Exchange of goods in the store, as long as possible and receipt required

Among the rights of consumers there is also the right to exchange the goods purchased in the store for other ones or to receive a refund.
The reasons for the change can be very disparate, from a manufacturing defect to a customer error, but they are fundamental to understanding how to act.
While in some cases, in fact, the exchange of products is regulated directly by the Civil Code, in others the shopkeeper has wide discretion.
Consequently, the times until it is possible to exchange the goods and the obligation to provide a receipt are not always the same.
Let's see what the rules are for consumers (who purchase for private and non-commercial purposes).
Changing goods in the shop Until when it is possible to change the goods in the shop Changing goods, repairs and refunds Changing goods in the shop, the rules The obligation to have a receipt Until when it is possible to change the goods in the shop The law ensures customers the possibility to exchange goods that present defects, imperfections that prevent the use of the product or that reduce its value.
This is the case of a stained or torn dress, a PC that won't turn on and so on.
In these cases, the purchase is covered by a 2-year legal guarantee (reducible to 1 year if it is used goods) and to activate it you must report the defect to the merchant within 2 months of discovery (and not of purchase).
The law also provides that defects arising within 6 months of purchase are presumed to exist at the time of purchase, unless proven otherwise or evident incompatibility.
Exchange of goods, repair and refund When the legal guarantee for defects in the goods is exercised, the consumer has the right to have the goods replaced only when they cannot be repaired.
However, both the repair and the replacement may be too expensive for the seller, but also not very convenient for the customer, so in these cases you can ask for: A reduction in the price compared to the defect in the product, therefore a partial refund of the purchase; the conclusion of the contract, therefore the return of the product for a full refund and any compensation for damages.
read also Wrong e-commerce purchase: right of withdrawal Exchange of goods in store, the rules Apart from product defects, no guarantee whatsoever applies to goods purchased in a physical store.
This is because, unlike remote purchases, the goods can be carefully viewed and checked before payment, and errors cannot be made.
Many sellers, despite this, still allow you to exchange the goods for reasons other than defects (a wrong size, a change of ideas, etc.).
This is a completely free and discretionary option, since in these cases consumers have no right to exchange the goods established by law.
If the goods were purchased in good condition and suitable for use, the seller can choose the policy for replacements and returns, being able to do as he sees fit without violating the law.
Consequently, for the exchange of goods that do not present defects, the timescales decided by the seller and any limitations apply.
For example, shops often give 14 days to exchange goods and in the clothing sector they prohibit returning underwear and swimsuits for hygienic reasons, while for economic reasons goods purchased on sale are not exchanged.
These are very common habits, but it is good to find out before purchasing at the point of sale, as there are no peremptory rules in this sense.
The seller can also refuse to exchange the goods or set even shorter deadlines.
read also How long can you change a defective dress or one that breaks after a short time The obligation to have a receipt The obligation to have a receipt to exchange goods in the store depends on the situation.
When the possibility of repair or replacement is provided for by the legal guarantee for defects in the goods, the receipt is not mandatory.
Or rather, it is mandatory to provide proof of purchase, which however can be represented differently (payment by credit card, even testimonials, etc.).
Without a doubt, the receipt is very practical, but not strictly essential in a case.
On the contrary, if the goods have no defects and their exchange is left to the seller's will, the rules in force in the shop must be respected.
Normally, in these cases the receipt is asked for to reduce wasted time and errors, but it is not uncommon for traders to allow exchanges to people without a receipt (for example, it happens in small shops, where the sellers remember the customers ).
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