A decree, currently under examination by the Constitutional Council, aims to prohibit the systematic printing on paper of the card summarizing your purchases at supermarket checkouts. This development worries consumer protection associations. explanation.
In a few months, the salesperson handing you your receipt at the end of your purchase should be a thing of the past. To get the piece of paper, you have to ask for it. In any case, this is the aim of the decree examined by the Constitutional Council with a view to its entry into force on 1 January 2023.
The aim of this decision: to reduce the use of paper to protect the environment, according to the National Assembly quoted by BFMthe coupons represent “750 kilometers of rolls for a supermarket every year”.
Do not ask customers directly
According to a press release, broadcast by UFC-que-Choisir and co-signed by other consumer protection organizations, after the text comes into effect, customers”only be informed by means of a display at the box office that if they want to get a ticket they must explicitly ask for it“and this, regardless of the amount of their purchases.
For the UFC, the problem with this decision lies precisely in the fact that the consumer is not explicitly offered the voucher, which is problematic. “We would expect consumers to be systematically asked if they want to buy a ticket,” the statement said.
Fear of the Rise of Intrusive Ads
But that is not everything. The associations believe that not only does the generic display run the risk of being drowned out in the many information already displayed at the checkout, but they also fear that this measure “probably, through marketing techniques, facilitate the creation of a database” by merchants and in particular to lead to the growth of intrusive or unwanted advertisements.
Lost proof of purchase?
Finally, consumer protection associations fear a decrease in the power of the customer who, without proof of material purchase, could get into difficulties when he has to enforce its legal guarantees.
“The ticket also allows to verify the correctness of the transaction amounta far from trivial precaution to avoid errors at checkout, such as disregarding a promotion and especially against increased risk of contactless payment if you do not printthe press release warns.
Without resisting a change in law, consumer advocates instead ask the government to review the copy and systematically provide the customer with a receipt.
