One Month until Christmas - Keep Your Receipts

ONE MONTH UNTIL CHRISTMAS - KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS

With just one month to go until Christmas, Retail NZ is reminding customers to shop carefully, and to keep their receipts from purchases in case anything goes wrong.

"When you're shopping from a New Zealand store or website, you're covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act and Fair Trading Act," Greg Harford, Retail NZ's General Manager for Public Affairs, said today. "This means that if the product is faulty, then you can take it back to the retailer and have the problem sorted out. However, it is important that customers keep their receipts to show that they purchased the product from the retailer in question.

"Consumers can't expect their local retailer to fix issues with products they didn't sell in the first place, so it is really essential to keep proof of purchase, despite the temptation to throw away receipts.

"It's also good to know that retailers are not legally obliged to exchange or refund products if a consumer has just changed their mind about a purchase, so it's a great idea to choose wisely before making a purchase and, if you're buying a gift, ask whether the store offers an exchange card programme.

"Shops and malls will be getting busier over the next month in the lead-up to Christmas, and keeping your receipts and exchange cards will mean fewer hassles if something goes wrong or needs to be changed."

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