Comments on: M&S introduce ‘green’ receipts, why not go one step further?

By: Ama

Ama — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 10:34:36 +0000

What about digital receipts? Surely this should be where retailers are looking to move? We are all converting to paparless in some way or another (bank-statements, newspapers online, emails replacing snail mail etc). There must be a way to securely send a shopper an electronic version should they need it in the future!

By: C Landsburgh

C Landsburgh — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:14:43 +0000

Great initiative in moving to FSC M&S! However why have you not looked at the Sainsbury’s receipt that prints both sides?

Surely less is more????

By: Glenn

Glenn — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:33:05 +0000

May I point out that the “our customers need proof of purchase should they wish to return goods and receive a full refund” policy can ONLY be enforced if it is the store’s policy to allow a ‘cooling off’ period during which time a customer can chage their mind and return non faulty goods.

However, to try to impliment that policy upon a customer returning unsatisfactory or faulty goods is illegal. A store’s policy is irrelevant - there is no basis in law for any retailer to demand that a customer produce a proof of purchase when returning goods that are not fit for purpose.

All retailers are bound by the Sale of Goods Act and cannot circumvent this by trying to impliment their own policies, for example by displaying signs such as “Refunds and/or replacements will not be given without the production of a valid till receipt” - many stores display such signs but to do so is a criminal offence.

I have argued this point many times, including with instore customer service personnel. Training, store policies, managers’ instructions are completely irrelevent - the law is the law. If in any doubt, take a look at the Sale of Goods act and contact Trading Standards - you will discover the same thing.

Of course to have a proof of purchase can mean avoiding alot of hassle with stubborn and clueless retail staff, but it is not necessary at all.

By: Jude Smith

Jude Smith — Wed, 27 May 2009 10:37:21 +0000

Plan A - Ha! I went into M&S in Leeds station the other day to get one of their £2 meal deals and decided I didn’t want a bottle of water as… There is water in the tap in the office! I was told that the meal deal would not longer cost me £2 but £2.18!!!!

Isn’t plan A about reducing the impact on the environment?… If that is the case why are M&S promoting consuming more packaging - bottled water is one of the worlds many environmental mess ups in my opinion and one of the marketing worlds biggest successes(?!).

I was laughed at by the person behind the till when I explained why I didn’t want the water - I ended up having it scanned and handing it back!

In conclusion… Plan A isn’t communicated to shop floor staff properly and it isn’t properly applied to the retail and pricing strategy.

Interesting… As was the response I got from M&S. Typical PR bulls***. I work in PR so can spot it a mile off!

By: Phylecia

Phylecia — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:38:23 +0000

I must have a receipt, but maybe as a consumer I should change my practices. I would say 9 times out of 10 I am asked if I want my receipt and I always say ‘yes’. And this is because I like to double check my bank account because they are known to make random mistakes or even a store could accidentally charge me twice.

As a consumer alternative, I could be more disciplined and write down every transaction as it happens. Probably will take a while for me to get into that habit, but it’s something to think about. hmmm…

By: Emma

Emma — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:53:55 +0000

I think that the receipt is part of good customer service - it’s easier for the customer and the retailer at the end of the day should something need to be returned.

It’s nice to see that Marks & Spencers also take the time to address the matters to all, and not just the traditional media too.

By: Amy Johnston

Amy Johnston — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:43:20 +0000

Thanks for the comment. This is a really interesting subject. As you say, it’s not a legal requirement to provide a receipt, but people need proof of purchase in case they want to return something.

I suppose as a retailer it’s impossible to draw the line to say which items do and do not require proof of purchase - there’s always the chance the item (whatever it may be) will be returned.

As I say, I think this is a great initiative and I LOVE the Plan A campaign. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

By: Marks & Spencer Spokesperson

Marks & Spencer Spokesperson — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:12:05 +0000

Thank you for your comments about our FSC certified till receipts. I thought it would be helpful to respond to a few of the points you raised.

You’re right in saying that it isn’t a legal requirement for retailers to provide receipts. However, our customers need proof of purchase should they wish to return goods and receive a full refund, and a receipt is provided for that purpose.

While our customers don’t have to take a receipt if they don’t want to, our tills automatically generate receipts for every transaction made for store records. However, we always recycle unwanted receipts and as you know we are the first major retailer to use only Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper for all of our till rolls.