- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Stay at Home Moms
Unusual pet peeve about Sams, Costco, Walmart
It really gets on my nerves how after you've made your purchase, you're expected to show your items and receipt at the door on the way out. IT'S MY STUFF NOW. If you would like to see MY STUFF that I have paid for, you may ASK ME POLITELY and not Just demand or expect to see it. I understand they have an interest in loss prevention. Not my problem-find a non-rude way to deal with it. Thinking like a lawyer, I realize I may have agreed to this in the membership contract (but not at walmart). I'd be reading it now if I knew where it was. But in spite of that, after I have made the exchange of money for goods, the stuff is mine even if I am on their premises. Just like my shoes are mine on their premises. Wanna see my shoes? Must ask politely. Maybe I'll show them to you. I have half a mind just to walk straight out that door next time and if they say anything I'll say "yes? Can I help you?" and make them ask for it. Maybe this rant will make it more tolerable next time. Maybe this rant is going to be emailed to some companies. IDK yet. Grrrr
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Unusual pet peeve about Sams, Costco, Walmart
Wow- my Costco asks for the card at check out (because you have to be a member, obviously) but they never scrutinize the picture. And I think the door thing is par for the course-- they are just checking to make sure you have things that AREN'T yours;-) Kind of like you have to go through airport security even though it's your stuff. But again, our Costco door people are pretty lax too. Not sure if it is because I am usually traveling with a toddler and baby;-)
And I have never seen a door person at our Walmart- they check your cart on the way out? I guess it depends on where you are.
I think the Walmart receipt check thing is regional because I've never been asked to see my receipt when I shop at Walmarts in my area. The only time I've been asked was when I was in NY, and really, I didn't see it as a big deal. I honestly paid for my stuff, if they want to see my receipt to help reduce costs of thefts (which will ultimately come out of my pockets) I'm fine with that. It takes just a few seconds. And if there's something I missed in the cart, I'd rather them tell me then than for me to discover it after I've strapped my kids in and loaded the car up.
The TSA rarely politely asks people to see their shoes, yet honest people routinely take their shoes off when going through airport security now. Or what about having your bags searched upon entering sports & concert venues? That's just what our society has gotten to now. I don't blame the people who are put in tough positions to have to enforce rules to reduce crime.
Selling membership is how they make money. They have a 10 to 12% mark up where most retailers have a 30%+ mark up. So pretty much you are stealing from them if you are using someone elses card. Also thier registers don't let them ring anything up unless they have a card. So they aren't being rude the cashier really can't do anything if you don't have your card. Sorry if I am being rude here, but I was a cashier at Sam's Club during college and customers like you drove me nuts.
The beauty is, you have the choice to not shop there.
Personally, I think we can ALL afford to be polite and kind...from the receipt checker to the cop who pulls you over or the TSA agent who might make your child cry. We stop doing that because of a variety of reasons from self importance, to being rushed, to having a lot of things on our minds, or we flat out forget what it's like to be on the receiving end of things. Whether it's to protect our safety or the value of our dollars, have you thought about what it's like for them or why they have to do what they do?
Now I am going to respond to the OP. The walmart reciept checking has to be regional thing and you don't have to show them your reciept. There was some sort of lawsuit out there recently that made it is illegal to focus customers to do that. The way Sam's and Costco gets away with is because it is a memeber only service.
I can't speak for Costco because I never worked there. Sam's Club claims that the reason the have door greaters check your card and check you recpeit is because people like it. I really disagree with this statement, but this is thier claim. If you ever encounter a rude door greater, I would let a manager know. We had one door greeter at the club work at get fired because she got to many complaints. For some reason you put someone in front of a door and they feel like they rule the world.
Another thing I do when I enter the club, sometimes digging my card is a giant pain. I just tell the door greeter I am buying acholol, you don't need a memebership to buy that. I don't view this as a lie, because most of the time I am purchasing wine.
My biggest vent about wearhouse retailers is the lines at the check outs. I didn't renew my costco memebership because of it. It always took 30+ minutes to get through the check out.
I don't have an issue with it. I try to go at off times - like Monday mornings. The lines are short and the people are usually really friendly.
If you really think about it, lots of clothing stores do it as well, just not in the same way. They have the security tags on clothes. They aren't there in person checking your bags, but they are still watching what you are walking out with.
For me, it's a small price to pay for the things I like to buy at Costco. To each their own though.
It's also to your benefit. Increased theft = increased prices.
I have equally random pet peeves, so I get where you're coming from, but this is one thing that's never bothered me. At our Costco people always smile when I hand them my receipt and wish me a nice day when they're done. They don't have to ask permission to look in my cart, that's just the drill and a minor annoyance I put up with in order to get a great price on things.
I shop @ BJ's and stopping at the door to show my receipt doesn't bother me. I figure this is just part of the process of shopping at these kinds of stores. I guess we all have our different pet peeves though.
I agree with the less theft = lower prices logic...and I think it's well within their right to check to make sure that you've paid for everything that you've got in your cart. Those warehouse stores are so big and open it would be easy for someone to just walk out with a tv or something if there was no system in place to make sure that items are paid for. And if it really bothers you that much, you can always just not shop there.
LOL! I hate that. The kids are always going bonkers and I am trying to get them out of the store and they are like, receipt, receipt, receipt...
I might not mind so much if they actually checked, but they don't. Twice, I have gotten out to the car only to realize that I was not charged for something in the cart and have to go back. Seriously urks me. WTF are they doing other than annoying me?
I don't think there is anything they can do to you legally if you don't stop BTW.
I am only talking about Walmart, since I refuse to do the big pay stores, like costco. There are studies that show that not only do you not save money in the long run, but your fatter. I had a membership for a year and it was a total waste. We might have saved in some areas, but I really do not think it is practical to buy 6 frozen dinners of the same kind, or a 2 pound block of cheese. The grocery store 8 oz goes bad in my fridge. It is just all way more than we need.
Well you didn't pay for the receipt so that could still be considered yours. So they can expect to check it. LOL
I understand its a pet peeve (I have many) but is it really that big of a deal? If you go some where and they don't politely ask "Can I take your order?" are you just not gonna order until they do?
Not everyone asks politely for things and seeing as its a policy in their store and you're shopping in their store, they can just expect you to comply without asking nicely. Its the same kind of policy as "No shoes, no shirt, no service" They don't ask nicely about that either, but you won't get far if you don't comply.
O.M.G. Are you kidding me? Just dig out your card at entry, stick it in your pocket, present it at checkout and combine with the receipt for exit.
How hard is that?...
Maybe you're taking issue with the attitude of the employee, not the process itself? IMO, the process is pretty sound and reasonable.
Costco is a club store. I PAY to be a member there (sort of, with the 2% I get back on my Executive Membership they actually end up paying ME about $20 a year to be a member), I expect that for my money Costco will do their best to keep their prices low. Part of keeping their prices low is to be diligent with loss prevention. I have actually filed complaints before when the person at the exit door did not ask for my receipt or let me go without showing it. Every item that is stolen from Costco is money that they have to make up someplace, and eventually I end up paying for that item with increased pricing. That is not okay with me.
My attitude is this...if you don't want to shop at Costco, don't. You know when you sign up for a membership there that part of their policy is to check your receipt/cart on the way out, it has effectively kept their losses in check for decades and therefore allows their members to take advantage of lower overall prices, if you don't like it, don't be a member.