Can a shopkeeper refuse to give change?

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Deastons
Deastons Posts: 464 Forumite
in Consumer rights
If, displayed very clearly by the till, was a sign saying "We do not give change" could a shop simply take your money and refuse change? I'm guessing not.

So why do most car park machines not give change? They can give change. The technology exists. But they're obviously programmed to not do so.

My local car park charges a minimal amount . But the minimum charge for cards is £3.50 (6 hrs parking). And it won't give change when paying cash.

Seems to me this is an obvious way of stealing people's money.
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  • mattyprice4004
    mattyprice4004 Posts: 7,492 Forumite
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    The shop sign means they won’t change your £1 for 2x 50ps or a £10 into 10x £1 coins, not that they don’t give change for purchases :)
  • George_Michael
    George_Michael Posts: 4,251 Forumite
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    I've heard it mentioned a few times that shops are not legally required to give change.
    It probably stems from this:
    Legal tender has a very narrow and technical meaning in the settlement of debts. It means that a debtor cannot successfully be sued for non-payment if he pays into court in legal tender. It does not mean that any ordinary transaction has to take place in legal tender or only within the amount denominated by the legislation.

    Both parties to a transaction are free to agree to accept any form of payment whether legal tender or otherwise according to their wishes. In order to comply with the very strict rules governing an actual legal tender transaction it is necessary, for example, to offer the exact amount due because no change can be demanded.

    https://www.royalmint.com/help/trm-faqs/legal-tender-amounts/
  • Deastons
    Deastons Posts: 464 Forumite
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    mattyprice4004 wrote: »
    The shop sign means they won’t change your £1 for 2x 50ps or a £10 into 10x £1 coins, not that they don’t give change for purchases :)

    The shop sign doesn't necessarily exist. It was hypothetical.

    My point is that I doubt it's ok for a shop to simply refuse to give you change when you pay for a service (assuming they have the means to give you change).

    So why can car park machines?
  • waamo
    waamo Posts: 10,298 Forumite
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    There is no law that says shops have to give change. Such a sign would therefore be legal. If you don't like the terms of the contract then don't enter into a contract.
  • Deastons
    Deastons Posts: 464 Forumite
    edited 16 April 2018 at 10:13PM
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    waamo wrote: »
    There is no law that says shops have to give change. Such a sign would therefore be legal. If you don't like the terms of the contract then don't enter into a contract.

    So shouldn't the terms be made clear before entering into the contract?

    In the case of parking, shouldn't it say "This car park does not give change" before entering?

    I only became aware of the fact the machine doesn't give change once I'd completed my period of parking. And the lack of change-giving wasn't mentioned on the tariff board I checked shortly after parking.
  • waamo
    waamo Posts: 10,298 Forumite
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    The terms of a contract should be clear before entering into it. The more onerous the terms are to one party the more prominent they should be. See Lord Dennings "red hand rule".
  • LilElvis
    LilElvis Posts: 5,835 Forumite
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    You know what the car park charge is so just be prepared and keep a supply of change in your glove box. Perhaps if they couldn't retain the overpayment from the ill-prepared the car park owner would have to increase the hourly charge for all. Be thankful that it's only £3.50 for 6 hours - that would pay for 1 1/2 hours at my local shopping centre.
  • bris
    bris Posts: 10,548 Forumite
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    Getting change isn't a legal requirement as long as it's clearly stated.


    This is often the case with car parking and buses that state exact change only.


    The shop has the same right, however as post 2 states it just means if you want change of a fiver for the bus forget it.
  • Svein_Forkbeard
    Svein_Forkbeard Posts: 655 Forumite
    edited 17 April 2018 at 8:13AM
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    PM Deaston he normally knows the answer to your questions.
  • lammy82
    lammy82 Posts: 594 Forumite
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    The question is whether the car park is legally required to advertise that they don't give change before the customer enters (and hence forms the contract to pay for parking).

    I don't think they are.

    In a shop, at the moment you hand over a tenner for your £2.13 purchase, there is an implied assumption that the shopkeeper will give change. He's not legally required to do so, but if the shopkeeper is unable or unwilling to, he needs to make it clear before accepting your "overpayment". Verbally, probably. A prominent sign might work but probably wouldn't hold up in court.

    When you form a contract by entering and parking your car, you are not actually handing over any money at that point. You're liable for the cost of the parking and you should know how much money you owe the car park.

    The reason the machines don't give change is usually because that makes the machines more expensive to buy and maintain, and requires them to be continually topped up with change. It's more than simply changing the machine's settings.
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