Arrest, Search, Seizure, Warrant WalMart / Sam's Club Searches

[kentulsa]

I shop at WalMart and Sam's Club frequently.

I enter the store. No signs posted that I know of that state anything to do with WalMart's rights to search or anything of that nature.

I purchase my goods, pay for my goods, and have a receipt or bill of sale.

In my mind, I own the goods at the instant I pay for the goods and get a receipt.

I proceed to exit the store and I am approached by a Walmart employee to "check" my cart.

At this point, I believe it is my right to refuse any search of MY property.

Please advise if I am correct on my rights to refuse search by Walmart.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

I shop at WalMart and Sam's Club frequently.

I enter the store. No signs posted that I know of that state anything to do with WalMart's rights to search or anything of that nature.

I purchase my goods, pay for my goods, and have a receipt or bill of sale.

In my mind, I own the goods at the instant I pay for the goods and get a receipt.

I proceed to exit the store and I am approached by a Walmart employee to "check" my cart.

At this point, I believe it is my right to refuse any search of MY property.

Please advise if I am correct on my rights to refuse search by Walmart.

I'm a firm believer in the "do unto others" rule and think that if a request is reasonable, there is no reason to complain.

Let me ask you this -- what is the problem with simply showing your receipt to the security guard to make sure that the items in your bag are the ones you paid for? Theft is rampant unfortunately and if it was your store, I'm sure you'd try to take reasonable precautions to make sure that people paid for their merchandise. Are you being treated any differently than others? Are you being frisked about your person? Is it an indication that you are "a criminal?" Not at all.

Where does this stop? Security cameras hidden in the ceilings of these stores catch images of everywhere you go. Do I like it? No. But is there any other alternative? Without these measures we wouldn't have department stores displaying open merchandise within which to shop since we live in an age and time where theft is rampant.

Do note that while shopping there you are still on their property. I can't speak to the full effect of the "constitutional right" you are claiming and I'm not sure whether the "store policy" would allow them to check your bag and prevent you from leaving. I might recall signs at the cashier at some stores that alert you that you are consenting to such a bag check.

If you can give me a reasonable position why such a bag check or "confirmation" when you leave the premises is so objectionable, I'd be glad to probe into this matter further. You are far from the first person to be so "offended' but I think if we stop for a moment to get perspective on what is happening, I don't think that it is as offensive as it may seem at first glance.