Receipt Copy

superscaper

I'm currently decluttering and wondered if anyone had had any problems using copied/scanned receipts instead of originals? My plan is to scan every receipt I have and shred them.

4743hudsonj

superscaper wrote: »

I'm currently decluttering and wondered if anyone had had any problems using copied/scanned receipts instead of originals? My plan is to scan every receipt I have and shred them.

As long as the Date, Item, Price, Payment method and receipt number are shown clearly then you will not have a problem as this is proof of your purchase. The rest is just paper and wasted ink.

Ive personally never had issues.

Anihilator

4743hudsonj wrote: »

As long as the Date, Item, Price, Payment method and receipt number are shown clearly then you will not have a problem as this is proof of your purchase. The rest is just paper and wasted ink.

Ive personally never had issues.

Don't necessary agree.

Scanned copies are open to electronic manipulation hence I would personally suggest the OP find a better way of keeping the originals.

A picky shop would argue a copy isnt reliable hence not proof of purchase.

superscaper

Anihilator wrote: »

Don't necessary agree.

Scanned copies are open to electronic manipulation hence I would personally suggest the OP find a better way of keeping the originals.

A picky shop would argue a copy isnt reliable hence not proof of purchase.

Well receipts themselves are merely low res printouts and so surely open to forging anyway by the same logic? I mean I've already shredded all my bank and credit card statements and there's nothing wrong with that so I'm not sure how the "open to electronic manipulation" is any different in that case. Besides isn't a receipt an "aid" since even a bank statement is considered suitable proof of purchase (at least according to berr.gov.uk)

superscaper

Actually the more I read the more I think the most sensible thing is to:

1. keep receipts for anything that comes under a shops own return period

2. and then simply scan and shred receipts after that's expired (probably 21 days to a month in most cases), when I'm relying solely on statutory consumer rights.

sweetstudent

Not all shops treat a bank statement as a proof of purchase as you could have £xx for shop XYZ and how can you prove that you purchased item ABC?

I found out this when i tried to exchange some iPhone earbuds and because i could not find my receipt at the time, i enquired as they would accept my credit card statement, which they told me that they dont as a bank statement can not prove what you purchased.

(i did find the receipt though and exchanged no fuss!)

4743hudsonj

So could you gues a receipt number, what item(s) where bought, when, where, how and for how much?:rolleyes:

all these details are proof enough providing the company has an electronic system. Visual copies will also prove the receipt existed.

I think your reading a bit too far into it.

superscaper

sweetstudent wrote: »

Not all shops treat a bank statement as a proof of purchase as you could have £xx for shop XYZ and how can you prove that you purchased item ABC?

I found out this when i tried to exchange some iPhone earbuds and because i could not find my receipt at the time, i enquired as they would accept my credit card statement, which they told me that they dont as a bank statement can not prove what you purchased.

(i did find the receipt though and exchanged no fuss!)

I think there's a difference here between suitable "Proof of purchase" as the courts would accept and what an individual shop accepts. A shop may not even accept a receipt as proof of purchase, and contrarily they're not under an obligation to issue one. My point was that a receipt in itself is neither the only or even has to be the proof of purchase, not whether an inidividual shop may or may not do (which lets face it isn'y exactly always in line with their legal obligations anyway).

superscaper

4743hudsonj wrote: »

So could you gues a receipt number, what item(s) where bought, when, where, how and for how much?:rolleyes:

all these details are proof enough providing the company has an electronic system. Visual copies will also prove the receipt existed.

I think your reading a bit too far into it.

Having a route around t'interweb has brought up a practical reason as well, I have quite a few receipts where the ink has almost completely faded, it would seem that a digital copy would in many cases be better for indelibility.

Valli

FWIW I 'file' key receipts in an envelope (one that comes with junk mail) with the year on. At the end of the year I put the envelope 'out of the way' and start a new one. After a couple of years they go to be shredded.
I do, however, have a box file for instruction leaflets and I jot the date (year) of the purchase on the leaflets.
IF however, the items were VERY high value (ie such that an insurance company would need to be informed) I would file the receipts etc. with insurance documents (I have a cute little filing cabinet I rescued from a skip!)
Fortunately (or unfortunately :rotfl:) I do not find that I can afford high value purchases;)

One VERY organised thing I do is photocopy, front and back, all bank cards, loyalty cards, credit cards etc, then I have the details I need in case of emergency! That is filed away very safely!

superscaper

Valli wrote: »

FWIW I 'file' key receipts in an envelope (one that comes with junk mail) with the year on. At the end of the year I put the envelope 'out of the way' and start a new one. After a couple of years they go to be shredded.
I do, however, have a box file for instruction leaflets and I jot the date (year) of the purchase on the leaflets.
IF however, the items were VERY high value (ie such that an insurance company would need to be informed) I would file the receipts etc. with insurance documents (I have a cute little filing cabinet I rescued from a skip!)
Fortunately (or unfortunately :rotfl:) I do not find that I can afford high value purchases;)

One VERY organised thing I do is photocopy, front and back, all bank cards, loyalty cards, credit cards etc, then I have the details I need in case of emergency! That is filed away very safely!

My entire purpose with my decluttering today (and looking like tomorrow as well) is to get to an as paperless stage as possible. I already get all financial stuff (statements etc) digitally now anyway. All my instructions etc are filed in separate labelled folders already although at least nowadays more and more are in a digital or online format anyway. All warranty registrations etc I do online where possible.

I mean I'm not talking about really really important stuff to have in original form (certificates etc). I'm aiming toward zero but I'm a realist and don't expect to have no paperwork at all. But my filing drawer is already full and I've got piles of paper besides.