If you have been caught shoplifting or even wrongfully accused and Walmart has issued a ban, then you’re probably wondering how and when you can come back. Can they really ban you from a public store and if so, is there anything you can do?
While you could potentially challenge the ban in court, this is expensive and the odds are stacked against you. Walmart can ban you from one or even ALL of their stores and while they might not recognize you if you are not at a local store, if they DO and you’re caught then you could be in a lot of trouble.
Let’s take a closer look at the problem from all the applicable sides so that you can get an idea of what a Walmart ban for shoplifting really means.
It’s really better to just ‘wait it out’ or get used to shopping elsewhere – read on and we’ll tell you why.
Does Walmart really give out and enforce bans from the store?
Yes, Walmart can and often does ban shoplifters from coming back to their stores. Typically, the amount of time will vary from store to store and local laws make a difference in how each Walmart deals with shoplifting, but what you are usually looking at is a ban of 6 months, 1 year, or even a ‘lifetime’ ban for repeat or extremely serious offenders.
Now, keep in mind that you might well be able to go to the next town and enter a Walmart, and you might NOT (we’ll explain more about this shortly).
We should probably point out that around 2015-2016 Walmart even had facial recognition so that shoplifters could be recognized at ANY store, although Walmart decided not to continue this.
That said, with AI technology improving by leaps and bounds these days, don’t expect that to last forever – by their nature, security plans are kept quiet for as long as possible, so if you are banned and try to go into a different Walmart then there is still a possibility that you could get caught and charged with trespassing, or any other applicable charges.
How does Walmart catch me if I go back again?
As Facial recognition was only on a trial basis at a handful of stores and then abandoned, Walmart relies on old methods to keep track of shoplifters and prevent ones which Walmart is already aware of from entering the store.
This is usually done with one or more of the methods we’ll detail below.
Shoplifter’s Database
Walmart keeps and maintains a database of shoplifters so that their pictures may be shown to guards who can then keep an eye out for these individuals.
As it would be unrealistic to show the faces of every shoplifter caught at a Walmart nationwide, then you are dealing with human guards who have seen pictures of local offenders only.
While theoretically you would be safe going to a Walmart 2 towns or more away, that’s not always the case, and the ‘why’ of it falls into our next security consideration – Loss Prevention agents.
Loss Prevention Associate
Loss Prevention agents are basically guards dressed in plain, everyday clothing. During the day, they wander around the store, and when there is a problem, they are the ones that will confront you on the way out or talk to you in the parking lot.
They are not allowed to touch you, but they can demand your receipt and contact authorities if you don’t comply with them. They can also press charges in your absence, so that a warrant could be issued for you arrest.
Another important thing to know about these Loss Prevention Agents is that they are NOT restricted to a single store. Any one of them could be working at any other Walmart nearby of even one that’s an hour away – you never know.
So, even if you go to a Walmart that is not local to you, there’s a chance that an LPA agent is there and if they recognize your photo from the shoplifter’s database then you could be arrested and charged – more severely now, as you’d be considered a repeat offender.
Security cameras
A final consideration are the security cameras and while we’ve mentioned that Walmart put a halt on facial recognition technology in 2016, those cameras can still create the possibility of a warrant for your arrest.
That’s because they are monitored, and any suspicious behavior might lead the watcher to see if your face is on the shoplifter’s database. This could also result if an LPA sees you on your way out and decides to go back and check the footage.
Walmart doesn’t just limit their security to ‘catching you in the act’ – they are also quite capable and willing to build a case with the local authorities, and even if you are not shoplifting while you are there, simply showing up when you’ve been banned may result in a trespassing charge or even MULTIPLE ones,, simply from accompanying your friends while they shop at Walmart and doing nothing else.
Once you’ve been banned, walking into Walmart is considered legally the same as walking into someone’s house, so DON’T do it – it could result in a hefty fine, jail time, and if you have an existing record, that jail time could be a lot more than you bargained for.
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Can I challenge the legality of my ban?
While you could technically hire a lawyer and challenge the legality of the shoplifting charges, as well as the physical ban, unless you have a lot of money and time, it’s really not worth it. Keep in mind that Walmart is a very large corporation, and so they are going to have very expensive lawyers—and quite a LOT of them.
Your chances of forcing Walmart to rescind the ban are going to be very low at best. Thankfully, if you do get banned, is usually only for 6 months to a year, so you CAN wait it out and after that just be on your best behavior when you visit Walmart so that it doesn’t happen again.
In conclusion
Today we’ve answered the question ‘How can you go back to Walmart after shoplifting?’ and the answer is that you’re just going to have to wait it out. While that’s probably not the answer that you want to hear, the alternatives are unpleasant to say the very least.
You could mount an expensive legal challenge in hopes of clearing your name, but fighting with lawyers from a large corporation could actually take LONGER than the time you’ve been banned. You could also try just using another Walmart that is in a different location, but there is still a possibility of getting caught again and a trespassing charge at the very LEAST.
As such, it’s really going to be best to simply do your shopping somewhere else until the duration of the ban has passed. It’s not fun and may feel a bit embarrassing, but going into Walmart anyway isn’t worth the fines, jail time, and the slowly-growing criminal record that could result if you do!
Don’t forget – all it takes is being recognized so that even if you are not caught physically in the store, a Loss Prevention Associate could still simply review the security footage and start building a case against you in absentia.
It’s simply not worth the risk when you can just get your groceries somewhere else.
Reference Sources
https://www.attorneycarl.com/blog/shoplifting-walmart-louisiana