Los Angeles, Ca
Are California shoppers legally required to stop for receipt checkers at store exits?
Retailers all over California have employees placed at store exits to check receipts as a person leaves as proof of purchase for merchandise. But are shoppers legally required to stop?
Most notably, Walmart has asset protection associates, formerly known as door greeters, at every entrance and exit of its stores. While some people choose to wait in line to get their receipts verified before leaving the store, others will breeze by without stopping.
“It helps prevent theft,” said Caroline Falconer in response to a FOX40 social media post. “I don’t steal so I don’t have a reason to hide anything or avoid being checked.”
Falconer said she stops for employees because they have reason to check receipts against items in a person’s cart or bags, however, some other shoppers disagree.
“As soon as I give you money those items are now mine,” said David Mickelson. “Get a search warrant. And for those of you that say all this checking without a reason is just how it is, you are part of the problem.”
According to California penal code 490.5, also known as the “shopkeeper’s privilege law,” shoppers may not have to stop at exits to have their receipts checked.
The law states, “A merchant may detain a person for a reasonable time for the purpose of conducting an investigation in a reasonable manner whenever the merchant has probable cause to believe the person to be detained is attempting to unlawfully take or has unlawfully taken merchandise from the merchant’s premises.”
So, unless a store suspects that a person has committed a crime, they cannot legally force a person exiting a store to present a receipt.
What about Costco and Sam’s Club?
Retailers who offer memberships usually require a person to give consent to have their receipts and other personal property checked upon request.
The Costco terms and conditions for membership state, “Costco reserves the right to inspect any container, backpack, briefcase, or other bag, upon entering or leaving the warehouse and to refuse entry to anyone at our discretion.”
In addition, Costco’s terms for membership state, “To ensure that all members are correctly charged for the merchandise purchased, all receipts and merchandise will be inspected as you leave the warehouse.”
“We do this to double-check that the items purchased have been correctly processed by our cashiers,” Costco said on its website. “It’s our most effective method of maintaining accuracy in inventory control, and it’s also a good way to ensure that our members have been charged properly for their purchases.”
Sam’s Club uses the near-exact same verbiage as Costco in their membership general policies:
For merchandise, “Sam’s Club reserves the right to inspect any container, backpack, briefcase or other bag of any person upon entering or leaving any Sam’s Club location and to refuse entry to anyone at our discretion.“
For receipt-checking, the Sam’s Club policy reads, “To ensure that you are charged correctly for the merchandise you have selected, Sam’s Club may inspect or electronically scan your merchandise and electronic/phone or paper copy receipt(s) when you exit any Sam’s Club location.”
Not stopping to get a receipt or bag checked at Costco or Sam’s Club is not illegal, however, it would be a violation of the store’s policy and could result in membership being revoked.
As the deadly Eaton Fire continues burning in Los Angeles County, Pasadena Humane is seeking help as a large number of animals are being evacuated.
Over 100 animals arrived at the organization on Wednesday, and workers expected more drop-offs to come in over the next few days.
“Due to the proximity of the evacuation zones, we are also making preparations to evacuate the shelter, if needed,” workers said. “At this time, all animals are safe and unharmed at the shelter.”
-
A dog who was found near the site of the Eaton Fires was covered in burns and ashes and was very dehydrated. His paw pads were singed and he is being treated by the veterinary team in the ICU an dprovided with wound care, pain medications and fluids. (Pasadena Humane Society) -
A cat found with burn injuries on his face and body was treated at the ICU before recovering in an oxygen kennel. (Pasadena Humane Society) -
A cat found with burn injuries on his face and body was treated at the ICU before recovering in an oxygen kennel. (Pasadena Humane Society) -
An injured cat found covered in burns was treated in the ICU. (Pasadena Humane Society) -
A small bird found with burns on its tail area was treated at the Wildlife Center. (Pasadena Humane Society) -
An injured dog and cat found near the Eaton Fire site were treated by shelter staff at the Pasadena Humane Society.
Many of the animals arriving at the shelter were found with burn injuries.
Shelter workers said critical supplies are needed due to the influx of animals including food, water bowls, extra large crates and blankets. Anyone able to donate these items can drop them off at the donation bin located at the shelter’s front parking lot.
On Wednesday, workers said kennel space was filling up quickly and evacuees who need emergency boarding for their pets can drop them off at spcaLA at 5026 W. Jefferson Blvd. in Los Angeles. Large animals should be taken to the L.A. Equestrian Center at 480 Riverside Dr. in Burbank.
Pasadena Humane Animal Control Officers will continue working in the field, assisting with animal evacuations, while Pasadena Humane staff are working round-the-clock at the shelter to care for the animals of displaced families.
“We are currently coordinating with Cal Animals and ASPCA disaster response to mobilize more resources to assist with the situation,” staff said. “We anticipate getting in even more animals who are in need of emergency medical care as the fires continue.”
As shelter space is limited, anyone who can foster a dog or cat for at least a week is urged to email the Pasadena Humane Foster Office or visit in person.
Donations to provide emergency resources to animals affected by the wildfires can be made here. Anyone who finds injured wildlife can text 626-344-1129 or call Animal Control at 626-792-7151 ext. 970.
(KTLA) — Six Flags Magic Mountain will remain closed on Wednesday due to high winds in the area.
Tickets purchased for Wednesday will be honored on “any other regular operating day” until Dec. 31, the theme park announced on Instagram.
Universal Studios Hollywood and CityWalk also chose not to welcome guests due to fires and extreme wind conditions in the region. Officials haven’t announced if tickets will be honored on future days.
An unprecedented windstorm that started Tuesday has led to multiple fires burning across the region, including the Palisades Fire in L.A.’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood, which has grown to over 5,000 acres.
Elsewhere, the Eaton Fire near Altadena has grown to over 10,000 acres and has claimed the lives of two people. Additionally, the Hurst Fire near Sylmar has burned more than 500 acres.
So far, Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm haven’t announced any closures or reduced hours of operation due to the wildfires.
Tens of thousands of residents in the western Los Angeles area remain under mandatory evacuation orders Wednesday morning after a wind-driven wildfire exploded in size Tuesday and swept through communities in the Pacific Palisades.
The Palisades Fire was first reported around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 1100 block of North Piedra Morada Drive. By evening, the fire had exploded to more than 2,900 acres with no containment and was expected to keep spreading amid hurricane-force Santa Ana winds.
The latest CalFire updates can be found here.
There was no initial estimate for the number of structures damaged or destroyed. However, news footage showed dozens of homes and other structures ablaze.
-
Flames rise as the Palisades Fire advances on homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
Will Adams watches as flames from the Palisades Fire close in on his property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
Water is dropped on the advancing Palisades Fire by helicopter in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
Plumes of smoke are seen as a brush fire burns in Pacific Palisades, California on January 7, 2025. (Getty Images) -
Plumes of smoke are seen as a brush fire burns in Pacific Palisades as seen from Santa Monica, California on January 7, 2025. (Getty Images) -
View of the Palisades Fire from LAX on Jan. 7, 2025. (KTLA) -
A palm tree is seen burning during the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles on Jan. 7, 2025. (KTLA) -
An ALERTCalifornia camera view of a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles County. Jan. 7, 2024. (ALERTCalifornia) -
A firefighter tries to extinguish a fire as it damages a property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo) -
Firefighters work to extinguish flames engulfing a home as a brush fire rages in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 7, 2025. (Getty Images) -
A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire as it burns a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
A firefighter jumps over a fence while fighting the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Evacuations were ordered for the entire Palisades community down to the Pacific Ocean, according to CalFire. During a Tuesday afternoon press conference, officials said more than 10,000 homes in Pacific Palisades and Malibu were affected by the evacuation order. Evacuation warnings also extended into areas of Santa Monica and Calabasas.
An evacuation shelter for people and pets was established at the Westwood Recreation Center at 1350 S. Sepulveda Boulevard.
Dozens of Los Angeles County schools will be closed Wednesday due to the fire. A comprehensive list of closures can be found here.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Pacific Palisades is located about 10 miles from Malibu, where the Franklin Fire burned more than 4,000 acres and burned several homes after erupting during similar windy conditions in December.
Palisades Fire Resources: LAFD Alerts | CALFIRE Incident Page | LAFD on X
Club Pilates Allendale brings new exercise opportunities to north Austin
The Forge Movie Review (with Spoilers)
Egypt Sees Its Refugees as a Problem and an Opportunity
Hollywood Hills Fire Threatens Beloved Los Angeles Landmarks
San Francisco Gets a New Mayor and an Emergency Plan for the Fentanyl Scourge
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Hollywood Hills Fire Threatens Beloved Los Angeles Landmarks
Trump details strategy to get necessary votes with one-bill approach to border, taxes
Lithuania ramps up power grid security ahead of Russia decoupling
The NHL postpones a game and the Lakers coach evacuates his family amid LA fires
Mourners Defy Subfreezing Temperatures to Honor Jimmy Carter at the Capitol
-
Business1 week agoThese are the top 7 issues facing the struggling restaurant industry in 2025
-
Culture1 week agoThe 25 worst losses in college football history, including Baylor’s 2024 entry at Colorado
-
Sports1 week agoThe top out-of-contract players available as free transfers: Kimmich, De Bruyne, Van Dijk…
-
Politics6 days agoNew Orleans attacker had 'remote detonator' for explosives in French Quarter, Biden says
-
Politics6 days agoCarter's judicial picks reshaped the federal bench across the country
-
Politics4 days agoWho Are the Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom?
-
Health3 days agoOzempic ‘microdosing’ is the new weight-loss trend: Should you try it?
-
World1 week agoIvory Coast says French troops to leave country after decades