i didnt really know where else to put this, and i haven't really spent very much time in the other forums on fatwallet, so i thought i would try here first. i was at costco today and there was a long line to get out of the door due to the guy checking receipts (i already paid for my items). i just walked right past the line and him, and he said, sir, i need to see your receipt. i said, no thanks. he said, i need to see it or you cant leave, and as i kept walking, he proceeded to follow me, and "grabbed" the shopping cart from me. i put grab in quotes because i could have hung on to it and kept going if i wanted to. then i was pissed off so i refused to show him my receipt, he put my cart back inside the store (with the items that i had PURCHASED still in it) and called a manager.
the manager came over, and i explained the situation to her, and she was very nice. i explained to her that without just cause, the lp rep could not force me to show him my bags, and definitely could not detain me, and she should make sure that he understands that before someone brings a lawsuit to costco. i told her that if the man had touched me, the police would be here to arrest him and would be writing up a full report. she apologized for the situation, continued to say how they check the receipt for the CUSTOMER and she gave me her business card, and gave me the guys name as well as the name of the warehouse manager (i assume he is higher in the rankings than she was, otherwise his name would be worthless to me). i ended up showing her the receipt because she was being very polite, and i appreciated that.
anyway, i called him back a couple hours later, and he continued to say how sorry he was, and it wouldn't happen again, he said he will work on training. he also kept saying we are really sorry, we understand your concern, and when i told him that if this happened to someone else they may file a lawsuit as it is against the law for the employee to take control of property that was now under the customer's control. he kept saying that he would fix the situation, and he understands, and that he knows how bad this could be for them, especially press coverage, etc...
everything he said honestly felt canned, and not heartfelt, even some condescending.
should i just let this go, or should i press it further? maybe contact corporate?
You should let it go now especially if you value your costco membership.
This is my understanding of these issues (IANAL). At a non-membership store there is nothing they can do. If they do detain you then you should call the cops and sue for unlawful detention. This is pretty rare though, as most employees are properly trained to let you go unless they have you on tape stealing something. At membership stores they make checking receipts a condition of your membership. They still cannot unlawfully detain you, but if you do refuse to have your receipt checked they can cancel your membership.
The employee screwed up by grabbing your cart. That is why they are being very apologetic. But pushing the issue more is not likely to get you anything except a canceled membership.
Costco keeps their theft loss costs down with their receipt checks . If you have a real problem with accepting that in exchange for the prices they offer, find another place to shop. It is not like there aren't other stores you can shop at.
chrishaw
Happy Member
posted: Mar. 30, 2009 @ 8:18p
AbbaZabba is correct. It is in the terms of your membership that you allow them to check the receipt. You were in the wrong and lucky they didn't cancel your membership on the spot.
theman2 said: Costco keeps their theft loss costs down with their receipt checks . If you have a real problem with accepting that in exchange for the prices they offer, find another place to shop. It is not like there aren't other stores you can shop at.
Costco receipt checking is annoying. Costco prices are not that good as it used to be. I started shopping elsewhere for a lot of things. I only goto costco to stock up on tissues, bottled water, and maybe some can soups.
jetsfan92588 said: i didnt really know where else to put this, and i haven't really spent very much time in the other forums on fatwallet, so i thought i would try here first. i was at costco today and there was a long line to get out of the door due to the guy checking receipts (i already paid for my items). i just walked right past the line and him, and he said, sir, i need to see your receipt. i said, no thanks. he said, i need to see it or you cant leave, and as i kept walking, he proceeded to follow me, and "grabbed" the shopping cart from me. i put grab in quotes because i could have hung on to it and kept going if i wanted to. then i was pissed off so i refused to show him my receipt, he put my cart back inside the store (with the items that i had PURCHASED still in it) and called a manager.
the manager came over, and i explained the situation to her, and she was very nice. i explained to her that without just cause, the lp rep could not force me to show him my bags, and definitely could not detain me, and she should make sure that he understands that before someone brings a lawsuit to costco. i told her that if the man had touched me, the police would be here to arrest him and would be writing up a full report. she apologized for the situation, continued to say how they check the receipt for the CUSTOMER and she gave me her business card, and gave me the guys name as well as the name of the warehouse manager (i assume he is higher in the rankings than she was, otherwise his name would be worthless to me). i ended up showing her the receipt because she was being very polite, and i appreciated that.
anyway, i called him back a couple hours later, and he continued to say how sorry he was, and it wouldn't happen again, he said he will work on training. he also kept saying we are really sorry, we understand your concern, and when i told him that if this happened to someone else they may file a lawsuit as it is against the law for the employee to take control of property that was now under the customer's control. he kept saying that he would fix the situation, and he understands, and that he knows how bad this could be for them, especially press coverage, etc...
everything he said honestly felt canned, and not heartfelt, even some condescending.
should i just let this go, or should i press it further? maybe contact corporate?
Costco was right, you were wrong. It would cost more for them to defend themselves in court than to apologize to an idiot.
They can also probably get in trouble for physically detaining you, but you are supposed to show your receipt at Costco. They can revoke your membership and ban you from the store for being an asshat.
Now if you did that at BestBuy or Fry's, you would be in the right. We would applaud your efforts.
jetsfan92588 said: xoneinax said: Learn how to read ... your membership T&C just because they put it in the t&c doesnt mean they can break the law. What law did they break?
SS7Man said: Costco receipt checking is annoying. Not really. They do it pretty fast.
SS7Man said: Costco prices are not that good as it used to be. I started shopping elsewhere for a lot of things. I only goto costco to stock up on tissues, bottled water, and maybe some can soups. I agree, their prices aren't that special but for the products you mentioned, you can get much better pricing at the grocery store on sale.
Give the OP a break here. Receipt checks are not the only method a store has to control theft. Think security cameras, etc. and a country where we expect to be assumed innocent until proven guilty. If Costco is so paranoid about theft, then, station an armed guard at every checkout lane.
BamAlmighty
Member
posted: Mar. 30, 2009 @ 8:45p
Unless the employee actually "assaulted" you, you have nothing to sue over and the manager really has nothing to apologize for.
Costco is not a normal PUBLIC retail establishment, it is a warehouse CLUB limited to members. Not only did you pay a membership fee to join the club, by doing so you agreed to the membership agreement that specifically states they can inspect your goods and receipt as you leave the store. Too bad you didn't take the time to actually read the agreement.
Don't like it? Costco will gladly refund your membership fee in full anytime and you can shop wherever else you like.
So quit being a tool. 1) You don't accomplish anything, expect for the holding up the line. 2) You won't gain anything from causing a scene. You can't sue them for wrongful detainment, they are just enforcing the membership agreement you agreed to. 3) Believe it or not, most people don't think it is a big deal and you only make yourself look like a huge douche bag to your fellow shoppers.
In particular, I quote from item 9 "General Policies" in the last page:
"To ensure that all members are correctly charged for the merchandise purchased, all receipts and merchandise will be inspected as you leave the warehouse."
ETA: I agree with some of the others who find the practice a bit annoying; but it is spelled out in their brochure which you agreed to when you joined. You do have the choice of not joining Costco since it is a membership only store.
That said, I myself do not understand why Costco does this. I think Sam's and BJ's does too. I can't speak to BJ's but they check to see if you are a member when you walk in elsewhere. Their items are larger than most stores (due to bulk packaging) and I would think it would be HARDER to steal from Costco.
Why warehouse stores think making people wait in line to check receipt is productive and why Target or Wal-Mart does not escapes me. Do people REALLY grab stuff and run for the doors if receipts are not being checked?
COBBCITY said: I myself do not understand why Costco does this.
Because theft is a huge problem at Costco, especially now. Getting past the check out stands without paying is fairly easy as hectic as things can get during the busy hours, the receipt checker is their only line of defense.
I work for the county court and we usually get 2-3 defendants per week just from getting caught shoplifting at Costco and the vast majority of them are caught as they are leaving the store. People have gotten so incredibly stupid or just plain desperate, even bold that they try to wheel carts of merchandise out the door. We had a defendant the other day who made it past the checkout stands with a LCD TV only to be busted by the receipt checker.
All of the Costcos around me are employed by what may be the friendliest and most competent people of any retail establishment I know of. They almost always give customers the benefit of the doubt on everything.
Are you really that important that you can't wait to have your receipt checked? Since you took the time to write a book about it here, I doubt it.
It's some person's job to check receipts. Glad you were so important that not only did you jack with his day, but also probably delayed the people who were properly standing in line.
magika
Senior Member - 1K
posted: Mar. 30, 2009 @ 9:03p
Wow, not only did they go above and beyond in customer service by apologizing for something that they had every right to do but apparently ordered the very employee who "offended" you to grovel on the phone while you issued law suit threats when you had no basis to do so. And now you want to further escalate this non-issue? This just gives me more reasons to shop at Costco.
infecto
Member
posted: Mar. 30, 2009 @ 9:04p
jetsfan92588 said: xoneinax said: Learn how to read ... your membership T&C
just because they put it in the t&c doesnt mean they can break the law.
FAIL. Receipt checking is not against the law anywhere public or membership stores. The only thing that was off process was grabbing you which you really have very little standing in court to do much about. If you do not like it do not shop there. Please though do not show how much of an asshat you are by complaining on something so silly. Honestly you look like a fool.
I am not in the theft prevention business but I can only assume that if Sams/Costco are doing it then there has to be a cost benefit for paying someone minimum wage (or whatever wage) to stand there and check receipts.
You know, at my Costco, there's this nice old lady that sometimes check receipts and the line does get a little heavy at times. However, I remember I'm not dealing with the asshats at WalMart or some other place; Costco employees are actually genuinely nice and care about their jobs. I've never met so many helpful people. That's why I shop there on a typical basis.
Just my two cents. I'd rather wait the extra few seconds and continue to get great service and prices.
UncaMikey
Happy Member
posted: Mar. 30, 2009 @ 9:10p
jetsfan92588 said: i was at costco today and there was a long line to get out of the door due to the guy checking receipts...
And you made the situation a lot worse for everyone else. I am glad I wasn't at your Costco today, or I'd be starting a thread about the d1ck ahead of me in line who made everyone wait while he got all high and mighty over showing a receipt.
ez said: Give the OP a break here. Receipt checks are not the only method a store has to control theft. Think security cameras, etc. and a country where we expect to be assumed innocent until proven guilty. If Costco is so paranoid about theft, then, station an armed guard at every checkout lane. Its cheaper to have one person check receipts at the door than it is to invest in cameras & related hardware, then have one (or more) person monitor them.
OP, quit been a jerk and get on with your life. The only wrong thing that the checker did was holding onto your cart. He would not have done that, if only you had behaved like a normal human being and agreed to show your receipt to the checker, in a membership only store like Costco. If you think you can sue them and you are seeing dollar signs in front of you, then I would say, quit day-dreaming. Since Costco is such a customer-friendly organization, that's why you had couple of managers apologizing to you. Its not because you were right, its because they go by 'Customer is always right', irrespective of how jackass the customer might be.
I think you have a case, from my limited experience in legal matters I have learned, Senator John McCain is your man. Just write his office, with your complaint.
atobias
Senior Member
posted: Mar. 30, 2009 @ 9:31p
I have never stopped for receipt checkers at Best Buy, WalMart and Frys. I simply say "no thank you" and continue walking. I have yet to have any problems.
But Costco is different. If I was a member of Costco I would comply.
nu2this
Addicted Member
posted: Mar. 30, 2009 @ 9:37p
Isn't the cart the property of costco? Costco associates can grab those all day long without any legal issues. They need to grab a few more from the parking lot at my costco.
its self rightousness like this that needs to be banned from places like costco. bet you're also the person standing in line returing a 5 year old perfectly fine tv because it's ok to do so.
ElectricSavant
Senior Member
posted: Mar. 30, 2009 @ 9:43p
It seems to me that you should never have to wait in line to get out of a store....its just poor managment...but the biggest weakness that Costco and Sams have is the wait in the line to pay....
nu2this said: Isn't the cart the property of costco? Costco associates can grab those all day long without any legal issues. They need to grab a few more from the parking lot at my costco.
Good point. Also, he talks as if he knew he was supposed to get his receipt checked, but avoided it. Wouldn't he be exactly the guy you would want to check?
riznick said: Costco was right, you were wrong. It would cost more for them to defend themselves in court than to apologize to an idiot.
The above is correct. OP, please stop wasting my electrons.
yanks0114
Senior Member - 1K
posted: Mar. 30, 2009 @ 9:51p
OP:
First, I missed the part where Costco detained you. I understand that they detained your shopping cart, but how did they detain you? Did they use handcuffs? Did they lock you in a room?
Second, you are an idiot. You embarrass all of mankind.
I challenge everyone here to try this, I have done it more than once to prove a point.
Buy TWO things from costco. Have them rung up separate and keep them in the same cart.
Show one of your receipts at the door. The person will look at it and mark it and you'll be on your merry way. I have done this more than 5 times and never been stopped or even asked if I have a second receipt.
jason745 said: Costco receipt check procedure is worthless.
I challenge everyone here to try this, I have done it more than once to prove a point.
Buy TWO things from costco. Have them rung up separate and keep them in the same cart.
Show one of your receipts at the door. The person will look at it and mark it and you'll be on your merry way. I have done this more than 5 times and never been stopped or even asked if I have a second receipt.
You've done this multiple times? Wow, you have less of a life than the OP.
i would like to make it clear that i am not looking for any compensation and especially not looking for a court case. i am looking for these people to be more polite (the lp guy not the manager-the manager was really nice). the lp guy thought he was a god and had extraordinary power. thats why i was asking about whether i should make a comment to corporate about it. if the guy had physically stopped me, which would have been his next step, it wouldve been false imprisonment, and costco would have been sued. (not if it happened to me, but if it happened to someone else who was willing to sue them)
with regard to the time thing, i had to get to class. it wasnt about i was in a rush, and i never have time to do anything, it was, at that particular point in time, i had to get to class. the line at costco is usually significantly smaller in the middle of the day, and for some reason today, it felt like it was a sunday there.
This is the weirdest part about receipt checking. At most all they do is glance and check here there. It is like they are just doing it for the sake of doing it rather than doing it right. The primary goal is probably to add another layer of security on the door and show the customers they are checking receipts so think twice of stealing. If they catch someone its like a bonus. If not so be it.
I can tell you my local Wally and BB just put a check on the receipt without even looking inside the bag. Sometimes they do but when there is a bunch of people check check check. So for stores to use the excuse to prevent theft or for the 'customer and store protection' is a lame excuse because they dont even do it right.
jetsfan92588 said: i didnt really know where else to put this, and i haven't really spent very much time in the other forums on fatwallet, so i thought i would try here first. i was at costco today and there was a long line to get out of the door due to the guy checking receipts (i already paid for my items). i just walked right past the line and him, and he said, sir, i need to see your receipt. i said, no thanks. he said, i need to see it or you cant leave, and as i kept walking, he proceeded to follow me, and "grabbed" the shopping cart from me. i put grab in quotes because i could have hung on to it and kept going if i wanted to. then i was pissed off so i refused to show him my receipt, he put my cart back inside the store (with the items that i had PURCHASED still in it) and called a manager.
the manager came over, and i explained the situation to her, and she was very nice. i explained to her that without just cause, the lp rep could not force me to show him my bags, and definitely could not detain me, and she should make sure that he understands that before someone brings a lawsuit to costco. i told her that if the man had touched me, the police would be here to arrest him and would be writing up a full report. she apologized for the situation, continued to say how they check the receipt for the CUSTOMER and she gave me her business card, and gave me the guys name as well as the name of the warehouse manager (i assume he is higher in the rankings than she was, otherwise his name would be worthless to me). i ended up showing her the receipt because she was being very polite, and i appreciated that.
anyway, i called him back a couple hours later, and he continued to say how sorry he was, and it wouldn't happen again, he said he will work on training. he also kept saying we are really sorry, we understand your concern, and when i told him that if this happened to someone else they may file a lawsuit as it is against the law for the employee to take control of property that was now under the customer's control. he kept saying that he would fix the situation, and he understands, and that he knows how bad this could be for them, especially press coverage, etc...
everything he said honestly felt canned, and not heartfelt, even some condescending.
should i just let this go, or should i press it further? maybe contact corporate? Thanks for holding up the line even longer.
geebeebee said: All of the Costcos around me are employed by what may be the friendliest and most competent people of any retail establishment I know of. They almost always give customers the benefit of the doubt on everything.
Are you really that important that you can't wait to have your receipt checked? Since you took the time to write a book about it here, I doubt it.
It's some person's job to check receipts. Glad you were so important that not only did you jack with his day, but also probably delayed the people who were properly standing in line.
The only person I have seen throw a fit about the receipt check at Costco is my two year old. Last week we went in for some "eatza" (pizza) and we didn't show our receipt when we left. He flipped out. He wanted a receipt to give the very nice person at the door so he could get a smiley face drawn on it. I had to return with the pizza receipt and get a smiley.
jetsfan92588 said: xoneinax said: Learn how to read ... your membership T&C
just because they put it in the t&c doesnt mean they can break the law. you're the one who's doing it go buy your stuff somewhere else, Costco doesn't need your business
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