Receipts and documents
Which paper and electronic confirmations are worth keeping after a purchase, why your correspondence with the seller matters and what to do if a receipt is lost.
shop with peace of mind: a buyer's reference
Shop with peace of mind
Most purchases go without surprises, but sometimes an item does not fit, arrives faulty or never arrives at all. At such moments what helps is not a heated argument but an understanding of your rights and a couple of saved documents. This reference explains the general rules in plain words and suggests what to do in advance so that you never have to prove anything later.
The most useful habit a buyer can have takes half a minute: read the return terms before paying and save the order confirmation. Almost every unpleasant story begins where that half minute was skipped.
Which question to start with
Exchanges and returns
When you can exchange an item that simply did not suit you, what conditions apply and how to go through a return step by step without losing time.
Shopping online
How ordering on a website differs from buying in a store, how to inspect a parcel on delivery and within what time you can withdraw from the purchase.
Defects and warranty
What a buyer is entitled to demand if a product turns out to be defective, and how to set out your demands to the seller in writing.
Reference sections
- Topics
Four topic groups: documents and money, returns and exchanges, online and delivery, digital purchases.
- Practical
A step-by-step return procedure and the catalogue of the reference's practical articles.
- Questions
Short answers on receipts, exchanges, delivery, defects, warranty and written complaints.
- Collections
Ready-made reading routes: a big purchase, an order with delivery, digital purchases.
- Reference
A buyer's glossary: saleable condition, distance selling, product defect and other terms.
- New
A timeline of the reference's publications with a short note on each.
- Archive
All pages of the reference by publication date and topic.
A five-step check before paying
Find out who the seller is
Look on the website or in the store for the name of the company or sole trader and its registration details. If the seller cannot be identified, you will have no one to turn to if something goes wrong.
Read the return and delivery terms
See how the seller describes exchanges, returns, delivery times and methods. Save that page or take a screenshot of it: terms on websites sometimes change.
Check the final total
Make sure the total already includes delivery, packaging, assembly and any other extra services. Untick any options you did not choose yourself.
Think about the payment method
Pay in a way that leaves a trail: through the payment form on the seller's website or at the till with a receipt. A request to transfer money to a private person's card should put you on guard.
Keep the confirmations
Keep the receipt, the order email, your correspondence with the seller and screenshots of the product description in one folder until the warranty ends. Such an archive helps if you ever need to prove something.
Frequently asked questions about this reference
Are you a shop or a marketplace?
No. Belstores is an independent reference. You cannot buy or order anything here; we do not accept payments and do not represent sellers.
Can you tell me where to buy it cheaper?
No, we do not name shops or prices. Instead, we describe criteria for judging a seller yourself: clear registration details, honestly stated return terms, a transparent final total and a payment method that gives you a receipt.
Can I return goods without a receipt?
It is better to keep the receipt, but under the Russian Law on Protection of Consumer Rights its absence does not take away your right to rely on witness testimony. Other traces of the purchase also help: a card statement, an order email, correspondence.
Will you help me write a complaint?
We describe the general procedure: what to include, how to deliver it and how to keep proof. We do not draft ready-made documents for specific cases. If the situation is disputed or a significant sum is involved, contact a lawyer or a consumer advice centre.
About the project
This domain used to carry unrelated advertising that had nothing to do with buyers. The current reference has no connection with that advertising and does not carry it. The name Belstores comes from the English word "stores" and reflects the subject: how a buyer can act with confidence in an ordinary shop and an online store.
We write about buyers' rights in Russia, relying on the Russian Law on Protection of Consumer Rights and materials from Rospotrebnadzor, the Russian consumer protection authority. We cite only the specific deadlines and rules we have checked, describe everything else in general terms and advise checking the current version of the law. Rules differ by country, so readers elsewhere should check the law where they buy.
What this text is based on
- Russian Federation Law "On Protection of Consumer Rights"
- Rospotrebnadzor: materials for consumers
- Rules for the sale of goods (general provisions), Russia
Consumer rights rules change from time to time, so before an important decision check the current version of the Russian Law on Protection of Consumer Rights and the specific seller's terms. Rules differ from country to country, so if you shop elsewhere, check the law where you buy. This reference describes general rules and does not analyse individual cases.