Do you ever read what you sign, Costco is so specific about it that there is no confusion. You MUST show your receipt on exit, per YOUR contract. If you don't want to show a receipt, cancel your membership and don't shop there.
Or what? No contract provision allowing them to physically stop you would be enforceable.
About all they could do is cancel your contract, seek civil damages, etc.
I'll never understand why some people have such difficulty with reading comprehension; everything turns into a strawman argument. No one said anything about stopping or touching anyone. It says you must show your receipt per your contract. That's a fact. The language of contracts is such that it states things you MUST do and things they MUST do, it also states the consequences of not doing it, which in this case, is cancellation of the membership. Just because it says you MUST show your receipt, that doesn't mean you will get tackled to the ground and beaten if you don't and no one ever said that. The next sentence that you clearly read because you included it says "If you don't want to show a receipt, cancel your membership and don't shop there."
OK, let’s say that I purchase 5 items that are in the cart match my receipt. Per the stipulations of the contract, I allow the employee at the door to confirm that I have paid for these items. However, the jacket and shoes that I am wearing are also Costco items. The employee recognizes these as Costco products, which also happen to be in mint condition. She/he asks me to wait for the manager, but I tell the person to get a life and keep walking. Have I violated the contract?
As has been pointed out, you agreed explicitly to this in your costco membership. In addition, I'm happy to do it if it keeps shoplifting losers elsewhere.
At other stores where you are not a member and a membership agreement, do as you please.
Okay, then am I free to swipe a big fat vertical line through my Costco membership agreement after reading it? Would certainly be fitting, now wouldn't it?
Please stop it with the insane strawman arguments. You cannot alter the Costco agreement because its a digital contract. You simply cannot take items from Costco without proof that you paid for them. Either provide a receipt or give them your card and they will look it up. Stop deluding yourself that you can simply walk out with your stuff.
Stop it with saying you can do the same at Walmart. You can't. There are dozens of youtube videos of your dimwitted brethren being stopped, then detained, then arrested.
OK, let’s say that I purchase 5 items that are in the cart match my receipt. Per the stipulations of the contract, I allow the employee at the door to confirm that I have paid for these items. However, the jacket and shoes that I am wearing are also Costco items. The employee recognizes these as Costco products, which also happen to be in mint condition. She/he asks me to wait for the manager, but I tell the person to get a life and keep walking. Have I violated the contract?
The employee would not do that and if by change they did, they would be fired, the manager would profusely apologize to you for their behavior and you'd probably get a coupon for a slice of pizza.
The hypothetical is silly, people that shop at Costco tend to wear the stuff they bought at Costco... to Costco. It probably happens 100 times a day at every Costco.
When I pay for my stuff, it’s mine, right? Why should I have to prove to anyone that it’s rightfully mine?
Thank you for raising this issue; it annoys me. Where I live, this is usually done by staff at stores operating in the seedier parts of the city and the ghettos, rarely in the suburbs. I'm no lawyer, but our law is based on Roman Dutch law, and at uni, we were taught that ownership passes once the money for the goods has been exchanged and delivery has occured in line with a contract of sale and law of property.
Happens at stores in south africa too now. My brother just walks on.
Over here it only happens at the largest hardware warehouse. They just scan your barcode now and dont really check...but you know that they 'could' if you present your goods...or you could walk on, but I just let them scan, doesn't cost any time
... just adding that it usually only happensd at stores where the check out/payment locations are scatterred around instead of where you exit the store. It is their problem.
Are you equating shoplifting and requirement to allow Costco or Walmart employees to search your cart after you paid for your items? You are not a corporate attorney and I don't believe you ever held a managerial position at a big box retail establishment.
Shoplifting is illegal. If a store employee sees you steal or if store personnel monitoring surveillance cameras see you steal, they may approach you.
It seems as if you are equating stealing and paying for items and refusing to be searched. Different.
You can't really shoplift at a Costco because the items are huge and the only way out of the store is through the registers. That is not why they stop you and check your receipt.
One reason has to do with the dining area after the registers. People go to Costco for the good (not great) food court and you can be sure that some morons get up and either intentionally or accidentally take the wrong cart. They just make sure everyone has the right cart.
They also ask if you got the items you were charged for (if they don't see it), such as laptops, electronics, jewelry, stamps, etc. Those things are self-serve and you pay for them before someone brings them to you. They don't want people to say, "I bought a MacBook but never received it."
If you don't like Costco's weird shopping environment, don't go there. I like the items and the prices, so for me it is worth it. I also get great service (just bough a huge tree this week and they loaded it for me) and the best return policy in town.
You can't really shoplift at a Costco because the items are huge and the only way out of the store is through the registers. That is not why they stop you and check your receipt.
One reason has to do with the dining area after the registers. People go to Costco for the good (not great) food court and you can be sure that some morons get up and either intentionally or accidentally take the wrong cart. They just make sure everyone has the right cart.
They also ask if you got the items you were charged for (if they don't see it), such as laptops, electronics, jewelry, stamps, etc. Those things are self-serve and you pay for them before someone brings them to you. They don't want people to say, "I bought a MacBook but never received it."
If you don't like Costco's weird shopping environment, don't go there. I like the items and the prices, so for me it is worth it. I also get great service (just bough a huge tree this week and they loaded it for me) and the best return policy in town.
I don't know why they do it, but the best guess I could come up with is this: they scan your cart for the most expensive items and then check the receipt to make sure they were paid for. I say that because it is possible to sneak an item past a closed off check-out line and snag it to put into your cart on the way out, having never paid for it. And if someone were shoplifting in this manner, it would likely be items of greater value.
You can't really shoplift at a Costco because the items are huge and the only way out of the store is through the registers. That is not why they stop you and check your receipt.
One reason has to do with the dining area after the registers. People go to Costco for the good (not great) food court and you can be sure that some morons get up and either intentionally or accidentally take the wrong cart. They just make sure everyone has the right cart.
They also ask if you got the items you were charged for (if they don't see it), such as laptops, electronics, jewelry, stamps, etc. Those things are self-serve and you pay for them before someone brings them to you. They don't want people to say, "I bought a MacBook but never received it."
If you don't like Costco's weird shopping environment, don't go there. I like the items and the prices, so for me it is worth it. I also get great service (just bough a huge tree this week and they loaded it for me) and the best return policy in town.
That is not the real reason, yes it's true that Costco has very little shrink comparative to other retailers, with most of it being in he form of damage, returns and employee theft, however the reason they check receipts and count the items in your cart and compare it to the number of items on the receipt (which is what they are actually doing) is because most of the employee theft is from cashiers not scanning items for friends, relatives, or by mistake. People at the food court don't accidentally take that wrong cart, that's just stupid and you made it up.
Do I have to show my Costco membership card to get in. I mean I paid for it. It’s mine. Why should I have to slow down or stop to use my membership if I already paid for it
When I pay for my stuff, it’s mine, right? Why should I have to prove to anyone that it’s rightfully mine?
Probably not. You know how movie theaters say that you can't bring outside food into the movie?
They have no legal right to do that.
What a f"ing dolt!
Any Private business can refuse service for any reason. Try to enter with your 32 ounce Big Gulp and they can tell you to kick rocks, they don't even have to give you a reason. Your cousin Vinny is clueless as are you.
Do I have to show my Costco membership card to get in. I mean I paid for it. It’s mine. Why should I have to slow down or stop to use my membership if I already paid for it
They do have someone checking for membership card at the entrance. Not sure why, especially since by law anyone can shop at the pharmacy (I think). Besides, they check again for membership ID when you pay at the register.
Private property owned by a members only club that you voluntarily joined and agreed to their terms and conditions. Just let them do their thing and pick another battle, Che Guevara.
Not that showing receipt is a big deal, but terms and conditions can be voided if deemed illegal
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