I’ve been accused of stealing from Walmart checkouts — but I used a simple savings technique

A BUYER at Walmart claims she was prevented from entering the store by employees and accused of theft after using coupons on a recent visit.

The incident, caught on video by TikTok user Shim Valles (@shimbreez29), has garnered a lot of attention online.

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In the clip, which has nearly 5,000 comments, Shim can be seen confronting a Walmart employee at the store’s entrance.

Shim asks the clerk if she is accused of theft, to which the clerk replies that she saw Shim try to hide items while shopping at the store earlier.

Shim then asks to see the video evidence and tells the employee that she is falsely accused.

The clerk informs Shim that the police are on their way, but Shim refuses to leave the premises, instead stating that she did nothing wrong.

The Walmart employee then tells Shim that she is listed in the store’s system as a trespasser elsewhere, which Shim denies.

After repeated questions from Shim, the employee refuses to get involved further, telling Shim that the police will be arriving soon.

Shim captioned the video: “This wasn’t the first time they tried to tell me I was trespassing. They told me I was trespassing because I was doing couponing.

“Now you’re accusing me of stealing a SODA. I don’t drink SODA!”

In a follow-up video, Shim explains that she is a “couponer” and has been shopping at Walmart for several months while using coupons to get discounts on items.

Shim claims that staff were becoming stricter with their coupon policies and that two days before the recorded incident, she noticed a staff member giving her a “look.”

When she returned to the store, she was reportedly told that she was trespassing and was not allowed to shop there.

The US Sun has reached out to both Walmart and Shim for comment on the altercation.

Stores like Walmart and other private retailers have the right to refuse service to a customer unless it’s based on the shopper’s race, religion, gender or country of origin, reports DailyDot.

Regarding coupons, Walmart’s website states: “In all situations, including where customer behavior becomes disruptive (recurring) or the items are not intended to be used or given away.”

However, some states enforce additional consumer protections.

Shim’s video was supported by fellow TikTokers who said they have experienced incidents when buying items legally from Walmart.

Some cited a 2021 lawsuit in which a customer falsely accused of theft was awarded $2.1 million by the retailer. The incident happened in 2016, the NY Times reports.

One commenter wrote, “If Walmart is that concerned, maybe they should open normal lanes.”

Another person said, “They play the role of loss prevention without proper training.”

Shim’s video of the alleged incident has been viewed more than 1.4 million times.

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