Tesco Returns - Proof of purchase

JReacher1

I was in Tesco earlier and noticed they had a sign that said from March they will no longer accept bank statements as proof of purchase.  Is that legal as I thought you could use bank statements to prove you purchased something?

Undervalued

For a warranty (offered in addition to your statutory rights) they can ask for anything specified in their terms and conditions.

For a statutory rights return, as I understand it, they are entitled to ask for reasonable proof of purchase. As we know, arguing about what is reasonable has kept lawyers in fat fees for generations!

A bank statement only only shows that you bought something from them, not what you bought, and doesn't always show the exact date of purchase. Say you bought a £20 toaster along with £100 of groceries. Bank statement then doesn't prove you bought a toaster at all.

diystarter7

Undervalued said:

For a warranty (offered in addition to your statutory rights) they can ask for anything specified in their terms and conditions.

For a statutory rights return, as I understand it, they are entitled to ask for reasonable proof of purchase. As we know, arguing about what is reasonable has kept lawyers in fat fees for generations!

A bank statement only only shows that you bought something from them, not what you bought, and doesn't always show the exact date of purchase. Say you bought a £20 toaster along with £100 of groceries. Bank statement then doesn't prove you bought a toaster at all.

Hi
The highlighted bit, all day long. I often get confused when some places run the charge days and at times weeks afterwards.

Any place that does refunds etc without a receipt are pretty decent IMO.
Thanks

Forwandert

Undervalued said:

 Say you bought a £20 toaster along with £100 of groceries. Bank statement then doesn't prove you bought a toaster at all.

They can usually track the sale on the retailer's sales system. On there it'll have a breakdown same as the receipt. 

Many years ago when I worked in retail I could track them off the date and total amount quite easily, unless there was a lot on that specific date on the same total price. Even then they presented as a scroll down list and you could usually find it off the last 4 card digits too. Or you could search for sales on the product code and date, that would pull them through also.

Some used to have the items scanning on the till overlaid over the cameras facing the tills too in real time so you could check everything down to non scans so if it was recent sale or an item scanned that they didn't recognise on the receipt you could usually figure it out for them usually with cctv. 

I can guarantee this isn't down to technology or inability to check sales which has no doubt progressed but for some other reason. 

user1977

Undervalued said:

A bank statement only only shows that you bought something from them, not what you bought, and doesn't always show the exact date of purchase. Say you bought a £20 toaster along with £100 of groceries. Bank statement then doesn't prove you bought a toaster at all.

Though even if you have an itemised receipt shows a toaster, it doesn't necessarily mean it's the same toaster you're now claiming is broken...

But bear in mind all that ultimately is required in relation to your statutory rights is evidence (of any sort) which persuades a court which party, on the balance of probabilities (not beyond reasonable doubt) has the more convincing version of events. So bank statement showing you bought something on the day you claimed to have, your own witness testimony, the fact the item is only sold by Tesco, etc, are all likely to add up to a winning case.

If the sign is about other non-statutory reasons why they might want proof of purchase ("change of mind" returns etc) then they can require a till receipt if they want.

bris

If you ever buy something that comes with a warranty, such as a toaster it common sense to keep the receipt.

If you take it back with the receipt and they sell that toaster then there will be no argument.

Even if it's a Tesco branded product they can still insist on proof of purchase 

It may shock some people on here but as an ex retailer I can tell you there are a lot, an awful lot I may add of chancers out there.

Flight3287462

If some can remember the date of purchase x months after the alleged purchase is obviously very meticulous and would have kept the receipt (and probably the box).

For mere mortals we have to shrug our shoulders bin the item and buy a replacement, reproaching ourselves for our lack of foresight.

Undervalued

Forwandert said:

Undervalued said:

 Say you bought a £20 toaster along with £100 of groceries. Bank statement then doesn't prove you bought a toaster at all.

They can usually track the sale on the retailer's sales system. On there it'll have a breakdown same as the receipt. 

Many years ago when I worked in retail I could track them off the date and total amount quite easily, unless there was a lot on that specific date on the same total price. Even then they presented as a scroll down list and you could usually find it off the last 4 card digits too. Or you could search for sales on the product code and date, that would pull them through also.

Some used to have the items scanning on the till overlaid over the cameras facing the tills too in real time so you could check everything down to non scans so if it was recent sale or an item scanned that they didn't recognise on the receipt you could usually figure it out for them usually with cctv. 

I can guarantee this isn't down to technology or inability to check sales which has no doubt progressed but for some other reason. 

That maybe so but if every customer with a return had lost their receipt and relied on Tesco to do this there would be a considerable overhead in staff time which ultimately has to be paid for somehow!

It may not have been a electrical item in in the OP's mind but as far as I can remember when I have bought anything like this along with my groceries it is clearly highlighted in a separate area on the receipt and the till operator has always pointed it out to me. As I said earlier they can certainly require this receipt for any warranty over and above the basic statutory rights.

Forwandert

Undervalued said:

Forwandert said:

Undervalued said:

 Say you bought a £20 toaster along with £100 of groceries. Bank statement then doesn't prove you bought a toaster at all.

They can usually track the sale on the retailer's sales system. On there it'll have a breakdown same as the receipt. 

Many years ago when I worked in retail I could track them off the date and total amount quite easily, unless there was a lot on that specific date on the same total price. Even then they presented as a scroll down list and you could usually find it off the last 4 card digits too. Or you could search for sales on the product code and date, that would pull them through also.

Some used to have the items scanning on the till overlaid over the cameras facing the tills too in real time so you could check everything down to non scans so if it was recent sale or an item scanned that they didn't recognise on the receipt you could usually figure it out for them usually with cctv. 

I can guarantee this isn't down to technology or inability to check sales which has no doubt progressed but for some other reason. 

That maybe so but if every customer with a return had lost their receipt and relied on Tesco to do this there would be a considerable overhead in staff time which ultimately has to be paid for somehow!

From experience it wasn't every, infact wasn't that often at all might happen a couple of times a day max, You're already paying for these people, they're behind a CS desk.

Even more so this day and age. If Tesco can send you emails in January telling you what were your top purchases for the previous year and exactly how many of each item you bought, why aren't they using the same technology to digitally hold your receipts in the same account and avoiding issues like this? They're retaining and using data digitally from your purchases when it suits them and relying on scraps of paper like its the year 2000 when they might need to give money back out. 

p00hsticks

Forwandert said:

Undervalued said:

Forwandert said:

Undervalued said:

 Say you bought a £20 toaster along with £100 of groceries. Bank statement then doesn't prove you bought a toaster at all.

They can usually track the sale on the retailer's sales system. On there it'll have a breakdown same as the receipt. 

Many years ago when I worked in retail I could track them off the date and total amount quite easily, unless there was a lot on that specific date on the same total price. Even then they presented as a scroll down list and you could usually find it off the last 4 card digits too. Or you could search for sales on the product code and date, that would pull them through also.

Some used to have the items scanning on the till overlaid over the cameras facing the tills too in real time so you could check everything down to non scans so if it was recent sale or an item scanned that they didn't recognise on the receipt you could usually figure it out for them usually with cctv. 

I can guarantee this isn't down to technology or inability to check sales which has no doubt progressed but for some other reason. 

That maybe so but if every customer with a return had lost their receipt and relied on Tesco to do this there would be a considerable overhead in staff time which ultimately has to be paid for somehow!

Even more so this day and age. If Tesco can send you emails in January telling you what were your top purchases for the previous year and exactly how many of each item you bought, why aren't they using the same technology to digitally hold your receipts in the same account and avoiding issues like this? They're retaining and using data digitally from your purchases when it suits them and relying on scraps of paper like its the year 2000 when they might need to give money back out. 

Surely all that that relies on you having and using a  club card though ?

Undervalued

p00hsticks said:

Forwandert said:

Undervalued said:

Forwandert said:

Undervalued said:

 Say you bought a £20 toaster along with £100 of groceries. Bank statement then doesn't prove you bought a toaster at all.

They can usually track the sale on the retailer's sales system. On there it'll have a breakdown same as the receipt. 

Many years ago when I worked in retail I could track them off the date and total amount quite easily, unless there was a lot on that specific date on the same total price. Even then they presented as a scroll down list and you could usually find it off the last 4 card digits too. Or you could search for sales on the product code and date, that would pull them through also.

Some used to have the items scanning on the till overlaid over the cameras facing the tills too in real time so you could check everything down to non scans so if it was recent sale or an item scanned that they didn't recognise on the receipt you could usually figure it out for them usually with cctv. 

I can guarantee this isn't down to technology or inability to check sales which has no doubt progressed but for some other reason. 

That maybe so but if every customer with a return had lost their receipt and relied on Tesco to do this there would be a considerable overhead in staff time which ultimately has to be paid for somehow!

Even more so this day and age. If Tesco can send you emails in January telling you what were your top purchases for the previous year and exactly how many of each item you bought, why aren't they using the same technology to digitally hold your receipts in the same account and avoiding issues like this? They're retaining and using data digitally from your purchases when it suits them and relying on scraps of paper like its the year 2000 when they might need to give money back out. 

Surely all that that relies on you having and using a  club card though ?

Indeed.

Like any loyalty scheme you are choosing to opt in to a system that gives them vast amounts of information about you in exchange for certain benefits.

Alternatively you can forgo the benefits, pay cash and not reveal anything about yourself (apart from what is recorded on any CCTV) if you so choose.