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That's great. But what really concerns me is that DC police officers are enforcing receipt checking. In general, I'm of the just-show-them-the-damn-receipt philosophy. But if people want to be stubborn and refuse, that's their right and the police need to respect it.
I'm a native Washingtonian and love this city to death. Fenty, give our cops some training on this!
@HOP: My WalMart has grouchy grannies checking everyone's receipts; I've been permanently banned from the store for refusing to allow them to do so.
i can be fairly verbose myself, but jesus can't this guy write a succinct note? I'm actually feeling sorry for the CEO for having to read through these multiple epic saga emails from this guy.
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Nobody seems to compain about Costco checking recipts at the door? Is it because everything else they tend to perform exemplary customer service outside of this, or is it because they promote it and explain how often they catch people trying to leave the store without a large item or two. They frequently catch mistakes and give people goods they paid for, but were missed, like stuff on the bottom of the cart.
@Kevin Cotter: It is because Costco is a membership club where they get to enforce such rules through their membership agreements.
@Kevin Cotter: It's the same as Sam's Club. You have to sign a membership agreement to shop there, and a part of the membership agreement is that they are allowed to check your receipt as you leave the store.
Is it annoying? I think so, but you don't really have a choice. If you don't like the terms of the membership (receipt checks being one of those), don't shop there. It's a little different than a Best Buy or Wal-Mart checking your receipt at the door.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-114567-100x100.png\")
Nobody seems to compain about Costco checking recipts at the door? Is it because everything else they tend to perform exemplary customer service outside of this, or is it because they promote it and explain how often they catch people trying to leave the store without a large item or two.
Neither. It's because when you sign up for membership with them, receipt checking is one of the terms and conditions you agree to.
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Went to Walmart in Carroll county Maryland last week and decided even before I entered the store that I wasn't going to be treated like a criminal.
I bought cat litter, 12 rolls of toilet paper and a universal remote. Paid the cashier, got my receipt and crumbled it into my pocket.
As I was leaving the employee at the door said \"I need to see your receipt\". I told her in a firm voice \"You don't need to see anything\" and continued out the door. I get about 15 feet from my car and some Walmart employee comes running out the door after me. Now I am neither big nor intimidating, but I turned and looked directly at him. He stopped about halfway to me, turned around and walked back into the store without saying a word.
I was really hoping he would have confronted me, I was looking to make a point!
For the record, I am not a thief; I always count my change and if the amount is not correct, I will give back or request the correct change; Heck, I even won 4 tickets to a local event last week worth about $100, I went to CraigsList and found a guy looking to buy tickets, got in contact and gave him the tickets for free. I believe in doing the right thing and I will not tolerate Walmart's profiling!
I know, I know; someone is going to say that they need to check for things that aren't in bags. If your stuff is all bagged, they don't bother you at all. BULL$HIT!
Do they really think thieves won't put things in bags? Somehow I don't see a thief saying \"I really need to get past these hacks at the door, too bad I can't put this thing in a bag\"
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Ok, so who was the commenter in the original story that said, \"it's not like this guy is going to change HD's policy\"?
Well, he may not have yet, but it's now being talked about.
To all you 'just roll over and give up your rights' people, see what a combined effort from consumers can do?
Ok, so who was the commenter in the original story that said, \"it's not like this guy is going to change HD's policy\"?
That would be this comment from @loquaciousmusic: He should've just shown the receipt and been on his way. Does he really think that this is going to change Home Depot's policies?
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@MDSasquatch: Isn't it interesting that it's the WalMarts in places that likely don't need to watch so much for shrink are the ones who treat everyone like a criminal?
Even if I am shopping at one in PG County, I'd still not show them my receipt.
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This is going to sound completely paranoid, so put on your tinfoil hats...
How long before companies like Home Depot et al start staging such events, or even fabricating them whole cloth just to get good PR?
Not to cast aspersions on the original poster, or anything of course. The short, generic response from the CEO, followed by customer service many have only dreamt of (the kind that should be standard), could look a little fishy in some peoples' eyes. Of course if the CEO had addressed every point of the guy's complaint, then detailed step by step the policy changes they were working on to make sure it wouldn't happen again would just make me suspect them that much more.
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@HOP: wal-mart will also check anything that isn't bagged, when I bought a tv there, they wanted to hold me because it wasn't bagged. How do you bag a 20\" tv? The reciept checker let me go after about a minute of arguing.
\"Sent from my BlackBerry\" makes the boss man sound like a jerk. The first thing I did with my iPod was change the signature.
~for indoor or outdoor use only.
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This story proves how out of touch corporate management is with their customers! How could Frank Blake NOT know how fucked up his stores are? I guess the thousands of complaints received by headquarters are simply ignored (as i suspect with most corporations. Obviously, nobody from Home Depot reads blogs, or has visited [www.homedepotsucks.org]
I smell bullshit!
I've got to admit: I'm getting exceedingly tired of getting searched at the door in more and more stores. I understand that it's as much to prevent employee fraud as shoplifting, but I still feel like I'm being suspected for no reason.
Certainly, if someone actually physically detained me, there would be a lawsuit. But I really suspect most of the people doing the searches know about that issue.
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Receipt checking is the norm at any big box store I go to with the exception of Target here in Philadelphia. I'm not saying it's right - it's absolutely not - but Lowes, Home Depot, and Wal-Mart all do it here.
The worst part is they barely glance at it before dashing it with a highlighter - I doubt they'd even know if you had stolen something.
Gosh, don't get me wrong, I LOVE shopping Costco. I just wanted to know what folks thought of their recipt checking.
The one placed that recipt checked that I really hates was Fry's Electronics, and they'd frequently be the only place with stuff in stock. Fry's will only allow you to return merchandise if you recipt has been tagged.
So they are not taking it seriously?
Last trip to home depot I added a pack of batteries to my purchase and those set off the alarm. Who steals a >$10 pack of batteries, why waste the time putting the security tag in them and cause a false alarm?
sounds like a win/win.
@Kevin Cotter: Really? I never get my receipt checked at Fry's, and I've never had a problem returning things afterwards.
I've been stopped by security and had my bags checked against my receipt at Target. They didn't ask, just said \"I need to look in your bags\" and proceeded to do so.
The security goon was eye-balling me all the way through the check-out line.
I have noticed that customer service is once again improving at Home Depot. Twice the other night I was asked if I needed help. My jaw almost hit the floor. Besides Costco, I have never been in a store that looked at receipts. Is that because I live in high income counties and we don't steal as much? Not in Walmart, Circuit City, Target, Home Depot, or whatever.
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is anyone else just not satisfied with this? The problem is with the policy in the first place. I dont have to show my reciept if I dont want to & shouldnt be detained unless someone actually witnessed me doing something illegal. Hell! I shouldnt even be banned from the store if i dont show my reciept.
If its a store I frequent, then i will show my reciept because I dont want to be banned from a store that I need to shop at. But if it is a store I rarely go to.... then I wont show anyone my reciept..... ban me.
IMO an apology from the CEO & a free window just is NOT enough to erase the humiliation, stress & bullshit gone thru by some overzealous security guard/employee & a cop who overstepped his authority. It just is NOT enough.... at least not for me. Something MUST be done about the reciept-checking policy before I'd be satisfied.
@enine: \"Who steals a >$10 pack of batteries?\"
First off, I'll assume that's a \"<$10\" pack of batteries you meant. And the answer is -- lots of people. Batteries are one of the highest theft items out there -- they're very small, relatively expensive, and easy to resell. Lots and lots of petty theft involving batteries out there, although I don't know how much from Home Depot; it's certainly an issue for CVS and other drugstores.
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The ONLY store I'll show a receipt at is Costco because it's part of my membership (at least I'm pretty sure it is.) Any other store I just walk right past the door people with \"no thank you\" if they ask. I've never been stopped on my way out so far. Once I've paid for something it's mine and they don't have any right to stop me.
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I have more of a problem with a police officer attempting to enforce company rules then the store doing it (as it's their perceived job, regardless if it's wrong or not, I can see the reasoning). When a police officer gets involved on the store side, I get vibes of OCP from Robocop. Police should be completely neutral and more importantly, actually enforce the law and not store policy.
I also hate the humiliation from those damn antitheft door alarms that go off when some employee forgets to demagnetize the tags (or just misses one of those hidden tags in merchandise). I freeze like a deer in the headlights when one of those damn things go off & every customer waiting in line looks at you like you are a thief. I think EVERY time one of those things accidentally goes off.... I should get a 5 dollar credit on a future purchase.
I think there is a conflict of interest when it comes to cops moonlighting as security guards at stores. IMO a cop acting as a security guard should be held to only what a security guard is allowed to do. With serious exceptions... like say a robbery. I dont like cops acting as actual cops when working off-duty for a store.
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@forgottenpassword: If it makes you feel any better, I'm usually staring but I'm not thinking \"damn thief\", I'm thinking \"stupid employees not disabling the anti-theft tag.\" Most thieves don't STOP when the alarm goes off. ;-)
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@myotheralt: It's not that easy to change the signature for Blackberry's so I don't think he has that signature on purpose. :-) To remove the \"Sent from my Blackberry\", one must log into the Blackberry site and change it.
He might not even know that all his emails have that signature.
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If checking the receipts is so important, they should either issue the receipts at the exit, or have an exit right at the end of the check out counter if you don't want your receipt checked.
call me nuts...but i love the fact that the \"sent from my blackberry\" thing was included in the post
How many stores have checkouts ONLY at the exit door?
WallyWorld, BB, CC et al have checkouts throughout the store. You could \"checkout\" in automotive and walk 50, 100, 200+ feet to the final exit door. The time that it took you to traverse the store could be a few seconds to several hours.
Bottom line, there are people that may fill their WallyWorld bag with stolen goods before they exit the store.
Some sort of security at the exit door does make sense. And remember, while you are in their store you must follow their rules.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-6536-100x100.png\")
WallyWorld, BB, CC et al have checkouts throughout the store.
@StevieD: Well, if they're trying to prevent loss maybe they shouldn't. It's not like checking out in automotive frees you from having to walk back to the front of the store if that's where the exit is.
Furthermore, I don't understand stores that actually have merchandise between the register and the door. How does that even make sense?
And remember, while you are in their store you must follow their rules.
If their rules are clearly posted and the store obeys the law there will be no problem.
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Home Depot isn't all that bad. They have a great free Kids Workshop once a month and actually build something useful.
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@StevieD:
\"And remember, while you are in their store you must follow their rules.\"
Not if they require me to give up my rights.
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@StevieD: where the checkouts are does not make a difference. just because you checked me out at the electronics section, doesn't mean i'm a theif because i had to walk past more merchandise on the way out the store. most theives don't load up a bag. they conceal items far more better than that, or don't buy anything at all.
@enine:
Idiot, alleged actress, Bai Ling was arrested last week for stealing batteries.
But I don't get that the HD CEO didn't know receipts are checked.
That means that this fool never shops at the joint he runs.
And that's why Home Depot is so fucked up!
The best-managed company I ever worked for had a board member who would spend a morning working on his classic cars, then go to his businesses in the stained, greasy clothes to see how he was treated by people who didn't recognize him, and what went on when nobody thought the higher-ups were watching.
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Ooooh \"broader impact\": the CEO is evidently taking it very seriously.
@StevieD:
And remember, while you are in their store you must follow their rules.
\"Must\"? Meh.
I understand that they expect me to follow their rules, but that's really the extent of it. If a store has a policy that attempts to restrict my actions, I'll follow or ignore it as I see fit. And in the case of receipt checks, I see fit to ignore it every time.
Unfortunately for them, the only actual authority they have over me for refusing to adhere to their rules is to ask me to leave the store.
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What I love is that at MANY of the stores, the exit door is AT the registers...
Really what are you pocketing in the 10 feet of space from the checkout line to the receipt checker???
To MisterE at 08:59 AM
That is correct, it is something that you will see more of... Obliviousness to the truth is getting more prevalent everyday...
(Bush on the news today not knowing that gas is forecasted to be at 4 bucks a gallon by the end of Spring...)
Lowe's has a company wide policy that no employee may ever detain a shoplifter, suspected or otherwise. All employees are trained and must pass a computer based test on this policy as a condition of employment. Just a little heads up for any Lowe's shoppers out there.
Okay, I didnt read all the comments cuz there are far too many of them. Doesn't anyone have access to a lawyer where we can verify this whole deal once and for all? A lot of people are making guesses as to the legality of this activity but does anyone have any lawbooks they can cite?
It certainly would put an end to this bickering.
@Morgan:
Tempe, AZ check everything on the way out. I got pissed because they wouldn't accept a return once. I'll only shop there once in a blue moon now.
--
Kevin
@Kevin Cotter: The one in Tempe sucks (converted from an existing store), go to the location on Thunderbird road (newer built store), much better store layout and selection, and I don't recall them checking my receipt.
This is an example of what happens if they don't check your receipt to mark it with a highlighter, punch a hole in it, or mark it in some way:
You buy a package of 50 blank CDRs. You pay, get your receipt and the CDR package is placed a store bag. You don't show the receipt, it is not marked or highlighted. You then go to your car, remove the package of CDRs, go back into the store with the receipt and bag, put another CDR package in the bag and walk out the door. If you are stopped, you have a receipt.
This is why they want to see the receipt, and mark it in some way. Can you imagine going into a Costco, filling up a cart with $200 worth of stuff, paying and leaving without showing the receipt? You could easily go back in and fill your cart again with the same $200 worth of stuff. With a marked receipt, that can't happen.
I'm all for the consumer and consumer rights, and I love this website, but sometimes you have to see the other side. I understand that a business might need to do this to keep their prices lower so I'll want to shop there, and I'm not so sensitive that I feel like I'm treated as a criminal.
I'm also not the kind of person who shops somewhere, and then complains. If I don't like a store's policies, I don't shop there again, period!
No offense but the receits would be checked generally in retail if something was locked in an area that is outside or sometimes inside.
In terms of going into a store with the bag of cdr's there's a problem with that...stores put returns right at the front of the store...you cannot walk within the store to returns with items or else the alarms go off.
So no you can't simply walk in with a receit, grab product off the isles and walk away.
Cameras are in most retail areas as well as the parking lots so license plates can and often do get recorded. Licenses are usually required with returns as returns are recorded by corporations and excessive returns can be terminated by the company...I've seen it happen.
more stores are eliminating returns without a receit...no ticki no laundry
How about this, you go buy some cdrs, they mark the receipt. The person you're with has the keys to the car and they're still in the store. You go back, it takes 20 minutes to find them. While you were looking around the receipt checker and/or cashiers changed shifts. You try to walk out, and they see your receipt is marked...
There used to be a store called Service Merchandise that didn't have the items out, you took a ticket and picked them up after you paid.
I mean, there has to be a certain level of trust with your customers, doesn't there? If they want to be so suspicious, they should have a business model that doesn't act like one hand doesn't know what the other is doing (meaning why check out at the register AND check your receipt 15 feet later)
@girly: Service Merchandise's concept wasn't about security but about a 'catalog ordering' method. I worked there for a few years. It was a system destined for failure at the time it closed but really could have made it once online ordering really took off.
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@enine: I used to be a department manager at Wal-Mart, and batteries were always being stolen off of the shelves. What a lot of people don't realize is that lithium batteries can be used to make meth, so retailers have to be extra careful to watch for excessive purchases of batteries (especially in conjunction with items like cold medicine, drain cleaner, and a whole bunch of other over-the-counter goods.)
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@MisterE: Home Depot has those surveys that they spam you with information about on every receipt. The back-room response percentage they DREAM of achieving is a 10% response rate. Most stores only achieve 8-9%...and in the vast majority of stores I've worked in (as a contractor) when they put up the survey responses and comments, the positive comments are highlighted and handwritten notes scrawled by them, but the negative ones aren't emphasized at all. Smacks of one-way blindness, but what do I know?
@girly:
Regarding your comment about walking back into a store with a marked receipt to look for the person with the keys to the car:
When you walk back into these places, you are supposed to tell the person at the door that you are bringing merchandise in, and there's usually a sign posted to tell you that. Can you blame them if they give you a hard time trying to leave with a receipt that is clearly already marked, when there is a sign at the door saying bags coming in should be checked? And if there is no sign, good judgement should take over by the consumer to let someone know they are bringing in items that were just purchased.
I know for a fact, at my local BJs Wholesale, that the people at the door see everything coming in and out, and if you bring an item in, they note it.
Good judgement is the key here, but I see posts by people who would rather not say anything on the way in, and then start an argument when they are stopped on the way out, just to prove a point, and they are surprised by it.
I seriously dont understand what the big deal is about receipt checking. It helps discurage shoplifting, as well as cashiers from giving friends free stuff. Both of these help to keep prices down and the employees making a halfway livable wage. Also DONT BE RUDE to the reciept checker, that poor person is probably making 8-25k MAX and really dosnt need any shit from you. And you wonder why customer service sucks these days.
WTF??? I some times wear a tinfoil hat and believe in conspiracies. I fervently do believe in standing up for my rights. I am a gun owner and they will never get any of my guns without machine gunning me fist. Having said that stuff I just do NOT get this shit about refusing to show your receipt as you leave a store. WTF?? Get a clue people, stores are getting ripped off left and right and it cost us all in paying for this theft in higher prices. these stores are just trying to keep theft to a minimum. Exactly what right are they violating by asking to check your receipt? Stop being an a$$hat and let these people see your receipt or just don't shop there.... jeeez
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Personally I don't care if they want to check my receipt. I usually have it in my hand just in case.
@mrrbob
The store has a right to 'ask' to see your receipt. But it is completely voluntary, if I choose the deny their request to see my receipt, thats my right.
The part where your rights get violated are when they attempt to illegally detain you and/or assault you
Bottom line is, if you choose to voluntarily show your receipt, then good for you. But don't complain if I as a matter of choice (and a matter of right) decide NOT to show it.
If you choose not to show your receipt, then the store can ask that you leave and/or not return.
You might find this to be trivial or a waste of time, but I cherish my rights and will not willingly give them up. Its these 'small' or 'trivial' rights that you have to protect the most. Most people allow their rights to be taken from them incrementally and slowly over time and they don't even notice.
Yeah, but when there's six people in front of you and only ONE checker! Notice at sams and costco they just nod at the business folks as they walk thru. I guess if you own a restaurant you are \"specialer\"
OH yes... something else that's important.
The single greatest source, and I mean THE single greatest source of shoplifting/theft etc from stores is employee theft. Bar none. A lot more stuff goes out the BACK doors than the front. And I've only worked for one place that routinely checked employee bags before they went home for the day. That was Toys 'R Us.
I'm impressed with Home Depot's response to this issue, which originally was looking like a PR fiasco. Although they seem to have made Matt happy, it's important that the company actually takes the time to learn from this mistake, both in order to keep their customers coming back and also to avoid more negative publicity in the future. I really like that the CEO individually responded to the complaint, although I definitely do think that his initial response could have been more substantial.
My car was hit bye an flat bed control bye one of your employees and damaged. Your Rosedale, Maryland store said there nothing they can do about it. The manager said the camera was not clear on it. So what is the point of have a security camera that doesn't work. My wife and I spend thousands of dollars a year in your store and this is the way you treat a loyal coustomer. The store Motto is SORRY WE LET YOU DOWN.
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sounds like they ,home depot, handled the situation fairly...i've never been asked for my receipt at home depot or lowes....just at sam's club where they check your basket at the door.....wally's world (wal-mary) will check you if the bell goes off at the door.......