A Canadian shopper went viral after claiming Costco detained him “illegally” for failing to show his receipt.
TikToker Rakesh NDutt (@rakeshndutt) I filmed the scene where I encountered the staff when I was about to leave the store without showing the receipt. As of the time this video was published, he has over 249,000 views.
Text superimposed over the video reads, “Costco staff illegally detained again because of receipts.”
@rakeshndutt #FYP #for you # for your page #Vancouver #Canada #Costco #Profiling #discrimination #receipt #shopping # Grocery shopping #police #police #safety #charter #human rights #Civil Rights #retail # Groceries ♬ Original song – Miyako
The short clip shows TikToker pushing a cart past employees, who check receipts before leaving. As he was about to leave, a worker and manager stopped him and demanded a receipt.
Costco regularly checks receipts when customers leave. According to them website: “At all our warehouse locations, it is standard practice to verify purchase receipts when customers leave our building.”
It’s unclear what happened before filming began, but the staff’s behavior seems normal.What Costco Employees Are Looking For 4 markersThis is to ensure payments are processed properly and customers aren’t overcharged, Business Insider reports.
The top and bottom of each receipt contains a code to verify that the receipt was printed that day. The number of items to check for over or under charges. For luxury items over $300, the supervisor’s initials are required on the receipt. Finally, large items such as toilet paper and water are marked with symbols for final checks, including looking at the bottom of the basket.
The Daily Dot reached out to RakeshNDutt through a comment on TikTok and to Costco via email for more information.
At most establishments, staff cannot stop customers if they do not show receipts. A person can only be stopped if there is a reasonable suspicion of shoplifting.
Membership stores like Costco are different. When someone buys a membership, they probably also sign a contract that includes an agreement that the store will check receipts before the customer leaves. Under the terms of the contract, Membership stores may detain those who refuse to show receipts at the entrance.
*First published: Sept 7, 2023, 10:03pm CDT
Parkes Coogle
Parks Kugle is a San Antonio-based writer and reporter. His work has been published in the Lumina Literary Journal, Wicked Local News, and various publications throughout the United States. He enjoys cartoons and gardening.