The epic conflict between shoppers and receipt checkers continues! Reader Michael was unwilling to wait in line to have his cart searched, prompting Wal-Mart to threaten to file a police report as they wrote down his license place…
receipts
A Radio Shack Manager Explains Why They Ask For Personal Info On Cash Returns
By 5.16.08
Last week, we pointed out that even with a receipt and the product in hand, and even though you purchased it with cash the day before at the same store, Radio Shack won’t give a refund unless you give them your home address first. We got a lot of insider tips from former employees in the comments section, and the next day we received the following perspective from a Radio Shack store manager. We think his explanation still doesn’t explain why you need personal ID to refund a cash transaction when you’ve got the item and the receipt in front of you, but read on if you want an unverified store manager’s point of view.
Target Bungles Wedding Registry, Won't Exchange Duplicate Gifts Without Receipts
By 4.13.08
Target doesn’t accept returns without receipts to keep criminals at bay, but Chrissy recently discovered that their policy also extends to wedding registry gifts. Chrissy and her husband ended up with several duplicate gifts when Target failed to keep track of her registry. Chrissy didn’t want a refund or cash, just store credit, but Target refused to consider any proffer until Chrissy provided receipts. One manager even urged Chrissy to call her wedding guests to ask for their receipts, because in Target’s book, that’s not extraordinarily rude or anything.
Customer Convicted For Shoving 75-Year-Old Walmart Receipt Checker
By 3.14.08
Donald Lynch, certified public accountant, was convicted of misdemeanor assault after pushing a 75-year-old Walmart greeter who wanted to check his receipt, reports The Chronicle. Lynch said the greeter tried to block him by pushing against him with his shoulder. Security tape showed the greeter flying to the floor. While an employee has no right to touch you, you also don’t have a right to shove them on the floor, especially if they’re septuagenarian!
Man On Trial For Knocking Down Walmart Receipt Checker
By 3.12.08
Details are sketchy but a Chehalis Washington man is on trial after being accused of knocking down a Wal-Mart greeter. According to the AP report, Don Lynch says the greeter demanded to see his receipt and then the greeter and another Wal-Mart employee grabbed him. Lynch says he acted in self-defense.Now, we’ve done a bunch of posts about how, unless you’ve signed a membership agreement assenting to them, stores have no right to detain you if you refuse a receipt check. However, you cannot react violently. Then you will get in trouble and look like a jerk. Go for non-violent resistance. You must be like Gandhi. If someone touches you, ask them to stop. If they don’t, call the cops and complain that this guy won’t stop touching you. They’re not allowed to touch you, or for that matter, grab you.
Detained And Harassed At Walmart For Not Showing A Receipt
By 3.3.08
Reader J was detained and harassed by some Walmart employees on his way out of the store the other day. J had already put his receipt inside his wallet after purchasing a $25 shower rack when a Walmart employee demanded to see his receipt. J declined and continued exiting the store. That’s when things got weird. First, he was grabbed by a Walmart employee, then another customer started pushing him back inside the store.
Home Depot CEO Responds To Receipt Checking Story
By 2.29.08
Home Depot’s CEO, Frank Blake, responded to Matt’s complaint about being unlawfully detained by the Washington D.C. Metropolitan police after refusing to show his receipt to a Home Depot employee.
"This Sprm Croisnt Sure Is Messy!"
By 2.21.08
Okay, we promise not to post anymore stupid receipt stories… unless another one is sent our way that makes us laugh, and then we’ll probably just quicklink it since this post completes the rule of three. A reader ordered a “Supreme Croissant” from Jack in the Box and saw that it was abbreviated in an unfortunate manner on the confirmation screen—and then printed on the receipt too. “When it came up on the ‘confirmation screen’ at the order board, I thought, ‘Gee, there have to be at least three better ways to abbreviate ‘supreme’.'”
Home Depot Also Enjoys Printing Dirty Words On Receipts
By 2.20.08
Oh look, Americans also enjoy putting shocking phrases on receipts. Yesterday’s UK restaurant surprise reminded one of our interns of a receipt sent in a few weeks ago from Brad in California: “got this receipt from home depot today…. look closely just below the total and you will see something surprising…. lol.” Probably NSFW, unless you work at Home Depot or Joe Delucci’s Italian Restaurant.
Barnes & Noble Limited Receipt Policy Won't Go National Until October?
By 2.12.08
A Barnes & Noble insider tell us the new policy limiting returns to 14 days with receipts won’t go in effect nationally until October, according to CEO Steve Riggio’s internal blog.. The policy is currently in testing in New York, New Jersey, California, and Virginia. “The point is to eliminate “customers” who empty their bookshelves of books they’ve owned for years and get store credit. The company line is “to bring our policy in line with other national retailers,” the insider tells The Consumerist. However, “the ability to “extend” the policy beyond the 14 days will be up to the compassion of the store/manager you encounter.” Looks like all you non-VA-CA-NY-NJ shysters have until October to ply your fiendish book return schemes.
What Should I Do About A Lost Receipt?
By 1.24.08
I bought a Playstation 3 last November, wooed by the thought of 5 free Blu Ray movies. However, last night when I went to fill out the rebate form, I found my wife had thrown away the sales receipt! Doh! I purchased this from Shop Ko using a credit card, but Shop Ko has told me they cannot look up or reprint my receipt.
Which Tax Records You Should Keep
By 1.7.08
Now is a good time to clean out your folders and files of unneeded paperwork, while still making sure you’re holding on to the tax records that you need to. Real Simple has a great chart that will tell you exactly what to keep and what to toss, split into whether you should toss an item every month, after one year, seven years, or keep forever. In addition, this Kiplinger article goes into the reasons why it’s important to keep some records for the specified period of time. The exercise will also help you get your papers in order for the upcoming tax season, which, as we’ve started seeing ads for tax prep software, is now upon us.
Target: No Receipt, No Returns. Period.
By 1.2.08
You heard it here first and now shoppers in the Slickdeals forum confirm that it’s gone into effect: as of yesterday, Target won’t accept any returns without a receipt. Even if you can present the debit or credit card used to buy the item, you will still need a receipt. Previously, items under $20 could be returned sans receipt. Before that, it was items under $40. So, make sure to save your Target receipts and include them when you give gifts. I understand about trying to mitigate fraud (a commenter on the previous post talked about his “friend” in college who would swap tags on a $40 item with a $10 item, buy it, and then return it later without receipt to make $30 in beer money for the weekend), but they should allow people to use the card they bought the item with as a way to look up the receipt information.
How To Get Cash From Best Buy With Only A Gift Receipt
By 12.27.07
Reader Nick writes in with a bit of social engineering.
Return Policies For 15 Major Retailers
By 12.27.07
Hate that stationary bike your hint-dropping friend got you for Christmas? Want to return it so you can buy something useful like a cook book or ten pounds of fudge? Well Mouseprint rounded up return policies for fifteen major retailers to help you offload all those gifts you never wanted. Retailers readily accept returns if you have a receipt and the original packaging with price tags. Most stores charge a 15% restocking fee and want their merchandise back within a few weeks. Happy returning!
What Goes Into A Foot-Long Toys R Us Receipt?
By 12.8.07
Toys R Us rewarded Greg’s purchase of a four-pack of Play-Doh with an 18-inch receipt. Greg tried to give the senseless printing an inch of meaning by breaking down the components of his massive receipt:
- Exciting Sweepstakes Offer: 4.5 inches
- Essential Purchase Details: 6.5 inches
- Gift Receipt Section: 7.75 inches
Greg did not purchase the Play-Doh as a gift and did not need a half-foot gift receipt. Huge receipts are not endemic to Toys R Us—Home Depot and Kmart also print to excess—but do they have any use other than as shredder fodder?
Target To Downgrade Return Policy: Receipts Always Required
By 12.3.07
A Target insider writes:“Starting next year, guests will no longer be able to return items without a receipt. This means that if you accidentally lose your receipt, or if your cashier doesn’t give you one, you’re SOL.
