Demand your receipt!

[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ypCx-f85pc” width=”100%” height=”315″]

DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Consumers are being urged to demand a receipt upon the purchase of any item from a supplier.

This was disclosed today during a lecture on the Competition and Fair Trade and Consumer Affairs Acts and the implications for businesses and consumers at Moray House, Camp Street.

The right to a receipt is catered for by the law according to Consumer Affairs Officer of the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) Feyona Austin-Paul as it is a consumer’s only proof of purchase.

“Consumers should be issued with a receipt upon any transaction and there are other stipulations, whereby a receipt must be legible for one year. However, the Act also states that you have six months warranty on products and services. So, a receipt is your proof of purchase,” Austin-Paul explained.

She added, “We are trying to urge consumers to demand a receipt, it is your right if you do not have a receipt you cannot make a claim because the supplier can also say that item was not purchased here.”

The question was raised as to whether suppliers can refuse to make refunds and the answer was no. Austin-Paul noted that the law implies a six-month warranty on every item purchased and seven-day return policy. However, this cannot be possible without the consumer having proof of purchase.

Austin-Paul said, “we have to be more assertive as consumers because if we demand our rights, the supplier would be forced to comply.”

Nevertheless, the Consumer Affairs Officer also pointed out that the commission has been tackling the issue. “We have been addressing those cases and we have been doing inspections addressing the issuance of receipts.”

Isaiah Braithwaite.

Image: Marceano Narine.