with RIFD or something — keep the doors closed — but it seems a lot of people go bonkers about RIFD.
Comment by billg — February 18, 2006 @ 7:25 pm PST
LOL….I thought this Best Buy receipt policy was something they just did in my hometown (Detroit)
But no, it doesn’t bother me too much–just when there is a line. I certainly wouldn’t sue over it.
But, I do know–from having a friend that works in Loss Prevention (retail job)–that (at least in Michigan) you aren’t supposed to be detained or questioned if a store doesn’t have any concrete proof that you actually took something. However, if they want to check my receipt, fine. If it will stop people from stealing, fine. My only question would be what happens to the people who are stealing and don’t, obviously, go through the checkout?? Are the security personnel too busy checking a paying customer’s receipt while the shoplifter is walking out another door?
Also…do you remember the story about a paying customer at Best Buy who got arrested trying to pay with those funky two dollar bills? Wonder whatever happened with that (?). Best Buy personnel thought the bills were fake!
Comment by Janine — February 18, 2006 @ 10:44 pm PST
Here’s what I did when they asked to check my reciept.
I went right back in the store and returned my purchase for a refund and went to another store.
Comment by Tim — February 20, 2006 @ 1:09 am PST