"Would you like your receipt?"

[AlanRickmanslovely]

I'm asked over and over again in stores if I would like a receipt. I understand the thinking as far as not using resources unnecessarily, saving the planet by saving paper etc and try hard to do what I can to reduce my carbon footprint and save resources wherever possible.

BUT, the following questions spring to mind:-

1. If stopped when leaving the store and accused of shoplifting how do you prove your innocence?

2. If the item needs to be returned because it is faulty when you get it home, breaks in an unreasonably short time, or doesn't fit (and the shop has a returns policy to cover this), how do you prove when and where you purchased it?

3. If you pay by credit card and a dispute arises, how do you prove to your card company what, how and where you paid?

Fluffycloud, I'm guessing that will become the next thing - it'll just be a virtual receipt you automatically keep on an app and you'll be able to sort refunds and exchanges through the virtual receipt.

• goes off to find a telephone number for Dragons' Den before Fluffy patents it.

I rarely take receipts, I don't have a purse so they just end up crumpled up in the car or in my jeans and accidentally washed.

JenniferM - "They ask because not everyone wants/needs one and the obvious thing that a lot of people saying no instead of just handing them out saves quite a lot of tree's"

As has been repeatedly said, this is not the case. Most of the time, the receipt is printed regardless! If you say no, it just goes in the bin by the cashier's feet. How is that saving anything?

How do you manage without a purse? Mine has my debit card, loyalty cards and money in it, all of which I need. I can only use contactless up to £30 so I need my debit card for chip and pin. And not everywhere I shop/park accepts cashless payments.

I rarely use cash now, but if I do I withdraw it using my debit card - which more or less permanently lives in my phone case which I am carrying anyway, so...

I don't remember the last place I went which was both cash only and didn't have a facility to withdraw nearby.

Loyalty cards I have some of the smaller key fob versions in my car (along with spare trolley token!), but I also have the Stocard app on my phone which has them all electronically.

How do you manage without a purse?
Debit and credit card in my pocket and loyalty cards on my phone! Never pay in cash and all free parking where I live so don't need coins for that.

Buzz, never really been the case with me. They ask if I want a receipt that hasn't been printed yet. The couple of times I've said yes (for clothes) they've then printed it.

I used to work in retail and the receipts were turned off and we only printed them when the customer said yes to a receipt.

The only place I go that prints it off then asks is CO-OP but at least if you say no and they keep it, it's going in a waste paper bin and not peoples washing machines/general waste so they know it will be recycled

Jennifer "Buzz, never really been the case with me. They ask if I want a receipt that hasn't been printed yet...The only place I go that prints it off then asks is CO-OP "

Ah, Co-op is one of the places I go a lot and get annoyed when exactly that happens!

I was in next yesterday and was told they are no longer accepting returns without receipts. She then scanned my item and said she could tell me the date and time I bought the item, what else I bought and how I paid, amongst other stuff, it was like big brother

How on earth does that work, then? They must have a different barcode for every single individual item rather than just the same barcode for all stocks of identical items. I'm amazed we haven't run out of barcodes already, considering that the first 2 numbers are the country code anyway - even more so if 1,000 different numbers are used for 1,000 identical items in one single line.

Just remembered that I always take the receipt after meals out, not for my big fuck off expense account, but so I can do TripAdvisor. Otherwise I can't remember what I ate!

There was a particularly bad manager at Lancaster Argos a while ago

I also had fun trying to return an item to Lancaster Argos last year! The other staff there were all perfectly polite but the manager was rude as hell, spoke to me as if I was a stupid, naughty child and huffed and puffed when I wouldn't accept what she said and demanded a refund anyway. I've not shopped there since on principle.

I know in theory you can do lots of things in the modern world digitally without a piece of paper (receipt / bill/ letter etc) and 9 times out of 10 it works just fine BUT when things go wrong it's much easier with an actual piece of paper to prove what you are saying
The problem is that people are fallible - they either don't know, understand or care but it's harder for them to just say no when presented with physical evidence

I’m not sure I’ve taken a receipt in years.

For higher priced goods I usually order online or I am ok to give my email and have an online receipt. I would never dream of taking a receipt for a £20 top up food shop.

Do people really take food back because it went off a day or two before the best before date? I’ve never returned food. I guess I assumed that sometimes food goes off before the date and sometimes it goes off after, it’s just a rough guess.

The last thing I can recall returning was a top that had a hole in it about 3 years a go. Hardly a routine problem.

I am happy to read I am not the only one who takes receipts. I even take it for buying a sandwich because often I have been given the wrong item. Staff are too busy and sometimes mix up orders. They brought me a chicken sandwich (I am a vegetarian), despite explaining it many times they asked me if I have forgotten etc etc and if I was always a vegetarian .

Anyone who doesn't use cash much, if at all, can't have been to a nail bar recently!

I don't go to dodgy nail bars. On the rare occasion I have a pedicure I go to a local salon that I know doesn't traffic people - and they accept card payments.

The last thing I can recall returning was a top that had a hole in it about 3 years a go. Hardly a routine problem.

You mustn’t be a big shopper. I buy far too many clothes and return at least half of them 🤪 I mostly buy online and return to the store and need the receipts to prove I did return them!

You mustn’t be a big shopper

I'm definitely not. Although I do take receipts for clothes I can't remember the last time I actually returned anything. I took a top back that was a really weird fit in 1998. I really think that was the last time.

I have exchanged a few things for DC when there's been a gift receipt included.

I work on checkout we give customers receipt unless the expressly refuse it, our returns policy clearly states you need your receipt.