Today I went to Kmart Ashfield.
The woman conducting the bag searches was very rude and impatient. When she wanted to see into my backpack she said "bag" - no "please" or "can I"
Has anyone had any trouble with bag searches with Kmart, in particular with the Ashfield(NSW) branch?
If so what did you do?
I find it so unpleasant I'll avoid this store altogether. Also there are no signs either inside or outside saying that Kmart would be conducting bag searches.
They have cameras pointing to everywhere all over the store, they just need some people to watch them like hawks and scrap the bag check.
A visible deterrent is generally better than an invisible one. Sure it won't stop planned theft, but a lot of theft is casual/unplanned.
@dizzle: The visible one should be the guard standing by and the detection gate. No need for random bag checks..
Have you ever seen a magician, some people are good with their hands !
I've only ever had pleasant experiences at the Ashfield Kmart.
I still don't understand why they do bag checks at all. What is the purpose of doing some theatrical checks? It does not prevent theft as you can just say no and the staff/guard can't usually detain real thieves anyway. It annoys everybody else and there are high chances of hurting the innocent, eg: stuff bought at other stores, no receipt printed, etc.
I thought they have been using cameras to detect theft for ages, and there is also the RFID alarm. If they are used properly, no random bag checks are needed.
I still don't understand why they do bag checks at all. What is the purpose of doing some theatrical checks?
deterrent
It's usually a condition of entry to most retail shops that they reserve the right to ask to see the contents of your bag or backpack. Personally I think it's perfectly acceptable for a private business wanting to protect it's stock from possible theft.
These type of conditions of entry are not legally binding. Can you prove they read and understood the sign ?
If you are happy to have your bag checked then that's fine. Just be aware that you don't have too.
when I studied law I was told that as long as the warning sign about bag checks was prominently displayed at the entrance, that was sufficient for them to ask to check your bag on the way out
you can refuse, and they can advise you to not come again
if you do wander in again, and they recognise you, they may perhaps call the police and have you arrested for trespass, which is probably a crime last I looked.
Should we even start talking about the electronic security tags and those sensors at the exit of a store. Lol.
Guess what, just because they beep, do not risk detaining someone unless you are 100% sure they took something. And by 100%, i mean 100%.
One of Kmart local stores sometimes even ask for receipt to match items against it. This happens when you buy from checkout in middle of store.
Can you also refuse that request?
You can refuse, yes, all they can do is call the police if they suspect you of theft but they have to have evidence of it.
Would I be correct in assuming that the major stores would have security cameras pointed at exits where bags might be checked, to obviate this sort of accusation sticking?