Question: Is it legal for a retailer to offer only an emailed or texted receipt? We wanted to get a paper receipt and the retailer said they don’t do that anymore; an email or texted receipt are the only ones they offer. I wanted to know if that was legal.
Answer: Yes, generally speaking, although the practice does raise concerns among consumer advocates.
There is no law in Hawaii requiring that a merchant provide a customer a paper receipt, according to the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
However, businesses should try to accommodate customers who are reluctant to share their email address or telephone number because of privacy concerns, it said. Refusing to honor a customer’s preference for a paper receipt under those circumstances could result in the business being judged unreasonable if the customer files a complaint.
Moreover, Hawaii does have a law that allows businesses to require “proof of purchase” before approving a refund or exchange of returned merchandise. Merchants who limit “proof of purchase” to electronic receipts, such as a text or email, may create unnecessary obstacles to the processing of returns, by preventing consumers who decline electronic receipts from being able to comply with the law, the DCCA said. That also would be taken into account if a complaint was filed.
You didn’t say whether the business had any other explanation for its lack of paper receipts, other than it was simply no longer the merchant’s practice. We’ve heard from other readers with similar complaints who said the business blamed new point-of-sale software that did not have a printing function.
Q: Regarding applying for the REAL ID driver’s license, will a W-2 form from five years ago be acceptable to prove my Social Security number?
A: No. It must be from the previous year, per state rules.
The state lists documents acceptable to verify the five elements of a federally compliant (“gold star”) driver’s license or state ID at 808ne.ws/listdoc.
To verify your Social Security number, any of the following are acceptable, according to the list:
>> Social Security card (paper only; plastic or metal cards are not accepted).
>> Wage and Tax Statement W-2 form from the previous year. (A printed electronically transmitted copy is acceptable.)
>> Social Security Administration 1099 form from the previous year.
>> Non-SSA 1099 form from the previous year.
>> A pay stub with the applicant’s name and Social Security number.
Whatever document you use must be a valid (unexpired) original or certified copy, and the entire Social Security number must be printed on the document. One document is required to verify your Social Security number for REAL ID purposes.
Mahalo
I would like to extend my genuine mahalo and aloha to Honolulu airport officer Lane and to Ling Langton of Roberts Hawaii. After returning from a wonderful trip with friends, and trying to manage too many things, I somehow lost my small purse between the airplane and the car. … I talked to guards on the curb and drove home hopeful it might be found. Within 10 minutes a phone call came from officer Lane that my purse had been found. I immediately circled back and was so grateful; also, nothing was missing! When I sent Lane a thank-you message he replied that they love success stories and being able to return people’s things. His most important reminder: to always leave contact information in your bag and everything you carry. I was so glad I did that! Mahalo nui to officer Lane, Ling and all the hard-working crew at HNL. — Mary Osorio, Palolo Valley
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
