It's NOT legal theft (or why you need a receipt!)

[Quitbuggingmeandgoaway]

Today, I went to Wal-Mart to return something I didn't need, so off to the service desk I went. A older woman was there trying to return some items without a receipt. Only one of the items showed up in the system, and the other three didn't (I couldn't see what they were but they looked similar to each other, just different colors).

She then wanted to know why she was only getting $5 for one item when she swore up and down that she paid $10 for each, and that Wal-Mart was committing "legal theft!" She then kept going on and on about that she did buy those items at the particular store (yet they weren't showing up on the register). When the clerk handed her $5 she yelled "this is f---ing bullshit, legal theft!" to where the clerk said sweetly "Might want to keep your receipt next time" and she stormed off.

Later, on a personal note, I scored two sets of Christmas Lights at $2.00 a box (25 big C9 bulbs :-))

[Sandiercy]

Why why why do people not keep their receipts? You would think that people would learn after the first 10 times that they try to return something without a receipt but the same people keep trying every single time.

[Jester]

I often don't keep my receipt. And if I toss it, and shortly thereafter discover that the item I bought is wrong, defective, expired, spoiled, sour, or Justin Bieber, I do what any other intelligent person would do....I eat the loss and realize the purchase I made is now permanent. Worst case scenario I toss it in the trash. (Worst case being something spoiled, unusable, worthless, or all three, aka Justin Bieber.)

[ADeMartino]

I can see a person not being overly concerned about keeping a receipt for an item that's under $20 or so. Generally speaking, if there's a defect or it's the wrong size/color/model, a store will let you exchange it or maybe even give you a store credit for its CURRENT SELLING PRICE if the customer doesn't have a receipt. I have never expected a refund for something if I can't produce a receipt.

What torques me off, though, is people who won't keep a receipt for the $300 (auto part, computer, television, whatever high-dollar item they purchased), and then expect you to just take their word that they bought it from you. This is especially loathsome when it comes to an auto part. I mean, seriously - you have the receipt in your hand, and there's even a place in the car where you can stash it - the glove box - and you STILL manage to lose it?

This sort of thing was an almost-daily battle when I worked in auto parts. Some schmoe would wander in with a greasy, nasty alternator or carburetor, claim they'd bought it from THAT store, and expect an exchange (or worse, a refund) without any documentation at all. And they just could not grasp the nature of the problem with that.

[Catwoman2965]

I am anal, and for some reason, I feel this compulsion to keep, and file away, all my receipts. I tell myself its so I can go back, and figure out how much I spend on gas, groceries, but I never do. I keep them in a small, accordian wallet, adn when it gets too full, I shred them. The only receipts I keep are for big-ticket items, like my tv, laptop, etc. Even though they're several years out of warranty, I still feel the need to keep them.

I get that all the time in my store; the way our system is set up, we pull up the customer's history either using their store charge, or reward card, and "assign" it to every transaction. I would say 95% of our customers are already in the system, so its pretty simple. So if they need to return something, and don't have their receipt, or in the case of some, KNOW we can look up the info, so they don't bother keeping them, they'll get what they paid for.

Our policy is however, no receipt, and we can't look it up, we are not supposed to take it back. But corporate, talking out of both sides of their mouth, has said we can use our "judgment" and if its something current, we can issue a store credit for the item, whether its full price, or if its sale, the current selling price, MINUS any additional % off. But I still get people who don't believe a. that if we can look up their transaction, the computer will give back what they paid, or b. that we can't give them back full price, if its on sale, and you don't have your receipt, we can't look it up, even though they swear up and down they paid full price for it.

[Miss Maple Leaf]

Why why why do people not keep their receipts?

Because they know that if they kick up a big enough fuss, the manager or owner will just give in to them.

It happens where I work. If the customer has no receipt and has paid with cash (credit and debit transactions we can look up and issue refunds for, provided they have the card with them) then there's nothing we can do. No receipt = no refund.

Of course, as soon as they're told that, out comes the "get me the manager." Not "is there anything you can do for me?" Not "well, all right. Thanks anyway." Not "well, I'll go home and have another look for the receipt." Nope. It's "get me the manager." The manager is called, and says to give them a refund card for the last sale price.

Some of them accept that and take the card without complaint, but a few assholes just have to complain even further that they paid full price and so should get the full price back. Thankfully, though, the manager (or owner if he's in and the store manager isn't and the SC won't settle for just a department manager) will at least put his foot down on that and refuse to give the full price.
It's the last sale price or nothing. They can either accept that or leave without any refund at all. Some accept it and take the card and others leave with the item. Although the leavers don't go without complaining a bit more first, of course.

What? Me, bitter? What makes you think that?