Faulty gift, no receipt only offered reduced sale price

Nicand2

I received some Champneys massaging boots for Christmas and unfortunately only one of the boots is working. I took them into Boots on Boxing Day but was told I could only have a refund for £10 instead of the £20 paid as they were now on sale and I didn't have a receipt. The store confirmed that they had been out of stock since 17/12 so I couldn't exchange. They also said they wouldn't accept a bank statement as they had been bought along with other items so could not be used as proof that £20 had been paid. I tried to reason that if they had been out of stock since 17/12 and only reduced in the sale that started that morning then they could assume that full price had been paid. Have I got any rights to ask for the full refund? Any advice greatly appreciated.

arcon5

Proof of purchase is perfectly valid when returning faulty goods. I would suggest you escalate your complaint to management.

ILW

arcon5 wrote: »

Proof of purchase is perfectly valid when returning faulty goods. I would suggest you escalate your complaint to management.

How is a bank statement proof of purchase?

neilmcl

arcon5 wrote: »

Proof of purchase is perfectly valid when returning faulty goods. I would suggest you escalate your complaint to management.

But they don't have proof of purchase, they only have a bank statement showing X amount was spent on that day at a Boots store which doesn't match the amount paid for that specific item.

OlliesDad

ILW wrote: »

How is a bank statement proof of purchase?

As it can be cross referenced with Boots' records.

If this ultimately went to court (i doubt it would) then based on the balance of probabilities a judge would accept it as proof unless Boots could disprove it with additional evidence.

wealdroam

But the OP purchased nothing.

The OP received the boots as a gift.

Therefore the OP has no rights to any remedy.

neilmcl

wealdroam wrote: »

But the OP purchased nothing.

The OP received the boots as a gift.

Therefore the OP has no rights to any remedy.

This is also true, well spotted.

pinkshoes

Why don't you ask for a repair, or to wait until the item is back in stock to exchange.

I had exactly the same today with a 3 piece outfit for my son. The trousers have a faulty popper, but none left in stock to exchange, so the only other option was a refund of the last sale price. My son loves them, so am going to try and get them repaired!

arcon5

ILW wrote: »

How is a bank statement proof of purchase?

neilmcl wrote: »

But they don't have proof of purchase, they only have a bank statement showing X amount was spent on that day at a Boots store which doesn't match the amount paid for that specific item.

Aside the fact it wasn't actually op who made to purchase and technically has no rights... A bank statement is absolutely valid proof of purchase. It proofs they made a purchase which can easily be verified on the stores system. If a consumer doesn't have the receipt, their rights under Soga are not diminished.

This is well documented fact... And is even stated on this very website

With faulty goods, you simply need to prove purchase. This could be the receipt, but any other legitimate record - such as a bank statement - should be fine.

Also supported by Trading Standards

DO I HAVE TO KEEP MY RECEIPT?
No, although some proof of purchase is essential. Many traders will insist on this before they will consider a claim. This does not have to be a receipt. A cheque stub, credit card receipt or bank statement may be enough. It is a good idea to keep the receipt for the lifetime of the goods in case a problem occurs.

unholyangel

Just to add....technically "proof" of purchase could be as little as an eyewitness. Of course its all about the balance of probabilities. If the eyewitness said you bought it on x date at x time along with xyz.......it would be possible for the retailer to reinforce that the purchase was made or make a statement that there was no such transaction on x date at x time for the items stated.

Having a receipt isnt proof you purchased a specific item. Its proof someone purchased one of those items (unless it has a serial number on the receipt and item in which case it would be "proof" that someone purchased that item specifically).

No proof of purchase is conclusive. Just some hold more weight than others.

neilmcl

arcon5 wrote: »

aside the fact it wasn't actually op who made to purchase and technically has no rights... - a fact i've already acknowledged, thankyou.

a bank statement is absolutely valid proof of purchase. - i never said it isn't, i was arguing the point that this particular bank statement may in itself not be proof enough if the amounts don't match, of course if it leads to some further verification then fair enough. it proofs they made a purchase which can easily be verified on the stores system. If a consumer doesn't have the receipt, their rights under soga are not diminished.

This is well documented fact...again, i've not said otherwise