Do you want a receipt? Yes I need to check.

in Gone off!
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James_NJames_N Forumite
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It's understandable that supermarkets and us seek to minimise waste and environmental impact. Thermally printed receipts are not particularly environmentally friendly.

However, about one in five of my transactions are scanned incorrectly. Sainsbury's smaller stores are especially poor, as are most Coops, and need to be checked each time.

Today, in Sainsbury's, the checkout assistant put down two packets of biscuits, and then scanned them a second time. When announcing the bill it was of course wrong. So then I got a dirty look for:
1. Challenging it with a queue building
2. Being able to work it out in my head

On another occasion I had a half-heard "it's only a few pence" which would of course been denied had I made it an issue.

Is this trend towards trying to NOT give a receipt legal?
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Replies

  • coffeehoundcoffeehound Forumite
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    One reason why I prefer to use the self-check-outs. Some assistants appeared offended when I used to request a receipt. Plus I never want to be in the position of being challenged by security without evidence to prove innocence immediately to hand.
  • Don't know if it's legal but I suppose if you say you don't want it it is. In fact it probably is legal.

    I normally take a receipt unless it's a magazine at the shop I go to in the morning, my partner makes a point of taking the receipt as it annoys him them even asking.
  • PLRFDPLRFD Forumite
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    I’ve noticed Poundstretcher and Heron recently have started to always ask do you want a receipt ? I always do I don’t see the logic of not getting one.
  • StompaStompa Forumite
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    James_N wrote: »
    However, about one in five of my transactions are scanned incorrectly.

    I can't help thinking that you must have particularly poor stores where you are. I check all my receipts, and probably find an error about once or twice a year. So maybe one in five hundred.
    Stompa
  • jwiljwil Forumite
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    When you see how many receipts are littered outside the stores or even left at the tills, it definitely makes sense for them to check.

    I agree, there are rarely errors on mine, but if there are I just go to Customer Services and get it sorted.
    "If you can dream it, you can do it". Walt Disney
  • DigForVictoryDigForVictory Forumite
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    HMRC are specific about receipts
    If you are a seller registered for VAT you must give a buyer who is registered for VAT a VAT invoice for any standard-rated or reduced-rated items sold. If you are a retailer, you do not need to issue a VAT invoice or receipt unless asked to do so by the buyer. A VAT registered supplier may be fined if they do not issue a VAT invoice when asked to do so by a VAT registered buyer.
    The big supermarkets are all well and truly over the VAT threshold, the corner shop is also blinking likely. So, they have to offer. They also have to pay clean up staff to deal with dropped receipts & security staff to sort out if you've paid, so on the whole I think asking is a waste of time & they should just pony over.

    As someone who likes to check this weeks prices against last week & last month, (raising teenagers is not cheap), and also who can only reclaim certain expenses with a receipt I like the little bits of paper. If more store loyalty included emailing the days shop and prices to me I might see what our Accounts team reckoned (likely they'd think too easy to edit) but that wouldn't reassure security swiftly enough.
  • DCFC79DCFC79 Forumite
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    PLRFD wrote: »
    I’ve noticed Poundstretcher and Heron recently have started to always ask do you want a receipt ? I always do I don’t see the logic of not getting one.




    People dont take 1 because they don't see a point eg when buying the daily lunch or a some drink for the evening.
  • BacmanBacman Forumite
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    You need receipts in order to put the amounts on your speadsheet at home so can check it off against your credit card bill says the transactions are so you know all is fine.

    A lot of people have no care to check they aren't being robbed by false transactions, they won't get till receipts and also will not know if they use contactless payments if they authorised it in the first place, were charged wrongly, etc.

    The same attitude against not bothering about their finances is why many people could womble at Asda and Tesco before, so many receipts left in supermarkets and car parks it was always surprising to see. Each one represented someone who didn't care.

    Also if you buy something (meat sometimes, whatever) that has something that beeps when you go out of the store you need to prove you bought it and are not stealing it. I have had occasions where at the manned counter they swiped to remove the security protection but it didn't work and it beeped when I was going out of the store. You need a receipt.

    Self-scanning is good as you can see everything is charged correctly as you go along, at your pace.
  • CornucopiaCornucopia Forumite
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    Also Morrison's and Poundland on their self-service tills.

    I always take a receipt, but only because I think it would be hassle to have the store check the till records and CCTV in the event of a problem.

    I would be okay with it if the receipt details were somehow accessible online instead, as long as it was instantaneous.
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  • VfM4meplseVfM4meplse PPR
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    Cornucopia wrote: »
    Also Morrison's and Poundland on their self-service tills.

    I always take a receipt, but only because I think it would be hassle to have the store check the till records and CCTV in the event of a problem.

    I would be okay with it if the receipt details were somehow accessible online instead, as long as it was instantaneous.
    That might actually be a use of loyalty cards that serves the customer!
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