Does the Receipt Prove the Merchandise is Mine?

I do like Wal-Mart, but I don't like some of their practices. When I buy merchandise from Wal-Mart, isn't the receipt mine to show I purchased what is in my cart? One day I was treated so badly I decided right then I would have to say something. I had been shopping and I purchased a printer for my computer. On my way out I was asked for my receipt. I had the receipt in my hand, and a woman grabbed it out of my hand and started walking to the check-out. I kind of called out to her to not run off with my receipt. She walked back to me and said to be quiet and stay put. Of course I said that receipt was my property. Well, to say the least the woman said something about calling the law on me. I said "for what-for asking you not to run off with my property? That receipt is mine!" I stayed there waiting until the woman was satisfied that I had not stolen the printer. I really think the employees are told to give shoppers a hard time when they come out.

Prior to my experience, I had witnessed other people being detained. I noticed one night a lady of Hispanic decent was detained. She had bought some mini blinds among other things. She was stopped and her receipt was taken from her. She couldn't speak a word of English and she was terrified. I felt angry and humiliated for this woman. It seemed to me that certain people were targeted as potential shoplifters. I just don't get it! I've seen things like this time and time again. Why are they treating us the way they do? Why do they treat us all like shoplifters? I understand that during the Christmas time they may have loss of inventory, but is it shoplifters, or is it employees that are walking out with the merchandise? Why did they phase out the Lay Away program? Was it possibly because items were getting gone from the inventory in lay away? I've had items missing before, it made me wonder?

I said I would never walk into Wal-Mart again, but where else can I have one stop shopping. There is no other store like that since K-Mart went out of business in our town of Winder, GA. Before I could feel good about shopping there again, I had to get this mistreatment off my chest. I went in and spoke to the manager and he started to defend her stating that she was doing her job. I stopped him and explained to him that she could do her job in a nicer way. She didn't have to demand my ticket and rip it out of my hand. He agreed and said he would talk to her. What probably happened was that he may have patted her on the back and said "Atta-Girl!" Since that time though, since I spoke to the manager, I did notice that the woman was no longer working at the doors to act as the Gestapo. The last time I saw her was in House wares. I nodded to her, she recognized me and rolled her eyes.

I'm still not in love with Wal-Mart, but it is the least expensive and most convenient place to shop. They have people standing guard at the doors, but I notice that they are very polite. I'm sure they are watching everything like a hawk, which is their job, but they are not treating us like potential shoplifters. Come Christmas and the tide may turn again though... who knows?