Do you save your sales receipts?

Heard enough stories about buying an expensive item used only to find out it was STOLEN.

Asking for the sales receipt is no guarantee that it isn't stolen, but at least it is a step you can take to avoid a problem.

400dabuser wrote in post #10513733
Something called insurance means I have to keep them

this

I usually stuff the receipt in the original box, which is kept in my closet. Also useful for insurance purposes.

Keep 'em for insurance purposes, as well as income tax/depreciation purposes, and re-sales if I happen to sell something off and the buyer asks for one.

At 70% polling, I'd say that's comparable to a 'VAST MAJORITY'.

DStanic wrote in post #10515193
this

My home was broken into last November. The entire situation was a real pia because we didn't have receipts for the stolen items. Most of the stolen items were gifts from my husband's family or bought from friends. The insurance company denied our claim and accused us of fraud; until my husband told the adjuster(?) we HAVE receipts for all the camera equipment, we would have claimed to lie!

Now I save receipts for everything and will ask for receipts if I buy directly from an individual. Lesson learned!!!

I really, really wanted to say that I keep the receipts forever, but I can't. I'm just too disorganized for my own good.

I'm starting to get better at it through scanning receipts and saving them on my computer, but I haven't made any (major) gear purchases to try and apply that practice to yet.

seems kind of weird that receipts would be required for insurance. It really only proves that somebody at some time bought the item you are claiming. It doesn't prove you own anything. I still have the receipt for my Camera body I sold, so it would be just as easy to commit fraud with receipts as without.

tkbslc wrote in post #10517494
seems kind of weird that receipts would be required for insurance. It really only proves that somebody at some time bought the item you are claiming. It doesn't prove you own anything. I still have the receipt for my Camera body I sold, so it would be just as easy to commit fraud with receipts as without.

But, are you willing to file a false Police report with it?

I keep them in the box of the item, later it is easier to find it when I need it

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #10517524
But, are you willing to file a false Police report with it?

I don't see how it is any different than being accused of making up possesions because you DON'T have a receipt. Pretending I have something I didn't ever have is really no different than pretending I have something I don't anymore.

If you have the receipts it is a lot less hassle if you ever need to claim.

tkbslc wrote in post #10517494
seems kind of weird that receipts would be required for insurance. It really only proves that somebody at some time bought the item you are claiming. It doesn't prove you own anything. I still have the receipt for my Camera body I sold, so it would be just as easy to commit fraud with receipts as without.

Fraud is a compleatly different topic and maybe deserves a separate thread.

tkbslc wrote in post #10517494
seems kind of weird that receipts would be required for insurance. It really only proves that somebody at some time bought the item you are claiming. It doesn't prove you own anything. I still have the receipt for my Camera body I sold, so it would be just as easy to commit fraud with receipts as without.

You're forgetting about the serial number, which is usually required by insurance companies to go along with the receipt/proof of purchase. Assume the new owner of your camera body insures his gear with the serial number, and then for some reason sends the body to Canon for some type of service. Meanwhile, you notify your insurance carrier and claim that it was stolen, and provide the receipt as proof of purchase. Your carrier notifies Canon with the 'stolen' serial number and then cuts you a check for the replacement value. Canon runs a check and, lo and behold, the 'stolen' camera is in their repair shop. The new owner gets hassled, then states that he purchased it from you and proves it with a Paypal invoice...guess what?

Not saying that this scenario will actually happen, but if its an item with a very high replacement value, the insurance carrier just may pay very close attention and ask a lot of questions...they're not in the business of just cutting checks. Receipts and serial numbers are generally the norm. I make it a habit to revise my policy whenever I sell off a piece of gear...not only does it keep my books straight, but it may also lower my premium by not keeping something on the books that I no longer own.

Well, judging from the numbers, about 85% of folks save their receipts for some time or other. Granted, just a small sampling, but it kinda refutes the 'vast majority don't save receipts' blanket statement that was thrown about in another thread. Interesting...

I started saving all my receipts about 5 years ago. Now, organizing them is another matter.

I like the idea of keeping them with the box, though. I do scan, but hap-hazardly. I need to fix that.

Another reason to scan is sometimes these thermal-type receipts will fade rather quickly, to the point of being literally unreadable. Scan them and save them on your computer right away.