Warning: Walmart Rant Ensues

[TuckandStuiesMom]

We had a thread maybe 6 months back about Walmart... and I wasn't a fan then; but right now I am ABSOLUTELY LIVID!

I am pretty sure I was racially-profiled at our local store today. I took my mom in to do her shopping. I picked up a few things like detergent, shampoo, yogurt and a book. The total was about $66. Since my mom was still shopping, I took the book, bought a lemonade in the instore McDonalds, and waited. On my way out, I was stopped by the "Greeter" who wanted to see my receipt. I couldn't find it (it was in my book) and he wasn't going to let me leave!!!! He sent me to customer service but I found the dang thing enroute to CS, showed it to him, and was able to escape with my groceries. WHAT THE HECK!!!!

Even though my mom mostly pretends she's white (she's a little old lady -- give her a break) -- she was upset enough about this that she mentioned the racial angle (It actually hadn't occurred to me but the store is pretty close to the White Mountain Apache Reservation) and Lord Knows some white folks DO think we all look alike...

My mom loves going to Walmart but even she's having second thoughts about shopping there again. I AM NEVER EVER EVER BUYING ANYTHING THERE EVER EVER AGAIN. I buy about $100/week on groceries alone. Assuming I live another 20 years, that is more than $100,000 that Walmart ain't gonna see.

These were groceries for pitysakes -- not a TV or a Game Console. I was so embarrassed when I was in the store and now I'm MAD!!!!!!!

 

[mykidsintow]

Our walmart has never given us trouble... and my family is always different when we go in.

However, I know a friend of my family was taken to the back and they threatened to strip search her an she said they better get some police there pretty quick. She is white, early 50's, short, dumpy..... a retired school teacher for heavens sake!

So I know they do question.

Sorry you are upset! I would be pissed too!

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

I don't thnk it has to do with race- I think it has to do with walmart gets so many shoplifters that they are cracking down on it and checking receipts a lot more often. And honestly I'm fine with it because if they catch more shoplifters then OUR PRICES come down- because let's be honest here... walmart doesn't eat those costs- no store does. They pass those losses down to their customers in higher prices on their items!

I'm an almost 40yr old caucasian mom of 3- and they ask me to see my receipt even when I'm just purchasing groceries. I don't think it has to do with race. It may have also had more to do with drinking a drink and the book (the items you had) than anything else. I would imagine probably a lot of people come in and grab things like the drink and a book to read/etc. and then walk out pretending they came in with those items. yanno?

I don't understand the big deal with being asked to see a receipt. Any store has the right to make sure people leaving the store with their items has actually paid for the items. And since obviously you weren't stealing, you had a receipt- so no biggie. It can be annoying at times if you're in a hurry or something or like in your case you couldn't find your receipt at first (but that wasn't their fault! they didn't put it in your book, you did) but I just try to think about it in the long term... the more they check for receipts means less items are lifted from the store = prices not going up due to shoplifting. So in the long run I benefit from them checking receipts. that's the way to look at it.

 

[TuckandStuiesMom]

What occurred to me today was NOT by any definition, a reasonable loss-control measure. BBB, unlike most of the folks who post here regularly, I don't know you -- but even so, I do not think you would have been "good with it" had you found yourself in my situation this morning.

I was not merely asked for a receipt (although in my mind, even that that is pretty iffy as a loss control procedure w/o a clear explanation of probable cause), I was prevented from leaving the store until I found it. I was presumed to be guilty until I "proved" otherwise. I was singled out among many others leaving the store for this very public and embarrassing "special" treatment. Aside from my mom, I was the only brown person in sight. I have thought about going back next Saturday by myself, sit in the front of the MCD's again with a notebook, watch the exit, and just keep track of who gets stopped and who doesn't. Maybe I'll be surprised but I don't think so. Believe me, I normally do NOT immediately assume the worst about other people's views on race -- but this particular situation had a very strange and disconcerting feel to it. Trying to explain it, I am reminded of a 1964 quote from Justice Potter Stewart about pornography: "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material. . . but I know it when I see it . . . "

Setting aside the race issue, I still have no desire to shop somewhere that assumes I'm a criminal.

I don't thnk it has to do with race- I think it has to do with walmart gets so many shoplifters that they are cracking down on it and checking receipts a lot more often. And honestly I'm fine with it because if they catch more shoplifters then OUR PRICES come down- because let's be honest here... walmart doesn't eat those costs- no store does. They pass those losses down to their customers in higher prices on their items!

I'm an almost 40yr old caucasian mom of 3- and they ask me to see my receipt even when I'm just purchasing groceries. I don't think it has to do with race. It may have also had more to do with drinking a drink and the book (the items you had) than anything else. I would imagine probably a lot of people come in and grab things like the drink and a book to read/etc. and then walk out pretending they came in with those items. yanno?

I don't understand the big deal with being asked to see a receipt. Any store has the right to make sure people leaving the store with their items has actually paid for the items. And since obviously you weren't stealing, you had a receipt- so no biggie. It can be annoying at times if you're in a hurry or something or like in your case you couldn't find your receipt at first (but that wasn't their fault! they didn't put it in your book, you did) but I just try to think about it in the long term... the more they check for receipts means less items are lifted from the store = prices not going up due to shoplifting. So in the long run I benefit from them checking receipts. that's the way to look at it.

 

[danielmorgan03]

and Lord Knows some white folks DO think we all look alike...

Wow! Is this not a race based comment? Who is profiling now?

 

[TuckandStuiesMom]

Reading that a dumpy mid-50's white lady got subjected to the same sorta treatment that a dumpy mid-50's brown lady did, is oddly kinda reassuring. LOL! I'm still thinkin' about setting up covert surveillance on 'em next week though.

Our walmart has never given us trouble... and my family is always different when we go in.

However, I know a friend of my family was taken to the back and they threatened to strip search her an she said they better get some police there pretty quick. She is white, early 50's, short, dumpy..... a retired school teacher for heavens sake!

So I know they do question.

Sorry you are upset! I would be pissed too!

 

[mykidsintow]

My other thought was did you have anything large? Like a broom, storage box? Anything too big or not in a bag? Our walmart ALWAYS stops and checks reciepts if something is not in a bag (as if I can't stuff my already big chest with bags and put whatever I want in them before leaving, but whatever its their stupid rule).

Yeah she was pretty pissed she was stopped much like you were. However, they checked her reciept and still took her to the back where they told her she was going to be strip searched. She went *OFF*. She wasn't searched. She refused to do anything until the police arrived and told them she wanted to see the videos proving she needed to be searched. Of course there was no video and she ended up leaving (very angry). She told them they were sick trying to get their kicks off a frumpy old lady and they should go for a sexy young thing next time because they may not be as smart, allowing them to get their thrills after all. She was mad mad mad.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Reading that a dumpy mid-50's white lady got subjected to the same sorta treatment that a dumpy mid-50's brown lady did, is oddly kinda reassuring. LOL! I'm still thinkin' about setting up covert surveillance on 'em next week though.

Add another dumpy early 40's white lady in NJ to the mix. We bought a microwave. The security guard was chatting with our cashier while we were checking out, so he saw us checkout. I put the receipt in my purse and began to push the cart out the door (we checked out at the register closest to the door) and he began screaming "Halt! Don't go another step further!" I assumed he was speaking to someone else so I kept going. He runs and jumps in front of us and shoves the cart back at me! Is he freakin' kidding me? I lost it because it hurt getting hit by the cart. He started yelling about us stealing from the store. My daughter was almost in tears. Another security guard came running over as did the cashier. I said something like "are you kidding me? You were just standing there bull****ing with the cashier when I checked out?! Maybe had you been paying attention to your job, you would have noticed me. He gets even louder telling me that I shouldn't tell him how to do his job. The cashier even started laughing at him and vouched that she had JUST checked us out while he was chatting with her. The other security guard apologized and told us to go. The idiot was still yelling about how we were stealing the microwave. What a doofus. I think the problem is Walmart gets ripped off frequently, and some (not all) of their security personnel are wanna-be cops who take themselves a little too seriously. God forbid then ever start arming them -- we'll all be dead! I guess I didn't help the situation by threating to smack the crap out of him if he ever hit me with a cart again!

 

[TuckandStuiesMom]

Nope -- just 4 bags. I'm used to "show me the receipt" routine when I've bought something big there -- like I said, the event this morning had a totally different feel. Like your friend (horrible story -- by the way), I would have kicked up a monstrous big stink if I hadn't have had my mom with me.

My other thought was did you have anything large? Like a broom, storage box? Anything too big or not in a bag? Our walmart ALWAYS stops and checks reciepts if something is not in a bag (as if I can't stuff my already big chest with bags and put whatever I want in them before leaving, but whatever its their stupid rule).

Yeah she was pretty pissed she was stopped much like you were. However, they checked her reciept and still took her to the back where they told her she was going to be strip searched. She went *OFF*. She wasn't searched. She refused to do anything until the police arrived and told them she wanted to see the videos proving she needed to be searched. Of course there was no video and she ended up leaving (very angry). She told them they were sick trying to get their kicks off a frumpy old lady and they should go for a sexy young thing next time because they may not be as smart, allowing them to get their thrills after all. She was mad mad mad.

 

[TuckandStuiesMom]

Another AWFUL story -- My Gosh! It amazes me that this company gets away with this crap!

Add another dumpy early 40's white lady in NJ to the mix. We bought a microwave. The security guard was chatting with our cashier while we were checking out, so he saw us checkout. I put the receipt in my purse and began to push the cart out the door (we checked out at the register closest to the door) and he began screaming "Halt! Don't go another step further!" I assumed he was speaking to someone else so I kept going. He runs and jumps in front of us and shoves the cart back at me! Is he freakin' kidding me? I lost it because it hurt getting hit by the cart. He started yelling about us stealing from the store. My daughter was almost in tears. Another security guard came running over as did the cashier. I said something like "are you kidding me? You were just standing there bull****ing with the cashier when I checked out?! Maybe had you been paying attention to your job, you would have noticed me. He gets even louder telling me that I shouldn't tell him how to do his job. The cashier even started laughing at him and vouched that she had JUST checked us out while he was chatting with her. The other security guard apologized and told us to go. The idiot was still yelling about how we were stealing the microwave. What a doofus. I think the problem is Walmart gets ripped off frequently, and some (not all) of their security personnel are wanna-be cops who take themselves a little too seriously. God forbid then ever start arming them -- we'll all be dead! I guess I didn't help the situation by threating to smack the crap out of him if he ever hit me with a cart again!

 

[Goobergal99]

I don't know whether it was racial or not, but I will agree about Wal Mart. I live in Philly and most of my family is union and hates, HATES that I shop at Wal mart since they hire illegal aliens rather then hire union because they will work for less. In fact the newer walmart in my area was busted for this a a couple years ago...

None the less, I can tell you that I hate when I am walking out of wal mart, my stuff IN THE BAG and I am stopped by the greeter who insists on seeing proof of purchase. I have many a time made a comment and I mean many a time. This is the biggest earning retail company in the WORLD and they don't even pay there employees overtime or a decent wage for that matter and I am being hassled for shopping there... I must say that I have down right refused to pull out my receipt many times, frankly its insulting and IMHO, it wouldnt kill they to lose out on some of the riches...

Anyone ever see that documentary on the wal mart company and what they did to small businesses? pretty damn shady!

 

[danielmorgan03]

Goobergal,

What size and type of television do you have? If it is bigger than mine will you kindly send it to me? After all it would not hurt you to lose some of your riches.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've shopped at a Walmart. I just find the whole shopping experience very um...sad and unsatisfying.

Here in upstate NY we have some of the best grocery stores, including Wegmans. Specifically our Wegmans in Dewitt is larger then some Super Walmarts in size comparison (the store is 141,000 square foot and is truly just a grocery store - also note, the largest in all of the stores in the chain). Wegmans also has been in the top 10 for best companies to work for year over year for around 5 or so years and in the top 100 for the past 10. If you look at Walmart though, it is a behemoth of a company, no doubt and a fiscally powerful one, but in terms of service and internal employee satisfaction, its pretty close to bottom of the barrell. We do have a few Walmarts around the area, but between their poor customer service, overall poor quality of produce (with limited organic options) and the fact that Wegmans is so great, there is little reason for us to ever shop there from a food perspective.

From an electronics/household perspective, we have many other choices as well. We have tons of furniture stores (including another market leader, Raymour & Flanigan), we have the major electronic stores (Best Buy, Circuit City, Sears, etc), for household products we of course have Kmart, Mega Marshalls and Target (which is a much happier shopping experience comparitively) and for everything else, we have a huge shopping mall that is also being expanded.

 

[padalyn]

This is weird. Hunny and I do shop at Walmart (tiggr33) we are not happy about many of the practices, but since they have boating stuff at so much less than any other place...we end up there.

We have 3 that we have been to. It is interesting to hear the comments about the profiling - we have felt that we were profiled many times. We are so pale that white doesn't really qualify. (was told years ago not to sleep in white sheets - my lover (at the time) was afraid she would loose me ).

To that end - when we have shopped at Secaucus we are ALWAYS stopped - since we are the palest folks around the area (mostly of hispanic, dominician, and brown are the shades of people seen). When we go to Saddle Brook (seriously pale area) we are occosionally stopped, but have seen many hispanic and south american folks stopped. When we went to Pompton Lakes (another really pale area) we were not even given a second glance.

When I asked in Saddle Brook why and how they pick the people to stop I was given a song and dance (kinda a sad song really) about how it is every third person (HA HA HA). So I counted - nope - not even close, but somehow all the browner folks managed to be stopped. In Secaucus - all the paler folks were stopped.

I do believe they profile - for the area the store is located in. When I have shopped in my grandmothers town (Walmart is the ONLY store in town) I never get stopped, and I DON'T LIVE THERE!!! No one knows me or who I am...but I match the color predominence of the area.

I don't thnk it has to do with race

So, as I said above- they do profile.

I am pretty sure I was racially-profiled at our local store today.

yep you were.

 

[quietgirll]

What occurred to me today was NOT by any definition, a reasonable loss-control measure. BBB, unlike most of the folks who post here regularly, I don't know you -- but even so, I do not think you would have been "good with it" had you found yourself in my situation this morning.

I was not merely asked for a receipt (although in my mind, even that that is pretty iffy as a loss control procedure w/o a clear explanation of probable cause), I was prevented from leaving the store until I found it. I was presumed to be guilty until I "proved" otherwise. I was singled out among many others leaving the store for this very public and embarrassing "special" treatment. Aside from my mom, I was the only brown person in sight. I have thought about going back next Saturday by myself, sit in the front of the MCD's again with a notebook, watch the exit, and just keep track of who gets stopped and who doesn't. Maybe I'll be surprised but I don't think so. Believe me, I normally do NOT immediately assume the worst about other people's views on race -- but this particular situation had a very strange and disconcerting feel to it. Trying to explain it, I am reminded of a 1964 quote from Justice Potter Stewart about pornography: "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material. . . but I know it when I see it . . . "

Setting aside the race issue, I still have no desire to shop somewhere that assumes I'm a criminal.

as someone who works in retail, i would imagine it was more that you were being prevented from leaving with the MERCHANDISE without the receipt...

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I hate WalMart. Sorry that happened to you!

I was stopped going out of Target once when I bought a Rubbermaid tub. I guess the security dude was sure I had stuffed it full of merchandise and he was going to bust me. Dork.

I don't think I have ever been profiled. It would take a LOONNNG time to stop every 40ish white woman coming out of Target. Never been stopped anywhere else. I refuse to go to WalMart, so I don't know if they would stop me or not.

 

[MarioParty]

The greeters job is to check rececipts. I'm a white male and it happens to me all the time.

MP

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

I hate Walmart. I believe you were profiled. It's what they do, regardless of what anyone may tell you.

I was asked to show my reciept once, and I refused. Simpy, flat out said NO, and kept walking. No one stopped me, no one chased me down, and no one was stupid enough to put their hands on me. If I had been hit with a cart by a Walmark rent a cop, there would have been one NASTY scene.

I have only shopped there a few times, but each time there has been some sort of "managerial" problem.

I LOVE WEGMAN'S!!!! I so wish they would expand to the south! It is a wonderful grocery store with the largest variety of merchandise I've ever seen. And their prices are reasonable too!

Publix is nice, but Wegman's is WONDERFUL!!!!

 

[brendrek]

I'm also a white male, got harrassed by a Walmart greeter very recently because the cashier forgot to deactivate my Xantrex-3 diet pills. It took 5 minutes to find which item it was. The guy questioned every item on my receipt while rifling through my bags in front of everyone. Working for a large retailer myself I know that I am not legally required to show proof of purchase at the door (with the exception of club stores like Sam's where showing a receipt is in you membership contract). I could have kept walking, it's not like that 90 year old at the door was going to stop me. Especially since I was hopped up on diet pills

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

I hate Walmart, I NEVER go in there, and when I HAVE to its always the worst experience. I think everyone that works at Walmart (at least at mine) all shares one brain!!! We went in there the other weekend to buy a mustang for my girls - it should have taken 10 minutes, but because they are so incompident (sp?) it took almost an hour!!! Anyway, to my point.... the car was being wheeled out to our car by one of their workers, with me walking next to it, and I got stopped and made to show my reciept. I thought it was pretty stupid since one of THEIR WORKERS was bringing it out to the car for me, but whatever. So personally, without being there to witness it, I think its just a crackdown that Walmart is now inforcing, like Costco and BJs, and has nothing to do with racial profiling. I say just stop going there, Walmar is BAD!