Paper Receipts

Lulu4

I shopped at a well known clothes shop at the weekend, they asked for an email address to send a receipt but I said I would prefer a paper one as I do not like handing out my email address.  She became a little irate and said I would have to give it next time.  Can I insist on a paper receipt - what is their obligation please.  I cannot print receipts as I don't have a printer, what if I needed to return something to the shop?

user1977

There's no general obligation for a retailer to provide any sort of receipt - and also no requirement for you to produce a printed (or any) receipt in order to exercise your consumer rights to return an item.

pramsay13

No, there is no obligation. In my small shop I don't have a receipt printer so I can offer a receipt by text or email if required.
If you need to return something it doesn't necessarily need a receipt but you could show the emailed receipt from your phone if it would make things easier, or show the transaction on your card statement. 

MarvinDay

Lulu4 said:

I shopped at a well known clothes shop at the weekend, they asked for an email address to send a receipt but I said I would prefer a paper one as I do not like handing out my email address.

Why not set up another e-mail account on one of the many freebie sites such as Yahoo, gmail etc and use this one solely for receiving and storing emailed receipts?

Sandtree

The only time a receipt can be demanded is when a VAT registered business is buying from another VAT registered business. Any other time a receipt is purely optional and at the discretion of the seller.

With half of receipts now being printed on thermal paper they are a very poor record of purchase as after 6-12 months they'll have become illegible. Electronic receipts are therefore highly preferable though I do maintain a special email address for such purposes and dont bother checking it for anything other than receipt of the invoice.

emmajones1976

Lulu4 said:

I shopped at a well known clothes shop at the weekend, they asked for an email address to send a receipt but I said I would prefer a paper one as I do not like handing out my email address.  She became a little irate and said I would have to give it next time.  Can I insist on a paper receipt - what is their obligation please.  I cannot print receipts as I don't have a printer, what if I needed to return something to the shop?

Well the fact they have emailed you the receipt means they would have a copy there, no? Also you can show the email on a phone. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

As above no rights to a receipt but I can understand the desire for a one, once upon leaving the store a Co op employee stopped me and said I hadn't paid for a box of chocolates at the shelf checkout, luckily I'd pressed the screen for a receipt and could show that I did.

My wife purchased an item of clothing from Tesco and when we got home it still had the security tag on, wouldn't fancy going back with that and screenshot of £100 odd spent there as it doesn't prove you purchased that item and could have instead stolen it. 

I know we all give our email for online shopping but physical stores are a different experience and those who don't want to give a paper receipt wouldn't get my custom again. 

TELLIT01

I don't give my e-mail address out for receipts either.  I get enough crap in my inbox without providing others with the opportunity of adding to it.  I've never had anywhere then refuse to provide me with a paper receipt.

Brie

While I understand the preference for email receipts shouldn't they include all the information about the transaction?  I was annoyed that a recent purchase online from M7S resulted in an email that listed what I ordered but not what each item cost, just the overall total.  There is no way for me to prove how much I was willing to pay for each item which then becomes an issue when when is returning things - particularly when the sale prices continue to drop.  It becomes impossible for me to tell if I'm being refunded the correct amount.

Sandtree

Brie said:

While I understand the preference for email receipts shouldn't they include all the information about the transaction?  I was annoyed that a recent purchase online from M7S resulted in an email that listed what I ordered but not what each item cost, just the overall total.  There is no way for me to prove how much I was willing to pay for each item which then becomes an issue when when is returning things - particularly when the sale prices continue to drop.  It becomes impossible for me to tell if I'm being refunded the correct amount.

Given there is no right for a receipt in the first place there is no obligation for a receipt that is voluntarily given to contain any particular information... that said I've not had a receipt that doesnt list the per item, or at least per row, price other than cases like ordering sets but where items making up the set are listed but the price is limited to the whole set

Alderbank

Lulu4 said:

I shopped at a well known clothes shop at the weekend, they asked for an email address to send a receipt but I said I would prefer a paper one as I do not like handing out my email address.  She became a little irate and said I would have to give it next time.  Can I insist on a paper receipt - what is their obligation please.  I cannot print receipts as I don't have a printer, what if I needed to return something to the shop?

If you are returning something under your consumer rights, such as because it is faulty, you only need reasonable evidence that you did purchase at that shop and on the date you claim. A receipt on paper or on your phone does that, also a debit from your bank or credit card statement.

However where the shop allows returns for change of mind that is not a statutory right, and many businesses insist that you must produce the actual receipt otherwise the return will be refused. They are allowed to do this.

Here for example is what the well-known clothes shop Primark says:

We are happy to refund or exchange any item within 28 days of purchase, provided the item is returned in a saleable condition with an original receipt.