Photo: Monstera

What happens if you refuse to show your receipt at Walmart?

You are not legally required to stop and show your receipt at a Walmart if you do not want to.

abc10.com - Are you legally required to show your receipt when leaving a Walmart?

What diet loses the most belly fat?

To battle belly fat: Eat a healthy diet. Focus on plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and choose lean sources of...

Last updated Jan 23, 2021

What is the best thing to put in your stomach first thing in the morning?

Most dieticians recommend starting your morning with a glass of lemon juice and honey on an empty stomach. These ingredients help in removing...

Last updated Feb 28, 2021

Strange purple cocktail removes 2.7lbs every 4 days

Contains a potent powdered supplement blended right into water or your favored beverage to be appreciated as a scrumptious morning smoothy.

Learn More »

Promotion

Can you legally just not stop and show your receipt at a Walmart checkpoint? We VERIFY.

Example video title will go here for this video

FOLSOM, Calif. — If you've noticed some Walmarts in the area have started scanning your receipts when you leave, you're not alone. The policy has gotten many people talking on Facebook, with some saying it's no big deal and others expressing concern. One person had a different kind of comment. "You do not have to stop," he wrote. "There is no law stating as such."

So, is that true? Can you legally just not stop and show your receipt at a Walmart checkpoint?

Let's VERIFY.

To start, we can say that this is happening at the Folsom Walmart and others in the area. Not only did Walmart confirm it, but our ABC10 team went by the store and saw it happening. Most people got stopped, but not everybody. That's what seemed to bother Carmen Ellis the most -- a customer who said she had recently been stopped and checked, while a few minutes later, her husband was not. "It's almost like you're singling me out for the receipt. Do I look like a thief or what?" Ellis said. "I was kind of questioning it because, you know, my husband is white, and I'm a Hispanic." What Walmart is saying: A Walmart spokesperson told us that "our intent is to check every receipt." He said, ultimately, this policy is to help prevent theft, which helps keep inventory high and prices low thus keeping customers happy.

But are you legally required to engage?

What Folsom PD said: Sgt. Andrew Bates with the Folsom Police Department directed us to California Penal code 490.5, which states: "(f) (1) A merchant may detain a person for a reasonable time for the purpose of conducting an investigation in a reasonable manner whenever the merchant has probable cause to believe the person to be detained is attempting to unlawfully take or has unlawfully taken merchandise from the merchant's premises." In short: "To answer your question," Bates said. "A person would not have to stop unless the merchant had probable cause to believe the person had taken merchandise without paying." VERIFY: Knowing that, we can verify that it's TRUE. You are not legally required to stop and show your receipt at a Walmart if you do not want to.

That said, it's not so simple.

We spoke to a lawyer, who has represented clients in these kinds of cases, who said that while there is no provision in the law that requires you to stop, not stopping could give the store some probable cause they need to ask you to stop and detain you. They would need additional proof, too. At that point, lawyers advise it's best to show your receipt and wait it out. Don't try to flee. And what about Costco? Things are little different with Costco, since it's a membership program. If you shop there, you've signed on to their terms, which means, yes, you are required to stop and show your receipt. They also make a policy of checking every customers' receipts. Do you have something you want to see VERIFIED? Use the form below to send us your idea!

How do you know anemia is getting worse?

But when the anemia gets worse, fatigue and weakness may appear. These are the most common symptoms. One or more of these other signs may also...

Last updated Nov 9, 2020

What does drinking lemon juice first thing in the morning do for you?

Lemon also happens to be a strong detox agent. Drinking lemon water first thing in the morning will flush out all the toxins from your system....

Last updated Oct 22, 2021

Fizzy juice “eats through” 59lbs of stubborn fat

This effective juice jolts the metabolism, boosts energy and burns fat all day.

Learn More »

Promotion

Which country is rich in plastic?

Calculating the amount of plastics that end up in the ocean each year in kg, it found that India (126.5 million kg), China (over 70.7 million kg) and Indonesia (56.333 million kg) topped the list as the worst offenders.

ciwem.org - These 10 countries are the biggest contributors to marine plastic pollution

And as #PlasticFreeJuly enters its second week figures from packaging retailer RAJA UK have revealed the 10 countries responsible for throwing the highest amount of plastic into the ocean. Calculating the amount of plastics that end up in the ocean each year in kg, it found that India (126.5 million kg), China (over 70.7 million kg) and Indonesia (56.333 million kg) topped the list as the worst offenders.

This was followed by:

4. Brazil (38 million kg)

5. Thailand (22.8 million kg)

6. Mexico (3.5 million kg)

7. Egypt (2.5 million kg)

8. United States (2.4 million kg)

9. Japan (1.84 million kg)

10. United Kingdom (703 million kg)

When figures examined countries based on annual plastic waste the ranking looked rather different, with the US taking the top spot and the UK sitting in 8th place.

1. United States (42 billion kg)

2. India (26.3 billion kg)

3. China (21.5 billion kg)

4. Brazil (10.6 billion kg)

5. Indonesia (9.1 billion kg)

6. Russian Federation (8.4 billion kg)

7. Germany (6.6 billion kg)

8. United Kingdom (6.4 billion kg)

9. Mexico (5.9 billion kg)

10. Japan (4.8 billion kg)

To learn more register for our Microplastics: Source to Sea webinar, take our Are you a marine citizen quiz? and read how the ‘Attenborough effect’ is having a having a positive effect on marine education.