They can legally detain you if they suspect you of stealing. Unless the laws have changed, not having a receipt or not buying anything doesn't qualify as being suspicious but that's the rational they are using. In that case they are detaining you unlawfully which is why people are up in arms over this happening.
I was referring to big corporations getting away with murder, not small clothing stores.
If you say so, but I'm not a legal expert. I think knowing the details of the law and these company's anti-theft policies would help clear up these concerns. As I said earlier, these big companies hire legal experts so I'm sure they've carefully thought through their policies and worker training. Again, that isn't to say that you have no legal recourse if someone oversteps their bounds.
Thanks for clearing up what you meant because your earlier reply was constructed in a weird way. Or I just read it wrong.
Big corporations are making these changes because they need to make money and protect their interests. As with any policy change, they will try it for a period of time and see if it's effective. If it isn't effective, then they'll try something else. These decisions are driven by data over a period of time. Generally speaking, I think people including me can be quick to jump to conclusions about legal or policy changes.
You seem to be suggesting that we should regulate these big businesses even more. So what would you do to address these theft issues? If getting stopped at the self-checkout is too much, what is a suitable solution that would prevent theft and allow people to walk freely in and out of the store without being checked? The only thing I can thik of is ordering items from a counter and the clerk picks them for you.
