Posted on 10/18/2006 5:18:01 AM PDT by Brilliant
Do yourself a favor and Google "shopkeeper's privilege."
Of course, my definition of reasonable would not include anything that is of even the slightest inconvenience for me. ;-)
"Whenever people act like that over being asked for a receipt you know 2 things.
1. That they don't have a decent bone in their body.
2. They've never worked a hard day in their life."
You are free to do as you wish, I usually just say "no thank you" when I am requested to do this - it's not abuse to say "no" to a search like this. If they want to inspect what I am purchasing, their opportunity is at the cash register, once the transaction is complete, it's my stuff.
Most stores in my area have discontinued the practice because most people simply refuse to comply, and those that do are not shoplifters.
If by some odd chance they didn't get one of their anit-theft tags de-activated at the register and it set off the alarms on the way out I would just continue on my merry way. The receipt in my hand says that what I have in my shopping bag is my property and, unless they have a police officer there with a properly obtained search warrant, they have no business looking through my personal property.
Please consult with an attorney before following that course of action, you'll save yourself a whole lot of trouble.
Attorneys do not need to get involved with receipt checkers unless it is agreed to prior to the transaction. Once the transaction is complete then the item along with the receipt is your own personal property. The only exception would be Costco.
It's a little more complicated than that, in the sense that each State has its own Shopkeeper's Privilege Statute, but essentially you nailed it.
Boy, I bet you are just a bundle of fun at the Public Library.
"DEMOCRATS 06 - SOFT ON TERROR, HARD ON WALMART!"
See tag line!
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