Proof of purchase and receipts

'Freddie' is quite right, no retailer is under any obligation to accept returned goods however most do so in the interests of maintaining good customer relations.

A warranty period is irrelevant as far as consumer protection legislation is concerned however, the goods simply have to be of 'merchantable quality' and one measure of this is how long they fulfill their intended function. For example a £5 watch may only last a year and still be acceptable however a £5,000 watch that failed after 2 years would most likely be regarded as substandard and the purchaser entitled to a refund whatever the manufacturer or retailer's guarantee.

Certain sectors however have fought long and hard to obfuscate and frustrate these general principles. The car industry is probably the most notable example where some manufacturers have spent vast sums of money fighting claims for 'defective goods', maintaining that it is somehow acceptable to endlessly repair (read bodge) rather than simply handing the customer back his money and accepting their failure with good grace.

'Proof of purchase' need not necessarily be the retailer's receipt. An extract from a credit card or bank statement is perfectly good 'proof'.

To clarify this for you, you have absolutely no entitlement to anything at all unless the goods are faulty. This is determined by the sale of goods act. If faulty, and within warranty, then a retailer is obliged to offer a refund if requested but can insist on seeing a proof of purchase. That is quite reasonable really.
Too many people think they can just return un-wanted items to shops. Why should shops suffer this burden? Prices are set at a rate that allows for the loss caused from returns. If people bought the right thing first time I'm convinced that prices would be lower across the board.

If you don't return the receipt, there is a always a chance somebody else might find your lost receipt and then pretend to be you and try to get a refund. This is one reason why stores are hesitant to replace or refund an item if you can't find your receipt.

Hadn't noticed that one; that comment at 18:35 yesterday wasn't me either! However, they do have a point!

Shrikishan is definitely a few watts short of a light bulb.

shrikishan, I do not understand, If you wish to aquire a credit card why do you want a complete stranger to contact you?

I want make a virgin credit card please contact me on it 9251633945 and e mail kishans@rocketmail.com

It is a misconception that the customer is always right, in this day and age, the customers quite often are over demanding and rude to staff who are by no means just other people doing a job to earn a living. If an item is faulty then please take it back to the shop that you bought it from, you can expect an exchange for the same value that you paid originally and for the same type of item but why should you get a refund as you have already used it for a few days before the sale? I work in a shop and believe me it is infuriating having to deal with demanding and rude customers. Common sense and ethical values should be brought back and we will all be the happier for it.

What the hell have celebrities got to do with this? I think you're the one who's misguided here; you seem to be under the impression that you're more important than the rest of us, and therefore shouldn't be subject to the store policies which the vast majority have to fall under. Newsflash - you're a consumer who isn't in the public eye, so therefore you're no better or worse than anyone else who that policy would apply to. Get over it. If you want to get special treatment - become an MP!

I think you're very misguided. In this day and age, when celebrity and cult status is at such a peak, do you honesty believe that some big nob or famous person with the same problem as I outlined in my article would get treated as I did.

How do you think MPs got away with fiddling and exploiting the expenses rules?

We live in a strictly hierachical society - those that aren't well known, important or powerful are not judged on their honesty or truthfulness.We all treated like robots with policies that are based on the crude notion that we're all potential criminals.

OK, well put it this way. If the manager was found out to have authorised this transaction without the production of a receipt, he could have faced trouble from Head Office. Would you really expect him to risk that for the sake of a customer who told him to "stick it"?

Also, the presence of a sticker doesn't necessarily mean that's what you paid - there could have been a reduced price tag on the shelf but not the product. Without the receipt, there was no proof of when you bought it. And may I point out that in your original gripe you don't say anywhere about the manager believing you...

At the end of the day, they're following store policy and you expected to be above that. Then you moan when you're not given special treatment.

There was a purchase sticker on the item with the date on it - it was heavily sealed down and couldn't be removed without tearing it. The cashier looked it up and saw that the price was £17.99 when I first bought it and, what's more the manager believed me. So what you say isn't right. But they still wanted my receipt. That's what annoyed me. I gave them every assistance yet they still behaved like bureaucratic monsters.