2 months on the local has changed. The person who previously ‘greeted’ shoppers now ignores those entering and inspects and marks receipts for those leaving. Nothing like ‘progress’ and ‘uniformity’.
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They can prohibit me from re-entering the store if they like but I’m not a thief and I don’t accept being treated like I might be one. My point is stores like Bunnings / JB HiFi can implement any security measures they like, but it should not interfere / delay me in any way, shape or form. It’s been mentioned on this thread, the transaction area should be close to the exit. KMart? Really? Who got paid to redesign their point of sale so it’s in the middle of the store?
Let’s get serious; it’s cheaper to pay someone $17 per hour to stand at the door than it is to have a thorough security system (cameras / plainclothes security / item tags etc).
Not the consumers problem.
The bag check system is a retail industry voluntary code / standard. Their stores may be privately owned, but they are public areas. Anyone can go in.
The industry has designed the code to save themselves money providing decent security, at our inconvenience.
Let them have their voluntary code, but it’s not allowed to infringe on my right to freedom of movement or consumer rights.
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Wrong. I’ve already paid for it. It’s mine. The store no longer owns it.
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They are not public areas, you enter “under licence”.
From the Qld Govt site “This is because a customer who enters a shop does so ‘under licence’ from you”
From Qld Legal Aid " Can I be refused entry to a shop or business?
Shops and businesses have the right to refuse entry or ban any person from their premises. They can refuse to serve a person as long as they don’t breach anti-discrimination laws."
From Vic Govt site “ask them to leave. A store is private property, not a public place, so if a store employee instructs a consumer to leave, they must go”
From NSW Govt “as the customer entering a shop does so ‘under licence’ from the retailer”
These all express the fact that these are not Public areas ie they are Private property.
If you refuse to supply proof of purchase or allow bag/carton/box etc checks to be done they might suspect you of shoplifting, possessing stolen goods and/or receiving stolen goods. This of course does not give them a right to detain you, but they may in future refuse to allow you entry (trespass law) by either issuing you a notice to not enter their property (this can be verbal) or they can have the police issue the notice. Once the notice is issued you have no further right to enter that building/premises unless you have a “lawful excuse” and can be subject to legal proceedings if you do enter and they may take action using reasonable force to remove you if you enter without their approval or “lawful excuse” (lawful excuse does not include shopping at those premises). The business can remove the restriction if they wish or they can maintain the restriction indefinitely. They may also if they have sufficient suspicion or proof ask the police to investigate and if warranted arrest you for trespass. Minors get some leeway under the law but Adults don’t.
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i agree @ozwild
Although I always let them inspect my shopping bags and stamp the receipt if required, and with a smile because shop assistants are not responsible for store policy, and I understand it helps against the problem of theft ( although the problem has been of the stores own making by opening up goods for ‘Self Service’) I feel that I’ve been invited to go in as soon as the the store opens its doors, and, yes, the item is now mine because I’ve paid for it. If they doubt it, why not leave it for me at the exit to be picked up on my way out? Would that mean extra staff? No need for extra cost when they can make paying customers feel like thieves 
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OK so you don’t want to have a check as you leave. How do you feel about paying more when all the thieves discover this and raid the place? Oh, Bunnies should do it some way that doesn’t involve a bag check you say. If they currently do it the cheapest way then doing it another way will also push up the prices. But you don’t want to pay extra for their security system. Then exercise your rights as a citizen and don’t shop there.
It all comes down to that. If you really don’t like the way somebody does business then the solution is in your grasp, don’t do business with them. We all make this choice many times in our lives, it is the quickest and most certain remedy if your aim is to reform them or just to avoid the displeasure.
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But you can be asked for proof of ownership, they can ask, you can comply or refuse, they in future can refuse to serve you. We all have choices.
Some sage advice from a legal advice post (non-Australian):
“Even if you don’t have to comply with the store’s request, you might want to anyway. Stores do spot checks to ensure that the cashier put all of your items in your cart, and to keep costs down by deterring shoplifting. So, undergoing a receipt check ultimately benefits you and might be worth a little hassle.”
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As I said, they can kick me out. I don’t care. Their poor store design is not my issue. Their voluntary code is not convenient to me and violates my rights.
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EXACTLY!
That is what I do.
If one refuses to show proof of purchase, it is likely that store personnel will assume that the customer has something to hide. …such as the goods have been shoplifted. In such case, one could expect it reported to the police. One could also expect a potentially inconvenient and embarrassing visit from the police at home (identified through rego plates). If one had say disposed of the receipt…then a lot of time could be wasted trying to prove to the ploice the goods were not stolen…what happens if cash was used and there are no records of payment (such as credit card or bank statement). Would the police give the benefit of doubt to a recalcitrant person who easily had the opportunity to prove proof on leaving tge retail store?
I personally don’t think this is a desirable outcome if one refuses request to show docket as proof of purchase.
Refusing to show proof of purchase has risks and is not advisable. If one wants to be treated like a shoplifter, then this is potentially the best approach to achieve this outcome. It is also the best way to have an undesirable confrontation with store staff and also potentially the police. It is a no win siutation.
I personally don’t enjoy having bags or recipts checked, but also know the consequences of refusing such or it not being done (that shoplifting would increase and business would factor this into process paid by law abiding customers).
One also has to look through eyes of the shopkeeper…if one owned a retail outlet, would one ignore the checking of a proof of purchases and how would one feel if a customer walked out with goods without such proof…especially if there may be founded or unfounded suspicion?
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The retailer is assuming I don’t care I’m being suspected of being a thief by default. I do care about that. When did I go from being a “valued customer” to a probable thief?
I challenge that assertion. The retailer is concerned with turning a profit by offering the best prices they can (that are sometimes obscene, but that is another topic) with the lowest losses possible, and hence the highest profits. So long as customers come their feelings about bag searches are not in the equation. The choice is to go somewhere without a bag search if you can find one, and then move on, and move on, as each is all but economically forced to adopt the practice. The problem lies in ‘community ethics’ being what they are, not business owners disdain or suspicion of ‘you and me’.
Those are your ‘freedoms’ and ‘rights’.
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If you refuse to deal with Bunnies this is all hypothetical. You don’t actually experience the atrocities that you describe, this is just another few zillion electrons being excited for entertainment. The market is working, at least in your case, all it will take is a few million more to take the same decision and they will mend their ways.
What a despicable act of theft.
I wonder how other stores, Costco for example, do to prevent that happening?
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As I posted above, stores like JB HiFi stamp receipts for the same reason.
Costco would be like other supermarkets who generally sell lots of lower value items and rely on their security cameras and plain clothes floor staff, whilst the likes of Bunnings and JB HiFi sell many compact high value items.
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Those do not work on items of higher value?
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Of course they do but the likes of Bunnings and JB HiFi are just upping the ante, as do Chemist Warehouse who put RFID stickers on everything in the store
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Thank you @Fred123
That’s one other means of stopping
theft, and the onus is on the store and not on the customer 
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I opened a pack of Panadol Osteo from Chemist Warehouse the other day which had the ends sealed with clear tape which had to be cut and there was a RFID sticker on the inside of the pack, so it had been opened and resealed.
My wife bought a bottle of something which was in a nice presentation box and underneath the bottle was a RFID sticker, so the end flap had obviously been opened and the bottle removed and replaced to faclilitate it.
And despite the obvious costs for the stickers and staff wages, things like Manuka Honey are kept on shelves behind the checkouts as they are presumably still stolen despite the stickers.
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Granted, no system is foolproof.
Just thinking of ways to prevent theft
which do not inconvenience the majority of honest customers.
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