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407 Comments
- Friendlyhazard, on 11/07/2009, -4/+426Guilty until proven innocent... wait.... not even that?
- therayven, on 11/07/2009, -0/+418I can't decide between "too many" and "not enough."
- sithmaster, on 11/07/2009, -2/+393This reminds me. How many people will be trampled this year at Walmart on black Friday?
- Diefree, on 11/07/2009, -9/+222So let's see first they're abused by the store. Then the bigots that work security insult them in front of their kids. Then Walmart tries to have them arrested despite being innocent. And finally said bigot company wants to sue them for something they didn't take. Oh yea Wal-Mart deserves to be fined and shut down for this crap.
- bani, on 11/07/2009, -2/+196corporations have more rights than individuals, and corporations are above the law.
- WhoDoneIt, on 11/07/2009, -7/+163I only wish I could be banned from WalMart. That way I'd have a legitimate excuse to tell my wife I don't want to walk through 35 thousand square feet of the most rude, self-centered and obnoxious people on the face of this planet with her.
- thezoner, on 11/07/2009, -35/+187The Worst Company in America. check out http://www.wakeupwalmart.com
- elusivebuffalo, on 11/07/2009, -11/+146***** WALMART
- Ghostalker, on 11/07/2009, -7/+140Here's something to think about:
1) False-stops, which this sounds like it is... are not Wal-Marts fault, the person at fault is the AP (Asset Protection) officer who made the false stop without checking to make sure he had the right people. In the event of a false stop, you can't sue Wal-mart, but you CAN sue the AP officer, and Wal-Mart's legal team does NOT intervene to defend them.
2) Remittance letters can ask for, at maximum, 12x the value of what they say you stole.
3) Once you're banned for life, it's permanent and almost impossible to get around. Wal-Mart tag your credit cards, and if they're ever used in any of their stores, they can sue you using the receipt as evidence. 6 months ago they were starting to roll out facial recognition software for their security cameras to catch people from sneaking back in. I'd imagine it's working in quite a few stores now.
And just in case anyone is thinking about working AP or LP [or whatever different stores call it]; save yourself the trouble. It sounds fun tackling shoplifters and calling the cops, but one wrong move and you can be sued into the poor house, and your employer won't back you in court. - RikkiTikki, on 11/07/2009, -3/+132I banned myself from all Wal-Marts years ago.
- peestandingup, on 11/07/2009, -4/+109Can they life-ban me too??
- achansen121, on 11/07/2009, -5/+108Guilty when proven gay
- diggdlg, on 11/07/2009, -21/+124I've worked for wal-mart. Trust me when I say not everyone that works there is the same, plenty of people are just trying to make ends meet and hate the "idiot" section of employees that work there as much as the next person.
Having said that, my experiences there have also made me take everything I read/hear with a grain of salt. Not because I believe it to be a great company, it can do wrong- just as any other company- but due to the ways I've seen people try to cheat the company or lie for their own benefit. Let me provide some examples, and break down why certain things were done as they were.
1. Walmart is defensive when it comes to lawsuits because a lot of people try to fake injuries, accidents, or what not, and get "free money". Not everyone, but from what I've seen with my own eyes, and the fact I have a family member who works in AP and has to provide video to police of what happens in those cases, I'd say at least 40% of claims against Wal-mart are fraudulent.
2. quote from deweyhewson
"Walmart detained them, the police came and cuffed one of them, their two kids were taken to a security room..."
Sue them for millions. That, right there, is kidnapping, pure and simple. Not the part after the cops arrived, but the first three words of that sentence. The law is very clear on this point. A store has absolutely zero legal authority to detain you if they suspect you of theft. Their legal recourse is to call the police without confronting you and have them deal with you when they show up.
You are completely wrong about this. Merchant law gives any merchant the right to protect his property, which includes performing the equivalent of a "citizen's arrest" until police arrive. Even if you leave the property, then the police will simply be sent to your home to arrest you. In this case, they were within the law.
3. The "ridiculous" amount of $150+ asked for by Wal-mart in recompense.
The men were let off because the intent to steal could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Plenty of people try to steal with this method of "forgetting" to scan something. Considering how obvious it is when you do/don't scan something, I've always found that hard to believe. In all actuality, if the men had simply did as asked by security, the ordeal would have ended much more swiftly, it is because of their actions they were separated from their kids and placed in separate cars- by the police mind you, not Walmart AP. The security individuals MUST call the police once any stop is made, and the police then decide whether to press criminal charges, NOT Wal-mart. The letter they got is for a CIVIL SUIT, and the fee includes the two individuals paying court costs. Civil suits do not require a criminal verdict of guilty (remember OJ's case).
4. Believe or not, Walmart has very strict standards for what an AP person can, or cannot do, and how to perform a stop. There is absolutely no real evidence that the security did anything wrong here. It's interesting how the statements of the two men pretty much contradict everything in the police report. Keep in mind the police write that, not Walmart. Walmart likely has video of the entire incident- including the kids in the security room, that is the real reason the men are not sueing, the video evidence would very likely debunk their version.
For example, my aunt who works as security at Walmart. Asked a man to come with her for stealing $60 worth of DVD's. As required she had another AP person there for backup (people have tried to bite and stab her). The moment she tried to speak to him he starting yelling at her and threatening to "knock her the f--- out". Once the police arrived and they put him in the security room, he actually told her at one point he'd cut her throat for getting him arrested (yes charges were filed for that as well). Despite having a multitude of witnesses of the incident, the man actually tried to sue, saying he did nothing wrong and the security was screaming racial slurs at him. The video was shown in court, charges dropped.
5. Walmart is by no means perfect, they've been wrong plenty of times. In this case, however, no evidence of wrongdoing is apparent, and it is actually amusing watching so many people react with such vitrol, despite the facts. Of course, what would one expect from the internet? I love to see the big guy pay when they deserve it, but fair is fair.
Oh, yes, when it comes to the homophobic slurs- no way I believe that. The security room is going to have audio, no person in their right mind would say something like that, to children of all people, knowing they would be recorded and immediately fired. Walmart does have a very, very strict policy on discrimination (I know a black guy who got fired for using the "N word"). One poster is right, Walmart does NOT come to the defense of their employee's when it comes to discrimination.
6. quote by sithmaster: "This reminds me. How many people will be trampled this year at Walmart on black Friday?"
This is actually one of my pet peeves, blaming someone else for the misdeeds of another. A crowd of out of control people trample one man to death, but it is by no means the crowd's fault, oh no, it's Walmart's fault for... selling things? I've worked on Black Friday, and have seen the way these people act. No matter how many people we had, no matter where we put them, people just wouldn't listen. I've seen a person stabbed, and a man punch an old woman over a TV. Were all these Walmart's fault too? No. Certain people simply have no regard for others.
My apologies for the length of my post. I hope it has at least shed some understanding and light on the matter. I'm sure I will be flamed and dugg down. However, I felt I had to come to the defense of family members who work in the field, especially considering how I know them to have been treated, and what I've seen myself. All I ask is you consider, what if that was your business, or your wallet, would you jump to the defense of the other guy so suddenly? - skews13, on 11/07/2009, -0/+92Wrong. Anyone acting on behalf of Walmart is an agent of Walmart, therefore they are ultimately responsible. After survelience clearly showed error, and Walmart still sought action. That makes their actions malicious, and therefore subject to punitive damages as well. The couple would be well within their rights to bring a civil suit against the company seeking both civil, medical, and punitive damages.
- TheJimid, on 11/07/2009, -0/+84Where the hell are they supposed to buy discount caskets now?!?!
- RandomGorilla, on 11/07/2009, -0/+83Best reply I've seen on Digg all week.
- ParticleMan420, on 11/07/2009, -4/+84what the ***** do "liberals" have to do with this?
you ***** blinded piece of *****. - scuba7183, on 11/07/2009, -2/+713) use cash
- eclipseyue, on 11/07/2009, -22/+90I got busted for stealing several dvd's a pack of pencils, and a pack of batteries, in a Walmart that I had been stealing from for years (I had sticky fingers in my youth. well, slightly younger youth anyway.) Anyway, I left the store (I actually purchased an item too) and just outside the doors is where they physically grabbed me, accused me of shoplifting, and I had to accompany them to their security office (which was essentially a big closet but whatever). I had to do the usual routine of "fill out these forms" where they kept threatening to sue me or whatever. Then they were extremely rude about the fact I couldn't remember my address: I had just been physically accosted, had high adrenaline, and I had two homes, mother/father. I mixed some things up. Eventually, they told me since I was underage I could be released into custody of my parent: My fathers handicapped, and they refused to go outside to tell him what happened, I even gave them the car because I know it's extremely noticeable: I was in that room for at least an hour and a half, with my father waiting outside since he couldn't walk in to do the shopping himself. Finally they called the police to arrest me, and report me, after I had signed some agreement that I was banned from walmart and if I was caught on wal mart property I would be charged with criminal trespassing. The policewoman who arrested me on the other hand was great. As soon as she got me outside she found my father, had him follow us to the police station to help fill out a report and such; luckily I was underage by one year and only had to end up doing 50 hours community service and a "theft class". The WalMart experience to me was extremely terrible though, especially since I was still relatively young. I always wondered if it was like that everywhere in other stores and chains. Anyone else know?
/story no one cares about - iamacyborg, on 11/07/2009, -2/+70I read the whole thing. It was one of the better comments I've ever read.
- spentcigarettes, on 11/07/2009, -1/+67costco
- CorbinM1226, on 11/07/2009, -0/+58Is it just me or has digg been receiving an influx of YouTube comments lately?
And for the record that is directed at Lonesomefighter - ASSASSYN360, on 11/07/2009, -2/+57http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/
- Pasaris, on 11/07/2009, -2/+52Much too rational. You don't belong on the internet man.
- FyberOptic, on 11/07/2009, -4/+53I think your comment is both relevant and interesting to the subject at hand, so it at least doesn't deserve to be dugg down, even if people don't condone the stealing part.
- skektek, on 11/07/2009, -7/+50Wal Mart: one the top douchieist companies in America
- Valyn, on 11/07/2009, -5/+48He may be generalizing, but that does not mean its untrue.
- deweyhewson, on 11/07/2009, -11/+52"Walmart detained them, the police came and cuffed one of them, their two kids were taken to a security room..."
Sue them for millions. That, right there, is kidnapping, pure and simple. Not the part after the cops arrived, but the first three words of that sentence. The law is very clear on this point. A store has absolutely zero legal authority to detain you if they suspect you of theft. Their legal recourse is to call the police without confronting you and have them deal with you when they show up.
It's the same reason stores tell their employees not to follow you out of the store if you've shoplifted. The legal liability greatly outweights the benefits of saving a stolen good.
This situation is the same, only it is now both criminal and legal liability. So, if you've been exonerated by their own security footage, hit them in the only place a corporation understands: their bottom line. - Munk3y, on 11/07/2009, -1/+40Sorry but the majority of people I've seen that shop at Walmart have certain matching qualities.
- DesertFlyer, on 11/07/2009, -1/+35If being liberal means believing in basic human rights, then yes, I guess I'm a liberal.
- stonebear, on 11/07/2009, -1/+35It is not Wal*Mart that is killing them. It is us shopping at Wal*Mart. Just a symptom of the greater "I got mine, so ***** y'all" problem that is destroying not only the US, but the world.
- ninjaofpatience, on 11/07/2009, -2/+36This is assuming they even noticed. If you've got your significant other and two kids there with you there's a good chance you're not paying attentions and just swiping and tossing. A lot like the bored kid at the register.
- GrampaNoOp, on 11/07/2009, -0/+34that would actually be an awesome thing to be on that list
- iamacyborg, on 11/07/2009, -3/+37To be frank I am disappointed in this link. For example as a talking point they list:
Wal-Mart can afford wage increases
Wal-Mart could give each of its workers a $1 per hour raise without affecting their annual $12 billion profit margin, by raising prices only one half of one penny per dollar. For instance, a $2.00 pair of socks would then cost $2.01. That half of a cent would add up to a $1,800 raise for each employee. [Analysis of Wal-Mart Annual Report 2005]
Obviously, they don't understand jack about the concept of elastic demand. You can't just multiply current demand by 0.5% times current gross revenue and expect that will be additional profit they rake in. If they raise their prices, fewer people will buy their products. I'm sure Walmart very carefully prices their products to ensure maximum revenue. If they raised their prices across the board, revenue would DROP not RISE, and they would have to fire workers and/or cut pay. - TallestSkil, on 11/07/2009, -0/+33So... all they have to do is pay in cash and they're instantly beating the system. Right...
- mlw4428, on 11/07/2009, -2/+33What did you expect your experience to be like? Now, I'm not advocating being pro-Walmart or anything, but you stole from the store. They have every right to be rude to you and not trust you when you say your father is just "outside in the car." Once you get out in the parking lot it's a helluva lot harder to keep a thief from running away, so what they were doing makes sense.
Call it what you want, but you were a thief, and were treated like such. - SONYDVDR, on 11/07/2009, -4/+35FTA: "The couple in question is gay and their sons are adopted"
I think some bible banger walmart employee freaked out because the couple was gay. - ninjaofpatience, on 11/07/2009, -4/+34***** wal mart. Are they still telling their employees in mexico that they work for tips and not paying them?
- scuba7183, on 11/07/2009, -1/+30Mostly because desire for profit is the definition of a company
- czarcasm, on 11/07/2009, -2/+30Well besides locking their overnite employees in so they can't leave. There's the emergency exit but employees are told if they use it they'll be fired.
Search 'WalMart lock in' - Bodhinature, on 11/07/2009, -1/+29You are right. Education is a good thing. You should try it some time.
The reason "liberals" have a hard time accepting your thesis on how great Wal-mart is is because all of the evidence points to the contrary. In regards to your Washington Post article:
"...the idea that Wal-Mart pays below-market wages is false. Otherwise nobody would work there."
This is, of course, faulty logic based on a false paradigm. People work for below market wages all over the world including America past and present. Why do you think unions exist in the first place? Do you think the turn of the 20th century 12 year old American girl worked 60 hours a week for pennies because there were better opportunities out there for her? Do you think the modern migrant worker making four dollars an hour does it because it pays so well? No.
That's just one reason why this article is stupid. - Zaxcomp, on 11/07/2009, -1/+28No one has a problem with facial recognition on top of the use of pervasive CCTV cameras? ***** walmart, damned glad I don't shop there now.
- TyrelVnne, on 11/07/2009, -1/+27How is that even possible? Do they tattoo your forehead with undesirable?
- Diefree, on 11/07/2009, -2/+27So it's ok to you that Wal-Mart did this, how about all the times they've been caught hiring illegals? But that's ok cause they have the money to buy off the investigations.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/18/national ...
Oh and let's not forget the illegal union busting tactics.
http://www.uniglobalunion.org/UNIsite/Sectors/Comm ...
Just run along Wal-Mart is not a good company. They destroy small businesses on purpose, punish employees for getting sick, and hire illegals. Then they buy off people to stop from ever actually being held accountable. Then there's people like you, who I hope are being paid to say this stupid crap by Wal-Mart otherwise you're blind. - TrevorPace, on 11/07/2009, -3/+27Wait the people scan the items at Walmarts in the US? I thought the cashier did that.
Either way, if someone was just putting them through continually there is a chance that they might just not be paying too much attention and not notice it didn't scan in. These people shouldn't have been treated like this though. - iamacyborg, on 11/07/2009, -4/+27I don't have time to go through every spurious claim on the website. I pointed out one specific claim and explained why the claim was poorly reasoned.
Your response is a red herring. If you want to defend your crappy website please explain why my rebuttal to their claim is wrong, don't fly off on some unrelated point as if you're somehow countering my point by doing so. - ParticleMan420, on 11/07/2009, -0/+23"Like most things in this country,"
you mean "like most things in my obsessive narrow little mind..."
its got nothing to do with liberals, and you should probably see a doctor for your obsession. Psychology can work wonders. I also hear that scientology does good things with vitamins and torture, if you're not into shrinks and drugs! - mparker21311, on 11/07/2009, -3/+25What do you mean the worst company in America? I need cheap stuff made from people living in poverty!
- Crimeodial, on 11/07/2009, -1/+22Why bring politics into this? I'm a liberal, and I don't fit that stereotype at all.
- quaxon, on 11/07/2009, -0/+21It wont be long until we see actual corporations begin to run for public office.
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