Colby Accused of Shoplifing From Wal Mart

This posting deals with a person accused, by the Sebring, FL, Wal Mart, of  not paying for $35 worth of items found on the bottom of his cart. Colby Accused of Shoplifting;  newssun.com,  published, Sunday, February 27, 2011. 


Lets not be too sure about Wal Mart, yet. I have had two incidents with the Sebring, Wal Mart that I should have pressed. My first incident was sometime in 1995 or 96. I went into the store and purchased a computer and printer for $1,800. I paid in cash, and received a receipt. I left the store and nothing was communicated to me by security. When I had been home some half and hour my phone rang (I knew, personally, the clerk that had helped me pick out the computer). It was someone from Wal Mart. I was informed that I had not paid for the computer, and they asked me to return to the store, and pay for it. I  told the person on the phone that I would come immediately to the store, but that I had paid for the computer, and would bring the receipt with me. When I arrived at the store, I was told that the register clerk had said that I had not given her the correct amount of cash, and that I had shorted her $1,000. I asked why she had not mentioned this fact when I paid for the computer.  This person had no answer except that I owed $1,000.  I told the Wal Mart representative that this was not true, and that I wanted to see the "film" of the transaction, as I knew that they had cameras over the registers.  I was told that this would be done, and that someone from Wal Mart would call me the next day. I left the store thinking that the issue was over. The next day someone called from the security department, and asked if I would come to the store to settle the issue. I thought that they had figured that the clerk had taken the cash, and just wanted me to put my story on the record. WRONG. I was put in a room, and 2 or 3 Wal Mart persons "badgered" me to pay $1,000. I told them to review the "film", and they would be able to see that I had counted out the money on the counter, and that the register clerk had done likewise. I was informed that the camera over that particular register was not working at the time. I told them to bring in the register clerk so that I could confront her in person. I was then informed that the clerk was not in the employ of Wal Mart, so she could not attend the "kangaroo court".  That she had decided to quit working for Wal Mart rather than signing a complete statement detailing  the purchase of this computer.  I told the Wal Mart "thugs", "Good Day," and left the store. 



My second "bad" encounter with Wal Mart security was a few years ago, when I was purchasing groceries. I had a large watermelon in the cart. As I was checking out the register clerk told me not to bother lifting it out of the cart, but that she had a scanner gun, and would price it. I paid for everything that I had on the counter, and proceeded to my car. As I was walking out the door, I was stopped by someone from the store. This person said that I had not paid for the batteries in my cart. I told this person that he was wrong, and proceeded to show my receipt. Sure enough the batteries that I thought I had purchased were not on the receipt. I could not believe it. The Wal Mart person then turned over the watermelon, and there were the batteries I thought I had purchased. Clearly, someone from the store had knowledge of this situation while I was at the check-out, and just waited for me to leave the store for whatever reason.  I got angry, told the Wal Mart person the reason for the batteries not being paid for, and left the store.


I don't know what happened in this Colby case, but from my personal experience with Wal Mart, I will give him the benefit of the doubt. 
Lord Howard Hurts