Uh oh, how to recover lost Home Depot receipt?

[atgcpaul]

In my furloughed shop cleaning frenzy, I threw away a HD receipt that had a Ridgid belt sander purchase on it. I need the receipt in order to register the sander for the lifetime warranty. If I go to the store, can they print out a new receipt by finding me in the system by the CC I used to buy it?

The receipt is probably in the trash or recycling bin and I will be doing some dumpster diving in the morning.

Thanks
Paul

[radhak]

Since they accept returns without a receipt by looking up your credit card #, I expect they should also be able to give you a copy of that receipt, with no fuss, if you wave your CC at the customer service desk.

[woodturner]

In my furloughed shop cleaning frenzy, I threw away a HD receipt that had a Ridgid belt sander purchase on it. I need the receipt in order to register the sander for the lifetime warranty. If I go to the store, can they print out a new receipt by finding me in the system by the CC I used to buy it?

FWIW, they now ask you if you want an emailed receipt at checkout. If you create an account on the HD website, you can have the receipt emailed as well as receive the hard copy. I find that a convenient way to keep track of the receipts.

[JimD]

You might also be able to get a copy of the receipt from the credit card company.

[trungdok]

You might also be able to get a copy of the receipt from the credit card company.

I don't think the receipt from the credit card company would do you any good since it will only show the total amount you spent at Home Depot. I can't imagine Home Depot can't print another receipt for you if they can find it on their system.

[LCHIEN]

I don't think the receipt from the credit card company would do you any good since it will only show the total amount you spent at Home Depot. I can't imagine Home Depot can't print another receipt for you if they can find it on their system.

i agree with that assessment. The CC company only knows the transaction amount not the itemized details.

[atgcpaul]

Woohoo! Lucky day!

While getting a load of shop trash ready for the curb, I briefly contemplated digging through it for the receipt. Then I looked to the left of the can and there was the receipt just lying on the floor! I was never basketball either.

So glad I didn't tear apart the recycling bin, too!

[cwsmith]

I'm glad you found your receipt!

However, if you had not, I do believe you could have gotten a new receipt from either your Home Depot, and/or the Home Depot HQ in Atlanta, GA.

Several years ago, many buyers had problems with HD receipts that were fading away, often within a matter of a few months (I have similar receipts that are now just white pieces of paper).

Lots of complaints over on the Ridgid forum, so I called the Atlanta HQ office and was told that HD receipts are all archived in their central computer system and cataloged by store ID# and date of transaction. Furthermore, if any customer EVER needed a receipt from a past purchase, they could ask the service desk at their store and IF they have the exact date and the amount and item, that a receipt can be retrieved from the HQ archive.

That phone conversation was back in 2008 0r 2009 I believe... so not sure if such a policy still is in place, but it would be worth the phone call. If the local store won't help you out (they are not always very knowledgable or helpful), one could call the Atlanta office and inquire further.

In any case, I've taken to scanning in all my tool purchase receipts as a matter of habit and warranty security.

I hope this helps any further misplacements,

CWS

[toolguy1000]

in the future, just buy another of the same item and return it. use the new receipt for any tool registration activities. they don't have any way of knowing that the recent purchase was returned.

[woodturner]

in the future, just buy another of the same item and return it. use the new receipt for any tool registration activities. they don't have any way of knowing that the recent purchase was returned.

FWIW, that practice you describe is illegal and falls under the theft by deception and fraud statutes.

They may not figure it out (or they might - they are tracking returns much more carefully now and I have seen them refuse returns of similar items, even with a receipt), but each of us would know what we did. Personally, I wouldn't do it, I would not be able to sleep at night knowing I had intentionally done something wrong and hurtful to another, let alone illegal.

For those who may not have observed or encountered this, many stores are really cracking down on return fraud. If you return too many items, even with a receipt, or otherwise get "profiled" as having suspicious returns, they will refuse to accept returns, with a receipt or not. This is stated in their return policy, that they reserve the right to refuse any return.

The way people usually run into this, though, is making too many returns without a receipt. Some box stores allow as few as two no receipt returns a year before refusing further no receipt returns.

[toolguy1000]

.......The way people usually run into this, though, is making too many returns without a receipt. Some box stores allow as few as two no receipt returns a year before refusing further no receipt returns.

i've run into this @ HD. just wait a few months and the system resets.

as for the practice being illegal, no one is stealing anything. it;s just a short cut to producing a receipt to be used for a valid purpose if the original receipt is misplaced. i see no reason to let a manufacturer off the hook regarding a warranty just because a piece of paper goes missing. at the end of th eprocess i described, a buyer has the same tool he started with and what is essentially a replacement receipt.

[woodturner]

as for the practice being illegal, no one is stealing anything.

Not to debate the point, but legally it is theft.

It's rather like switching price tags or UPCs, another "theft by deception" practice. The person who buys a product and returns a duplicate but different product on that receipt is deceiving the store - they are representing the returned item as the one purchased on that receipt.

Some may find this practice acceptable, but that's a personal ethical choice. However, I think people should be aware that it is a crime and make the ethical decision with full information. Some people might not have known this practice is illegal.

[atgcpaul]

I'm an inherently lazy person. It seems like more work to buy another item and then return it (same day, next week, next month?) for a receipt, when in this case, simply asking for a replacement copy seems like it would yield the same result with fewer trips.

As to being illegal, I think you could argue it is. If I bought a tool a year ago and the warranty expired, then I have essentially reset the warranty clock with the new receipt. That seems like stealing to me.

[LCHIEN]

I think TG's point was that it was justifiable if the original item is still in warranty. The original question was if the item should still be in warranty but you don't have and can't get an original or copy of the original receipt. This was an alternative.

Still this argument could go on and turn personal. I think everyone has made their point, let's move on.

[toolguy1000]

...they are representing the returned item as the one purchased on that receipt.....

I think TG's point was that it was justifiable if the original item is still in warranty. The original question was if the item should still be in warranty but you don't have and can't get an original or copy of the original receipt. This was an alternative.

Still this argument could go on and turn personal. I think everyone has made their point, let's move on.

just to wrap up what i started here, i only advocated buying and returning the most recently purchased item, not returning the older item that was needing a receipt for a warranty claim. LC recapped it better than i initially did.