Are New York shoppers legally required to stop and check receipts as they exit stores?

(FOX40.COM) — Retailers across New York have employees stationed at store exits to check receipts as a person leaves as proof of merchandise purchase. But are shoppers legally required to stop?

Most notably, Walmart has asset protection associates, formerly known as doormen, at every entrance and exit to its stores. While some people choose to wait in line to have their receipts checked before leaving the store, others will walk by without stopping.

According to Section 218 of the New York State General Business Law, shoppers do not necessarily have to stop at the exit to have their receipts verified. The law states that an owner or employee of a retail establishment may detain a customer if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the detained complainant has committed theft.

So, unless a store suspects that a person has committed a crime, it cannot legally force a person leaving a store to present a receipt.

What about Costco and Sam’s Club?

Retailers that offer memberships typically require that an individual provide consent to have their receipts and other personal property verified upon request. Costco’s membership terms and conditions state, “Costco reserves the right to inspect any container, backpack, briefcase or other bag upon entering or exiting the warehouse and to refuse entry to anyone, at our discretion.”

Additionally, Costco’s membership terms state: “To ensure that all members are properly billed for merchandise purchased, all receipts and merchandise will be inspected when leaving the warehouse.

“We do this to verify that items purchased were properly processed by our cashiers,” Costco said on its website. “This is our most effective method of maintaining inventory control accuracy, and it is also a good way to ensure our members have been billed correctly for their purchases.”

Sam’s Club uses almost the exact same verbiage as Costco in its general membership policies:

For the merchandise, “Sam’s Club reserves the right to inspect any container, backpack, briefcase or other bag of any person upon entering or exiting a Sam’s Club location and to refuse entry to anyone in our discretion .“

For verification of receipts, Sam’s Club policy reads: “To ensure that you are billed correctly for the merchandise you select, Sam’s Club may electronically inspect or scan your merchandise and electronic/telephone or paper receipts when you leave a Sam’s Club location.”

Failing to stop to check a receipt or bag at Costco or Sam’s Club is not illegal, however, it would be a violation of store policy and could result in membership revocation.