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As part of a broader survey on the functioning of the consumer courts, in 1994, the Indian Institute of Public Administration had undertaken a nationwide study on consumer behaviour at the time of purchase. An important finding of the study was that Indian consumers did not fully comprehend the importance of cash receipts. As a result, they neither demanded nor collected receipts at the time of purchase of goods. A decade later, smaller studies by consumer groups have shown that there has been no appreciable change in this behaviour. Some consumers prefer not to take a receipt in order to avoid payment of sales tax but most do not insist on it because they do not realise the importance of that small piece of paper. Members of consumer courts constituted under the Consumer Protection Act are unable to help the complainants in the absence of this basic piece of evidence. In the District Consumer Forum in Delhi, a consumer had filed a complaint against a shoe shop for selling defective shoes. On perusal of the case sheet, the court found that the complainant did not have any receipt to show when, where or from whom he had purchased the pair. Fortunately, the shoe was new and it had the seal of the manufacturer as well as the retailer and so the court directed the retailer to replace the pair. But then it may not be possible to prove the complaint so easily in every case without the cash memo. I recall the case of a consumer who wanted to know how to file a complaint before the consumer court, seeking redress against a defective air conditioner sold to her. As soon as I mentioned the cash receipt, she said she did not have one. It had never occurred to her to demand and get one. She did not have a warranty card either. It was a locally assembled air conditioner and did not carry any brand name or the address of the person who had supplied it. I asked her if she had paid by cheque and she said part of the payment was by cash and the rest by cheque, but here again, the supplier had asked her to give a ‘self’ cheque and she had obliged. There was no proof of purchase at all. I then asked her to go back to the supplier and see if she could collect a receipt from him or else write a letter, detailing the problems she had faced with the air conditioner. If he bothered to reply, it would at least confirm the sale and installation of the air conditioner by him. Whenever you buy goods, demand and collect the receipt without fail. Remember: the shopkeeper is not doing you a favour by giving you one. Make sure that the receipt has the name, address and the signature of the dealer, besides all the relevant details about the product that you have purchased. If it has a brand name, it should be mentioned; so also the batch number, the model, size or the capacity. If it is a television set, for example, it is not adequate to just say ‘TV’ or "CTV". It should specify the model, the size of the screen, etc. Similarly, a bill for an air conditioner should mention whether it is a window or a split air conditioner and whether it is a two-ton AC or a 1.5 ton AC. You should also keep the advertisements/pamphlets issued by the manufacturer or the dealer about the product because if it does not measure up to it, then under the Consumer Protection Act, it becomes a defective product. You must also collect, without fail, the warranty card, duly stamped by the dealer, along with the date of purchase. Always pay by account payee cheque. Be assertive and protect your rights as a consumer. Remember, a ‘cash receipt’ is the most important proof of purchase. By not insisting on a receipt, you may avoid paying sales tax but if something were to go wrong with that product, you may well lose the entire amount that you have paid for it. You will not be able to exercise your right as a consumer and seek redress before the consumer courts without a receipt. |
