Martin Lewis shares little-known tip if you didn’t get a gift receipt at Christmas

In the last few days before Christmas, many of us will be running around like headless chickens, trying to get everything done in time.

Last-minute shoppers will be racing around department stores and stomping up and down the high street to snag those all-important gifts.

But with so much to do, it’s understandable that some of the little things might easily be forgotten – like gift receipts.

These might not seem overly important in the grand scheme of things, but according to Martin Lewis, there’s a crucial reason to have one.

In the latest edition of his Money Saving Expert newsletter, the 53-year-old explained: ‘With gifts, technically only the purchaser, not the recipient, has legal rights.’

However, he claims gift receipts tend to transfer some of the rights over to the person you’re buying the gift for.

This means they can take the item back to the store and exchange it for another item or credit if it is unwanted, and it will also provide them with proof of purchase for any faulty goods.

It is worth noting, though, that in the UK, stores don’t legally have to accept returns for unwanted items unless a product is faulty. That said, most shops do have their own generous ‘goodwill’ policies that allow for returns or refunds if you’ve changed your mind. This period might be shorter than you’d expect, so it’s worth double-checking. 

What do you do if you don’t have a gift receipt?

‘Try writing on your regular receipt that it’s a gift, as this may prove evidence enough,’ advises Martin.

Alternatively, hold onto the original receipt, as this will still allow you to return the item or provide proof of purchase if needed.

Martin recently revealed that we should all be keeping hold of our receipts and various other financial documents for up to six years in some cases – especially when making big purchases.

The expert has also recommended that we take away a little of the ‘romance’ of Christmas by opening presents for others after buying them and before doing all the wrapping.

This is so you can check whether it’s faulty and get it refunded if needed, with plenty of time to sort it all out.

He said: ‘Whether in-store or online, if items are faulty, you’ve 30 days to take them back for a full refund (after that, it’s repair, partial refund, or replacement). So if you’ve bought something expensive or techy, leaving it sitting too long in a wrapped box could cause you problems.’

The expert continued: ‘It may lose some of the romance of Christmas, but if you’re buying someone an expensive gift, it is worth opening it and checking it’s not faulty while you’re still within the time limit to return it, just in case.’

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