imported post
Tomahawk wrote:
I think businesses have a right to check and make sure they;re not being ripped off. I also think I have a right to be assumed innocent unless someone has seen something to indicate I'm shoplifting. In the end, the store's owners get to decide how things work on their property, of course, but we also have a right to shop somewhere else, or to demand, verbally or in writing that our dignity be respected and that the managment should act with more civility toward the patrons. Beyond that I think we are stretching.
I live near the Wal Mart in Hybla Valley, Northern VA, which is considered a rather seedy neighborhood. They sometimes check receipts at the door, but they aren't militant about it; you can just walk by when the elderly Asian guy is busy. I don't think he's capable of taking on some of the thugs I see in there. Meanwhile, the sensors at the door are alarming off every few minutes. I don't know what they can do to stop that theft without becoming more rude.
A year or two ago Wal-Mart decided to fire off the majority of their store LP's. Some bean counter in AR decided that it was cheaper to take the thefts and lock up a bit more of the merchandise than to pay 2 or 3 LP to prowl the store.
From what I understand the remaining LPs focus on internal theft, return and check/credit fraud.
Having worked LP the merchandise that walks out the door is usually nickel and dime stuff taken by teenagers and bored housewives. CDs, Makeup, cheap jewelry, etc... The majority of those shoplifters will remove the merch from the packages thus negating the door buzzers and elderly door greeter. The reciept checking is really just a visual deterrent. I worked the door at Target for over a year and only made what I would call one solid shoplifting recovery from the door buzzer / reciept check technique and the shoplifter was high to boot. 98% the door alarms come from a cashier not deactivating a tag.
The professionals don't steal the piddly stuff its not worth it. They came in three flavors:
The first is the big ticket shoplifter, typically a 18 - 30 yo male. We had a guy we nicknamed "The DVD Bandit" that would come in with a box cutter and wire snips. He would snip the cables and steal the cameras, pry back the glass doors in the electronics area enough to bypass the glass lock and swipe the portable DVD players. He would come in the store at 8AM when the stocking crew was on break and the opening crew were having their meetings with management. Come to find out his "full time employment" was going from one Target to another in the OKC area and then going to a pawn shop he was in cahoots with to sell it. These guys mean business and would typically fight it out or bolt if confronted.
The second was the fraudster / identity thief. Typically a middle-aged woman. These gals are con artists. They will come in with a stolen checks and credit cards. They will buy $300 - $500 worth of expensive merchandise on the stolen check or debit card. The teenage cashier up front then fails to check ID as they are trained. They will then drive across town a week later and return it for cash or store credit. Typically these ladies get discovered weeks after the fact when we would check the tapes to try to match up video with fraudulent transaction reports. Another variant was using stolen identity to open store credit cards and then tap them out.
The third was the internal. These were the worst since they know the system, have all the keys, etc... They will fail to scan merch. for their friend or swipe boxes electronics and DVDs off the back of the truck to sell on eBay or later commit return fraud with.
Now, why do I go into all this...
Typically the person at the front of the store asking to check reciepts isn't part of the LP team. Usually its some low level employee who doesn't have the power to stop you if you say "no thanks" and breeze past. Target and Best Buy are exceptions, their door checkers are the bottom of the LP totem pole. However, if you do decide to breeze past without showing reciept they are probably going to make note of your description, time, etc. Nearly every store has a camera pointed at the doors and they record everyone going in and out. Later someone in back will pull a tape and print out your picture and put you in their alert database. The next time you go the door checker will remember you and alert the plain clothes LP who will then tail you.
I'm with Tomahawk, I tend not to shop in places that force you to show a reciept because I know its just an inneffective ruse. However, if you are stopped and you feel its arbitary or they aren't stopping everyone, the best thing to do just comply, ask why you are being asked to show reciept, make a note and complain to management or corportate later. Most stores have a "if it isn't bagged, check the reciept" policy (i.e. large boxes, etc...)
