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Original poster

Do you want a receipt

531 replies

Bunnybenty · 30/07/2025 13:45

I moved to England not that long ago.

In other countries that I lived in, they just gave me a receipt in the shops, everytime that I bought something. The receipt was always handed to me with the purchase.

Why in the UK do they not just give the receipt to you,

instead they always ASK you if you want a receipt.

What annoys me about it, is that it slows the shopping experience down so much.

Many times I have been called back to the till, to be asked if i want a receipt.

Example: I was in a small shop this morning. I only had a certain amount of time, as i was on the way to work. I was walking out of the door, when the woman at the till shouted at me "Wait. Come back! come back!".

I thought maybe my payment hadn't gone through, so I walked all the way back to her.

She said "Do you want a receipt?".

It drives me mad!

OP posts:
neekeem · 31/07/2025 18:03

I feel like this thread needs a diagram. Everyone calms down at a CF parking drawing.

Alliod40 · 31/07/2025 17:58

Omg are you for real,it is to save paper wastage,just say you dont want a receipt before it even comes to the end as most of us with sense do because we know they will ask,I live in Ireland and everywhere asks so you're wrong about ireland..

GiveDogBone · 31/07/2025 17:55

Bunnybenty · 30/07/2025 13:56

It can't be that much paper waste. If loads of other countries give a receipt every time.

It is only the UK that I have experienced this in.

Show quote history

Of course it can be that much paper waste. Think how many individual shopping transactions there are in the country each day.

And quite why what other countries do or do not do impacts the amount of waste in the UK is beyond me, I mean we charge for plastic bags and as a consequence use many fewer than we used to; in the US they don’t and use (literally) hundreds of billions.

LemonCheesecake2025 · 31/07/2025 17:35

Tesco Express always asks here. I usually say no unless it's for work out of petty cash.

Wexone · 31/07/2025 17:28

Bunnybenty · 30/07/2025 14:53

They didnt ask me did i want a receipt when i was in ireland.

So we have had different experiences.

I actually have a friend who works in tesco in ireland.

I just asked her there, do they give the receipt or do they ask. as i get asked in england.

She said that they just give the receipt without asking.

Show quote history

it's creeping in Ireland. it's already in aldi and lidl and a good few clothes stores now. Mr price too. won't be long tull dunnes and tescos start it. as people said it's to save money. all those paper rolls add up. if you want it say yes if you don't then say no simples

LemonCheesecake2025 · 31/07/2025 17:25

This and the height thread are bizarre but funny.

GentleJadeOP · 31/07/2025 17:23

grumpygrape · 31/07/2025 17:05

I think the receipts issue has taken second place now and people are more fascinated with the personal point scoring. 🙄

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Yes I agree

Biscuit12 · 31/07/2025 17:20

Bunnybenty · 31/07/2025 16:55

You forgot to write

"In my opinion." At the end of your last sentence.

That sentence should say
"You are not coming across well, in my opinion".

In MY opinion, YOU are not coming across well, and neither is @MrsBennetsPoorNerves

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@Bunnybenty you’re on the wind up now surely 🤣

Darla62 · 31/07/2025 17:12

Bunnybenty · 30/07/2025 13:56

It can't be that much paper waste. If loads of other countries give a receipt every time.

It is only the UK that I have experienced this in.

Show quote history

It's part of the Global Warming Agenda.

People are made to feel that they are "helping to stop global warming" by declining to take that small scrap of paper, or heaven forbid, buy a supermarket plastic bag.

grumpygrape · 31/07/2025 17:05

GentleJadeOP · 31/07/2025 16:55

Oh my god I can’t believe people are still arguing over receipts hours later ! That has to be the wildest topic of argument ever!🤣

I think the receipts issue has taken second place now and people are more fascinated with the personal point scoring. 🙄

GentleJadeOP · 31/07/2025 16:55

Oh my god I can’t believe people are still arguing over receipts hours later ! That has to be the wildest topic of argument ever!🤣

Original poster
Bunnybenty · 31/07/2025 16:55

nomas · 31/07/2025 14:57

Can you please leave @MrsBennetsPoorNerves alone? I've been on MN for years and she is a thoroughly decent person. You are not coming across well here.

Show quote history

You forgot to write

"In my opinion." At the end of your last sentence.

That sentence should say
"You are not coming across well, in my opinion".

In MY opinion, YOU are not coming across well, and neither is @MrsBennetsPoorNerves

OP posts:
Original poster
Bunnybenty · 31/07/2025 16:53

QuantumLevelActions · 31/07/2025 15:19

Give it a rest. You are coming across like a bully.

Show quote history

When she wrote the EXACT same words to me

"It's not a great reflection of your character"

You said nothing to her.

Yet when I wrote back to her in reply

"Its not a great reflection on your character either"

You called me a bully .

how does that make sense. It doesnt.

It was in fact why i used her own words in my reply to her, as i know someone would jump on me for the reply.

I wanted to point out the hypocrisy.

OP posts:
Original poster
Bunnybenty · 31/07/2025 16:48

nomas · 31/07/2025 14:57

Can you please leave @MrsBennetsPoorNerves alone? I've been on MN for years and she is a thoroughly decent person. You are not coming across well here.

Show quote history

No, because I absolutely no idea who you are.

So why would I do what a total stranger asks me to do?

And I also disagree with you that she is a decent person. Every post that she has written to me on this thread has been nasty

Can you find one single kind word that she said to me on this thread?

Go back and look. Every single post of hers was nasty

OP posts:
TaborlinTheGreat · 31/07/2025 15:21

Bunnybenty · 30/07/2025 14:40

Its paper waste, but its not more paper waste than all the schoolbook, school copies and photocopied handouts that are used in schools.

I work in a school

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I work in a school too. Of course UNWANTED receipts are more waste. School books are used. Handouts are printed to be used (even if some of them end up going to waste). Printing a receipt that a customer does not want is 100% wasteful. So why not ask before printing? Think of how many receipts used to be printed across the country! I have never been called back to a checkout for this. Not once.

QuantumLevelActions · 31/07/2025 15:19

Bunnybenty · 31/07/2025 14:34

And you lied.

And then said you didnt lie when it was pointed out to you.

Not a great reflection of your character either.

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Give it a rest. You are coming across like a bully.

elliegirl · 31/07/2025 15:15

EmeraldShamrock000 · 31/07/2025 11:51

This thread has been informative for some pp's who didn't realise taking unnecessary receipts was wasting paper.
No idea how this wasn't obvious, everyday is a school day.

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It's absolutely obvious that receipts are given on request to avoid paper wasting. Anyone who needs to be schooled on this must be living under a rock. Meanwhile, it's been weeks and I'm yet to see a post that presents an issue worthy of debate.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 31/07/2025 15:01

nomas · 31/07/2025 14:57

Can you please leave @MrsBennetsPoorNerves alone? I've been on MN for years and she is a thoroughly decent person. You are not coming across well here.

Show quote history

Thank you @nomas, that's very kind.

nomas · 31/07/2025 14:57

Bunnybenty · 31/07/2025 14:34

And you lied.

And then said you didnt lie when it was pointed out to you.

Not a great reflection of your character either.

Show quote history

Can you please leave @MrsBennetsPoorNerves alone? I've been on MN for years and she is a thoroughly decent person. You are not coming across well here.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 31/07/2025 14:44

Bunnybenty · 31/07/2025 14:34

And you lied.

And then said you didnt lie when it was pointed out to you.

Not a great reflection of your character either.

Show quote history

It wasn't a lie but I see no point in going round endless circles on that point. I have already responded to the allegation once, and I'm happy to let others draw their own conclusions.

Just as they will draw their own conclusions on the basis of your behaviour on the rest of this thread.

You are not exactly covering yourself in glory here.

Original poster
Bunnybenty · 31/07/2025 14:34

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 31/07/2025 14:09

You swore and it was very clearly directed at me as a means of expressing your annoyance. That is swearing at me, whether or not you want to acknowledge it. Objectively speaking, your post was rude and unnecessarily aggressive.

As I've already said, it didn't bother me. I'm just pointing out your double standards. You have objected to some really very mild "insults" from others, while being quite rude yourself. It's not a great reflection on your character.

Edited
Show quote history

And you lied.

And then said you didnt lie when it was pointed out to you.

Not a great reflection of your character either.

OP posts:
Tryingtokeepgoing · 31/07/2025 14:26

AngelinaFibres · 31/07/2025 10:20

I'm in the UK. I'm 60. I always take a receipt . I'm married to an accountant and we have budgets for every part of our lives, including very generous personal spending budgets. We have spreadsheets and record spends at the end of every month so we know exactly where we are financially. All our accounts / investments etc are joint. It enabled us to retire at 54. If you don't want a receipt don't take one. Two of my best friends ( same age) are also married to accountants and are also very well off. They ask for receipts and track their spending . Im a huge fan of receipts.

I qualified as an accountant back at the turn of the century (!!) , though spent much of my career in Board positions. I never ask for a receipt, never track my expenditure and never do a personal budget. I knew roughly what I earned, and roughly what I was spending, much of it on things and in ways that would horrify a sensible accountant. 😂 I still retired at 49, and then again at 53 after I found my non exec work too much of a commitment 😂 So never has the phrase 'correlation is not causation' mantra been more apt in my opinion :)

GentleJadeOP · 31/07/2025 14:17

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This is actually hilarious! This has been on a few hours and people still arguing over a paper receipt! Get a life 🤣

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 31/07/2025 14:09

This reply has been deleted

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You swore and it was very clearly directed at me as a means of expressing your annoyance. That is swearing at me, whether or not you want to acknowledge it. Objectively speaking, your post was rude and unnecessarily aggressive.

As I've already said, it didn't bother me. I'm just pointing out your double standards. You have objected to some really very mild "insults" from others, while being quite rude yourself. It's not a great reflection on your character.

Bunnybenty · 31/07/2025 14:02

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.