Behind The Blue Door: What you should know about Walmart surveilance polocies

Hello fellow ATS'rs. I would like to share with you my experiances of being a Walmart Loss Prevention Officer and how Walmart tracks guests and employees. First a disclaimer: I only worked at one location in Mendocino county, Ca, so I can not voutch for this being the norm for all locations. The location I worked for has a head LP manager who oversees several stores in Mendocino, Lake and Sonoma counties. I was led to believe that these polacies were upheald at all of these locations.

I will share a short back history of my time with Walmart and the reason I quite and then I will tell you to what extent they monitor everyone who walks through those doors, even after they leave.

I swore that I would NEVER work for Walmart, but times are hard and they seamed to be the only company I could get a job with. I was hired for the sole purpose of being unknown to anyone else in the company, save for the managers and fellow LP's. This was so I could monitor the employees without them knowing. Well, this went out the door on my first day. During my orientation I was thrown in with all of the other new hires, oops. Then the manager took me around and introduced me to every employee working at the time, OOPS. Well so much for ananimaty. During my training. I was to follow a senior LP who would instruct me in polocies and techniques. I was not allowed to talk with anyone or try to stop a shoplifter. If I saw anything suspicious I would relay it to my supervisor. I spent six months walking the floors unable to do anything while my super and the other LP's hung out at the discount video bin chatting for hours. I was not allowed to socialize with anyone. While my fellow LP spent her weekends partying with employees and braging about their exploits to the Manager I was repremanded and thretened with termination for chating with a cashier at lunch. During this whole time my super and fellow LP's refused to talk to me. I would be sent out and told to stay right next to mu super for training and as soon as we hit the floor he would tell me to go away. Oh well, easy paycheck I guess. The final straw came by way of a wanted suspect. This man had on several occasions walked into the store, grabed a high end item and walked out. I'm talking flat screen tv's and mountain bikes. We were to constantly watch for this guy. Now I must remind you I was under strict orders not to aproach or stop anyone. I was walking the floor when my Super and the partying LP came up to me. They said there were reports that this guy was in the stor and to go look for him. I did just that. I found him at the subway sitting at a table. When I walked by he looked right at me. I continued to the exit door and dialed up my super on the phone. As soonas I turned around the guy was gone. My super asked where he was and I told him the guy was just here. I went on a spree through the store to try and find where he went. Well, I was ridiculed for letting him get away. Everyone blamed me for it even though there was nothing I could have done to stop him anyways. The two LP's told the head manager that it was my fault the guy got away, so I was pretty pissed. I went back to the security room and watched the vid to see how he disapeared. On the vid I walk past him and he emediatly gets up and walks behind me. I stop and pull out my phone and he slips right out the door as I turn around. Freekin ninja. I go further back to see if he grabed anything. The guy walkes into the store and is emediatly met by the two LP's. They talk and he sits at the table while the two go looking for me. WTF? I walked out and never went back.

Well now that that is out of the way, here is the juicy info.

Walmart holds that everyone is equal. No profiling. When you walk through the doors you recieve the same treatment as everyone else. BS. If you are well dressed and clean cut you pretty much have full access to any part of the store. If you have dread locks, tattoos, or are wearing anything other than slacks and a polo, LP is on you. They follow you during your whole time there. If you are a teen girl and go to cosmetics, LP is watching you. LP is not allowed to stop you unless they physically see you hide something on your person. Even then they can not force you to the back or submit to a search. If you refuse to stop, oh well. They are not allowed to follow anyone into the parking area. If they see you pocket something and then loose sight of you for even a second, they can not stop you. It is assumed that you had the oportunity to return the item. There is a protocal they must follow which is to maintain eye contact at all times up untill you try and leave.

There was once insident where a guy was leaving and the LP's ran out the door to grab him. Imagine you are leaving a store and hear a loud camotion. You turn and see two people right on you looking like the're about to take you out. Well the guy responded as anyone would, he through his hand out to block the 250lb woman running straight at him. She tried to charge him with assault. Luckily it was on vid and the cops let him go.

Walmart phylosophy: Walmart has everything you could need. If you have an emloyee discount there is no reason for you to shop anywhere else. If an employee is "caught" shopping at another store they are put under investigation by LP for possible fraud. Employees never know they are being investigated.

When you shop and use a credit card or debit that info is stored in a data base accessible to all LP's at everystore. If you are suspected of fraud or theft, even just for shopping somewhere other than Walmart when you have a discount, the LP manager is able to access your bank statements and monitor where you shop and how you use your money. I've watched this process many times.

That's what I have to share for now. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

When you shop and use a credit card or debit that info is stored in a data base accessible to all LP's at everystore. If you are suspected of fraud or theft, even just for shopping somewhere other than Walmart when you have a discount, the LP manager is able to access your bank statements and monitor where you shop and how you use your money. I've watched this process many times.

Im confused, who does this apply to?

reply to post by boncho


This applies to everyone, employee and customer alike.

Dont how it is in America, but in the UK if you tried to access someones bank statements without something like a court order your pretty much going to get arrested. Thats highly illegal.

the LP manager is able to access your bank statements and monitor where you shop and how you use your money -

Even customers?

Walmart phylosophy: Walmart has everything you could need. If you have an emloyee discount there is no reason for you to shop anywhere else. If an employee is "caught" shopping at another store they are put under investigation by LP for possible fraud. Employees never know they are being investigated. When you shop and use a credit card or debit that info is stored in a data base accessible to all LP's at everystore. If you are suspected of fraud or theft, even just for shopping somewhere other than Walmart when you have a discount, the LP manager is able to access your bank statements and monitor where you shop and how you use your money. I've watched this process many times. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by Joki42


Glad I don't work there. There are very few things that I purchase that I can get at Wal-mart. Occasionally, I buy from their gluten free isle, but it is small and the selection is awful. I only eat organic non-gmo foods and they don't carry local organic free range meats and dairy at all. I am super picky where my meat and dairy comes.

There are a few things my husband likes from there so I end up going about once a week.

Most other products are just junk, I would rather spend more for items that last, which saves me money in the long run, than cheap crap that breaks or wears out after a few uses.

One question. Can you tell me why the heck I set off the theft detectors at the door half the time when I walk in? It happens about 50% of the time. Most of the time it is only on entering, not leaving. I have checked every thing in my purse (no cell phone gave, that up a few month back) Nothing I am wearing came from there. I can't figure it out for the life of me and this happens at multiple wal-marts.

reply to post by VoidHawk


Yes. If you walk in off the street and buy headphones and leave, and an employee, customer or LP suspects you of a crime, the LP manager can access your bank statement. If he feels good reason to believe you might have done something he will call stores you shop at and ask for their info about you or that they need to watch for you.

reply to post by Bellor


I'm pretty sure it is illeagal here as well.

Joki42
reply to post by boncho

 

This applies to everyone, employee and customer alike.

Makes me happy about two things. First I don't shop at Walmart and second I refuse to use credit cards.

reply to post by calstorm


This happens all the time. Usually one or two detectors will be set too sensative and any metal object will usually set it off.

The products are all china made trash. It is not unusual for stockers to place "American Made" stickers on china products.

Sometimes the return line is longer than check out. About 10% of items sold are returned. Most don't return anything because it was so cheap and too much of a hassle. As long as a sale is made the stores figures look good to the share holders. It does not matter how much comes back.

Joki42
reply to post by VoidHawk

 

Yes. If you walk in off the street and buy headphones and leave, and an employee, customer or LP suspects you of a crime, the LP manager can access your bank statement. If he feels good reason to believe you might have done something he will call stores you shop at and ask for their info about you or that they need to watch for you.

I appreciate your story and thx for it, sorry for your luck.

But this part...? Accessing a customers banking records?
I could see how they could check every purchase a customer
makes with a credit/debit card on their own database.
But the idea that WalMart has a system in place to freely access
anyone's banking records is crazy. That would take a warrant...
or at the very least (in this day and age of surveillance) a criminal
investigation.

Right to Financial Privacy Act

reply to post by Joki42


I have to admit to being a bit skeptical here. This really doesn't make any sense. So they put all of this manpower into following people and it is nearly impossible to stop them and nail them for shoplifting even if they have it on video and an employee observes the act? But they'll make the effort to track where you shop and access customer bank statements if they what...? Just don't like the look of you and suspect you are shopping somewhere else? Further they take all of that effort into figuring this out? What is the point? So what if they know I get my produce and meat somewhere else. How will that help them? If they are doing this what a pointless, inefficient and illegal business practice. If you're square on this then kudos to you for getting the hell out.

Joki42
reply to post by VoidHawk

 

Yes. If you walk in off the street and buy headphones and leave, and an employee, customer or LP suspects you of a crime, the LP manager can access your bank statement. If he feels good reason to believe you might have done something he will call stores you shop at and ask for their info about you or that they need to watch for you.

Access the transaction through your bank perhaps, but your entire bank statement I highly doubt. Although nothing in this world would surprise me anymore.

Well, this just sounds like a class action waiting to happen. I hope some attorney runs with it. I'm not a proponent of class actions. The attorneys just get richer and the plaintiffs/claimants walk away with a $10.00 coupon or something nominal. But actions like this by a corporation like Walmart need to be addressed, somehow. That's absolutely astonishing information. Thank you for the post.

"the LP manager is able to access your bank statements and monitor where you shop and how you use your money. I've watched this process many times."

I call BS on this part, unless they are the friggin NSA or you specifically give them your passwords for your online banking, they have no way of knowing.

For the rest, thanks for the info, although I never shop at WM

Joki42
the LP manager is able to access your bank statements

Are you sure it isn't just purchasing records from wal-mart/wal-mart subsidiaries and/or maybe other companies who sell information who are not banks or creditors?

I mean, you're sure it is bank statements?

reply to post by Joki42


Yes, this is absolutly ludicris. The access I saw was of full bank statements. As to how it is used, there are many highly complex scams used to steel from and defraud stores. The info of where you shop can show a pattern of say you purchasing an item at a store where it's cheeper then returning it to Walmart for a higher value if you have a friend who can slip it in w/o a reciept. Or if you find a reciept in the lot, swipe the item listed then return it. These are just the simple ways. Others I can't even wrap my head around how they work.

reply to post by Joki42


Well see the thing is in order for that to be the case Walmart would require access to the banks or credit card companies banking servers. This would be done remotely using a VPN from Walmart, any and all computers used on site would need to be installed and monitored presumably by the banks or a third party IT/security company. The security liability would be enormous.

Are you sure they just dont have access to other store card databases?, that is publicly traded data based on you volunteering the info for the card in the first place as the above conspiracy would be so vast and totaly impractical Im sure people would know about it because again, it would be insanely illegal.

I wonder if by "bank statements" what you were viewing were the statements for people who were using the Walmart prepaid debit cards? or something other type of Walmart monetary system? It seems unreal that they would have access to protected banking informatin.

reply to post by VoidHawk


Yeah even customers? That's kinda hard to do. I'm in business management and whenever I need to do some clients bookkeeping I need to know more than just the clients account number. It's not easy unless you are hacking chase or bofa or Amex mainframes to just view a clients bank account and balance etc...

Not saying it can't be done . Walmart is done evil sh%**. Had an ex fiancé who was a manager in one if the departments . I saw first hand all the illegal stuff Walmart does every day. Walmart is unethical at nearly every level. Blatantly break laws. Mistreat and abuse their employees. He'll they even try to brainwash employees. And what's up with that stupid mandatory happy dance they make all the employees do at the start of the shift like they are all in some cult. Starving is better than working at Walmart.