On Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:02:57 +0000 (UTC), Chuck Banshee
wrote:

On Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:28:24 -0500, zzzzzzzzzz wrote:
You've *agreed* to submit to Costco's door nazis, not so for Frys'. I
did have one threaten me, though it was over a decade back (in Silly
Valley).

I think you're exactly right!

Of course. ;-)

The way the Frys manager told me when I asked him about it was that it's
a courtesy to check your receipt to make sure you get what you paid for
(yeah, right).

What, you don't believe him? That's probably what he was told by his boss.

He was the one who told me that you do not have to show your receipt and
they won't stop you.

Sure. It's illegal. Once the money has changed hands, it's yours. If he
detains you, it's kidnapping. ;-)

Looking it up, I wonder if it's some kind of illegal search & seizure
thing ... where they need to have reasonable cause or something. It's not
the government so I'm not sure (and I'm not a lawyer).

No, not illegal search, rather he doesn't authority to arrest you and has no
probable cause if he did. If he detains you, against your will, it's false
imprisonment. He's the one who will visit the Gray Bar Hotel.

On the other hand, when I bought just one thing at Costco (yeah, I
know ... the lines ... but I needed it), I didn't want to wait on the
long line at the door to leave ... so I just walked through the middle of
the two lines.

Guess what?

I got to my car, and I had already closed the trunk when the manager
caught up to me (probably called by the Costco door nazis). She asked to
see inside my trunk.

At this point, I 'could' have put up a fuss - but - I just opened it and
let her see it and check it against my receipt.

Right. When you joined Costco, you gave them the right to search your
packages. If you refuse, there isn't much they can do but cancel your
membership, though.

When I asked her, she said the same thing Frys did. They want to make
sure didn't get overcharged.

I believed her as much as I believed the Frys manager.

You're just not the believing type. I can tell. ;-)

The takeaway is this:
- You don't have to show your receipt at the Frys exit;
- But you do (sort of) have to show it at Costco.

You don't "have to" at Costco, either. You agreed to it, though.