Ukrainians Warned Against Purchases Without a Receipt: How You Can Lose Money

Millions of Ukrainians make purchases daily both in regular stores and online. At the same time, when paying for goods, consumers may face a situation where the seller does not issue a cash receipt immediately, promising to provide it later due to technical malfunctions or cash register failures. Experts warn that such practice can create additional risks for the buyer.

It should be noted that a cash receipt is an official confirmation of purchase. It contains information about the seller, the date of purchase, and the payment amount. This document confirms the fact of the transaction between the buyer and the seller.

After making a purchase, the consumer gains the right to return or exchange the product, as well as to warranty service in cases provided by law. If the purchased product turns out to be of poor quality, defective, or does not correspond to the declared characteristics, the receipt becomes the main proof that the product was purchased from a specific seller.

Without a receipt, protecting your rights is much more difficult. In such cases, the buyer may need to collect additional evidence or contact regulatory authorities. Therefore, messages like "the receipt will be sent later," "the cash register is temporarily not working," or "a technical error occurred" should alert the consumer.

The State Special Communications Service reports that some sellers explain the absence of a receipt by technical glitches or equipment failure. However, after receiving the funds, the buyer risks never receiving the document confirming the payment. This risk is especially relevant when shopping online or on little-known trading platforms.

Reliable sellers, experts emphasize, issue a receipt immediately after payment. If this does not happen, it is worth carefully assessing the possible risks and checking the seller before making a purchase.

Special attention is recommended for online shopping. Fraudsters often create websites that look almost identical to real online stores but are actually used to lure money or users' payment data.

Before paying for goods, buyers are advised to check the store’s reputation, read reviews from other customers, pay attention to contact details and information about the seller. It is also not recommended to enter bank card details on suspicious or little-known websites.

If the purchase is made in a store for the first time, cash on delivery may be a safer option. This payment method allows you to check the product before final payment and minimize the risk of losing money.

Ukrainians are advised to:

• demand a cash receipt immediately after payment;
• not agree to purchases without documentary proof of payment;
• check the reliability of online stores;
• avoid suspiciously advantageous offers;
• use cash on delivery for the first purchase from a new seller;
• keep receipts at least until the warranty period of the product expires.

Earlier, the "Judicial and Legal Newspaper" wrote about what to do if the price at the cash register is higher than indicated on the price tag.

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