united-states california consumer-protection receipts
Disappearing ink on receipts: do sellers have to make the receipt that is visible at least X number of days?
<p>The issue with disappearing ink on receipts is <a href="http://www.wfla.com/story/25849028/sales-receipts-have-ink-that-fades-away-in-heat" rel="nofollow">notorious</a>. Are sellers required to make the receipt visible at least X number of days? </p>

<hr>

<p>I am mostly interested in the following locations:</p>

<ul>
<li>California, United States</li>
<li>Massachusetts, United States</li>
<li>Paris, France</li>
<li>Seoul, South Korea</li>
</ul>

<p>I make a copy of any important receipt printed on thermal paper, since the terms of many sellers and manufacturers require receipts for disputes.  But I'm not aware of any law that says they have to make it convenient to maintain a receipt or other proof of purchase.</p>

<p>However, when a company makes their terms unclear, unexpected, or difficult to comply with it seems there is often a lawyer ready to step up and file a class action lawsuit.  <a href="http://www.consumer-action.org/lawsuits/">Here's one archive</a> to give you an idea of what companies will settle.</p>

<p>In the United States <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/statutes">the FTC is also empowered by law to "protect consumers,"</a> which means that if "disappearing" receipts become a widespread problem for consumers they <em>could</em> take action on the government's authority:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The Federal Trade Commission Act is the primary statute of the
  Commission. Under this Act, the Commission is empowered, among other
  things, to (a) prevent unfair methods of competition, and unfair or
  deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce; (b) seek
  monetary redress and other relief for conduct injurious to consumers;
  (c) prescribe trade regulation rules defining with specificity acts or
  practices that are unfair or deceptive, and establishing requirements
  designed to prevent such acts or practices; (d) conduct investigations
  relating to the organization, business, practices, and management of
  entities engaged in commerce; and (e) make reports and legislative
  recommendations to Congress.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Given the above, I wouldn't be surprised to see either a class-action lawsuit or FTC rule that requires retailers to provide "durable" receipts, or some convenient substitute.</p>

<p>In the United States, at least, there is no general right to a receipt at all, much less one that remains legible for a set period of time.</p>

<p>There are specific requirements for specific types of transactions (in the U.S., all credit card transactions are regulated by federal law, I believe), but in general, a receipt is a courtesy, not a legal requirement.</p>

<p>And, as one of the commenters pointed out, there is no such thing as "disappearing" ink. If you take your receipt and put it in a file folder, it will last for years. There is certainly no law that requires a vendor to give you a receipt that will survive being stuffed in your wallet.</p>

<p>Disappearing Ink should be defined as:</p>

<pre><code>Any ink that is no longer visible afer reasonable handling or use
</code></pre>

<p>We are not saying that receipt providers are using trick ink or engaging in deception, just that it is not fit for purpose by the standard expectation for the lifecycle of a proof of transaction. </p>

<hr>

<p>In the <strong>United Kingdom</strong> businesses are required to keep a receipt of transactions going back 6 years for tax purposes. When I noticed my receipts fading from thermal paper a slight panic ensued - especially as some of the amounts were significant (ie over USD$100/GBP£75).</p>

<p>However proof of a transaction does not necessitate a paper receipt. As many transactions are now by card a bank statement would attest to the fact that you had spent that amount and to the receiver of the funds. </p>

<hr>

<p>In <strong>Italy</strong> if you are not given a receipt by a retailer or restaurant you as the purchaser can be fined (along with the offending restaurant/retailer) if the transaction is found to be off the books.</p>

<p>The Guardia di Finanza are rumoured to wait outside of restaurants suspected of 'cooking' the books to catch unlucky patrons and compile evidence against the offending company.</p>

<hr>

<p>Long story short: </p>

<p><strong>No</strong> there are no laws I am aware of that discuss the visibility of receipts over time.</p>

<p><strong>Yes</strong> in most jurisdictions sellers are required to provide a legible receipt of transaction at the time of sale, detailing who they are, any tax applied, and their tax reference. </p>

<p>I imagine you could consider litigating for damages if the receipt was a vital piece of evidence for you in a case where you are attempting to prove that you had not committed fraud, and that it became unreadable through the negligence of the receipt provider in under a year. However the likelihood that this one receipt would be the <em>salient</em> piece of evidence is less likely that me scoring a touchdown in the next super bowl.</p>

<p>Or just try heating up your receipt with an <a href="http://smallbusiness.chron.com/recover-faded-cash-register-receipt-21509.html" rel="nofollow">iron/hairdryer</a> ( <em>I accept no liability for this, it is a joke suggestion</em>)</p>
