Florida Woman Goes To Walmart Self-Checkout. Then A Worker Tries To Detain Her For A Steak She Paid For: ‘We Can Offer You A Gift Card’

A Florida woman says she faced an embarrassing ordeal at Walmart after employees accused her of failing to pay for a steak. She claims employees detained her even though she had scanned and paid for the item.

On Aug. 14, the woman, TikToker @thatssokeezy, described the incident in a viral video that has amassed over 477,000 views. “I’m literally appalled, because I just got detained in Walmart over a freaking steak,” she says.

Why Was The Woman Detained At Walmart?

“I just did my grocery shopping, like I normally do at Walmart, and I go straight to the self-checkout,” she says.

An employee approached her and claimed she had not scanned one of her items. The woman insisted that she had scanned everything. “A video popped up on the screen, and it showed me literally scanning it,” she says.

She says the employee then checked the woman’s bags before realizing she had scanned the items. The woman says she felt frustrated after the interaction. She says she paid for her groceries and received her receipt. However, employees, according to her, stopped her near the exit and asked to inspect her receipt.

One employee, she says, claimed she had not paid for a steak. The woman says she again insisted that she had paid for it. “I did pay for the steak. I saw it scan, the lady saw it scan, and then I paid for it,” she says.

Loss prevention employees then asked her to enter a room, according to the TikToker. She says she refused because she believed she had done nothing wrong. The situation escalated when employees said they would call the sheriff’s office, she continues. Police, per her retelling, arrived within minutes and eventually accompanied her into the room.

Employees, she says, scanned her receipt and each item to determine which purchases appeared on the transaction. When they scanned the steak, she says the system showed that she had paid for it.

The employees then reviewed surveillance footage, according to the TikToker. And she says the footage showed her scanning the steak before completing her purchase. “They were like, ‘Oh, she did pay for it. It just must be a glitch with the machine,’” she recalls.

The woman says an officer apologized after employees confirmed her payment. She says she then questioned what Walmart would do after the ordeal. The store manager offered her a $1,000 gift card if she agreed not to pursue legal action, she continues. The woman says she accepted the gift card but still plans to press charges.

Can Walmart Detain You?

Walmart’s actions may raise legal questions, but the answer depends on the circumstances and state law. In Florida, merchants can detain suspected shoplifters under certain conditions. The law requires probable cause and a reasonable detention.

That means Walmart could have legal protection if employees reasonably believed the woman had stolen the steak. The protection does not automatically apply to every customer stopped at the exit. Employees must have a legitimate basis for suspecting theft. They also must handle the detention reasonably.

The store likely stopped the woman because its system showed a discrepancy. Self-checkout creates additional opportunities for scanning errors and suspected theft. Additionally, Walmart uses receipt checks as part of its loss-prevention efforts.

The reported $1,000 gift card could also complicate matters. The woman says Walmart offered it on the condition that she agree not to pursue charges. The exact terms of that agreement would matter greatly.

Anyone considering a lawsuit should preserve the receipt, surveillance evidence, police information, and gift card agreement. An attorney could then assess whether Walmart exceeded its legal authority.

Brobible reached out for comment to @thatssokeezy via TikTok direct message and the TikTok comment section, and Walmart via email.