Moan: Too many receipts.

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Andy in Sig

Vice President in Exile
Is it my imagination or has there been an increasing trend for some time now for any kind of business to give you a receipt for the tiniest thing? Even in pubs!!!
I realised it when I bought something from a branch of Dixon's in the UK. I politely declined the receipt and the girl on the till said that I had to take it. "No I don't", I replied. "But it's policy that every customer has to have one." she said and was beginning to look stressed. I felt a bit sorry for her and said, "Well if the manager whinges, just tell him it's not my policy to take them." And so I got out of the shop receiptless.

What is behind this receipt mania?
 

ChrisKH

Guru
Location
Essex
I'm very glad they do. I spend my life telling degree educated adults they can't make a claim for expenses without a receipt. With very few exceptions. But do they remember? Do they f
 

Maz

Guru
You should've taken the receipt. Sod's Law says that the item will be faulty and you'll need to return it.
 

dodgy

Guest
I've returned plenty of pints in pubs (I have high standards ;) ) and I've yet to be asked for a receipt yet! ;)

Dave.
 

Canrider

Guru
The coffee shops in rail stations are giving them out now, to the extent that if you don't get offered a receipt 'your order is free'. I have no idea what possible consumer protection benefit all this handing out of scraps of paper could have. Patrick?
 

yello

Guest
I know what you mean Andy. I periodically have to empty out all the receipts that have accumulated in my wallet... for coffee, magazines, sandwiches, etc etc etc.

I do hang on to receipts for pricey stuff though, in case it needs to be returned.
 

ChrisKH

Guru
Location
Essex
Canrider said:
The coffee shops in rail stations are giving them out now, to the extent that if you don't get offered a receipt 'your order is free'. I have no idea what possible consumer protection benefit all this handing out of scraps of paper could have. Patrick?

This could be an inverse way to prevent fraud. Consider an operative who takes your cash and then pockets it without ringing up the till. If you're asking or checking for a receipt it has to be accounted for by the cashier at the end of the day. It's also a surefire defence for owners who are accused of skimming cash off the top. With this policy in place the owners can say that it isn't possible as a receipt is generated every time and a record made either electronically or on the other till roll (very old system, but you see what I mean) which means there is a full declaration of sales for tax and VAT purposes.
 

domtyler

Über Member
If you need to claim for what you are buying then a receipt is mandatory. It should not be mandatory to have to take it though, although if you really didn't want it then why not just take it from the girl and then bin it, everyone happy?
 
OP
OP
Andy in Sig

Andy in Sig

Vice President in Exile
domtyler said:
If you need to claim for what you are buying then a receipt is mandatory. It should not be mandatory to have to take it though, although if you really didn't want it then why not just take it from the girl and then bin it, everyone happy?

I think my instinct in most things is to take that kind of easy going line but in this case, if I think more deeply about it as opposed to just getting mildly annoyed, it seems to be a small symptom of a bigger condition, which is that the customer has to perform according to what the shop wants.

I can see the sense in making till staff generate receipts for accounting purposes as someone has mentioned above, but I think it would be better if they were just offered and if the customer doesn't want them then spiked or binned by the staff. It's the idea that a company can have a policy that I must take a receipt which gets the old hackles up.
 

domtyler

Über Member
Andy in Sig said:
I think my instinct in most things is to take that kind of easy going line but in this case, if I think more deeply about it as opposed to just getting mildly annoyed, it seems to be a small symptom of a bigger condition, which is that the customer has to perform according to what the shop wants.

I can see the sense in making till staff generate receipts for accounting purposes as someone has mentioned above, but I think it would be better if they were just offered and if the customer doesn't want them then spiked or binned by the staff. It's the idea that a company can have a policy that I must take a receipt which gets the old hackles up.

I see what you are saying but the fact is that that policy is probably there to prevent customers going back and trying to get fraudulent refunds for stuff that they have nicked or fenced. If it was my shop I would have the exact same policy.
 
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