Pro-consumer law makes bag and cart security checks illegal
According to Mexican law, store security has no right to inspect your bags or cart as you exit the store.
Article 10 of Mexico’s consumer protection law states that no provider of services or products may violate the integrity of any person under the guise of inspection.
In the case of flagrant acts of theft, store employees are only allowed to delay, not detain, alleged perpetrators until authorities arrive.
Under article 10, the bag and cart checks common at many grocery and department stores in Yucatán are illegal.
“@HomeDepot today, against article 10 of the consumer protection act, a security guard broke my back to inspect it, after I had paid,” said twitter user @Jbarquera.
The practice of conducting merchandise checks at the exits of stores is common in all of Mexico, as well as the USA and Canada.
Tell us what you think. Do store inspections go too far? Or are they a necessary evil?
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer, adventure leader, and PhD candidate. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds multimedia, philosophy, and translation degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
