Faulty receipts that block your right to a refund

Updated
Store Owner Counting Receipts for Day
Store Owner Counting Receipts for Day



Keeping your receipts - especially for valuable purchases - is the only sensible approach to protecting your rights. That way, if something goes wrong, you can take the receipt in when you return the item, and get a full refund, replacement or repair. The problem is that nowadays something is wrong with the receipts themselves, which is making it harder for shoppers to enforce their rights.

The problem is that the shops are using heat-sensitive paper and thermal printers - which is cheaper than traditional ink receipts, but has a fatal flaw. The printers don't use ink; instead, they use heat on heat-sensitive paper. It means that once they are exposed to light or body heat, they quickly start to fade.

Within a few weeks these receipts can be completely blank, which causes a major headache if you then need to use the receipt to claim a refund or replacement on a faulty item.

The Sunday Times has also highlighted that when you buy an extended warranty on an electrical item, this is also printed on the receipt, which risks going blank too.

What can you do?

If this happens to you, you should take the faded receipt or warranty back to the shop, and explain what has happened. It's worth trying a couple of tricks that have been known to rejuvenate the text in some cases. This includes ironing the back of it, or directing a hot hairdryer at it.

If the text is still there, but very faded, you can photocopy it, but turn up the darkness on the photocopier to its highest setting - so it brings out any text that's remaining.

If you have no joy, it's worth printing out a bank statement showing the transaction and taking it along with you.

If the retailer does not accept this, the Daily Telegraph suggests complaining to the Retail Ombudsman.

It's also worth taking precautions whenever you buy something expensive - by photocopying important receipts, or scanning them into your computer so you have a digital copy.

Keeping digital records should also make it easier to file and find each proof of purchase. Surely it's more sensible than having endless scraps of important paper littering every bag and stack of paperwork around the house - which are quietly fading into uselessness.

Limits to your rights

While these are useful ways to ensure you can take advantage of your consumer rights to a refund, exchange or repair on a faulty item, it's always worth bearing in mind that you're not on such strong ground when you simply change your mind.

In those cases, you should take any receipts, and track down any bank statements, but you should be aware that the retailer isn't obliged to give you your money back. This is entirely up to them, so instead of starting with an angry rant about their faulty receipts, it might be worth going in with an impassioned plea, and a helpful offer to show them a bank statement as proof of purchase.

Waitress Says Customer Left Hateful Message Instead of Tip
Waitress Says Customer Left Hateful Message Instead of Tip




Advertisement