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Comment by collinf | Hacker News Reader

Unrelated, but this reminds me of one of my favourite Mitch Hedberg bits.

“I bought a doughnut and they gave me a receipt for the doughtnut... I don't need a receipt for the doughnut. I give you money and you give me the doughnut, end of transaction. We don't need to bring ink and paper into this. I can't imagine a scenario that I would have to prove that I bought a doughnut. To some skeptical friend, 'Don't even act like I didn't get that doughnut, I've got the documentation right here... It's in my file at home. ...Under "D".'

Really funny when you think about how this joke aged in this era of rampant privacy abuse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWx6uA5aCrE

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It's also to prevent fraud by the cashier. Any transaction without a paper trail showing proof of purchase makes it easy for staff to simply pocket the cash.

> It's also to prevent fraud by the cashier

Example:

- cashier says you owe $X

- you pay in cash

- cashier gives you receipt

- after you leave, cashier voids the transaction & pockets the cash

There are plenty of ways the cashier can get caught, but catching then be a non-trivial exercise. It depends on the products being sold, quality of systems to prevent fraud, etc.

Voiding a transaction leaves a paper trail. Many registers require manager keys to void. Not producing a receipt requires no paper trail.

Worked at a popular teen retailer in HS. Friend of mine would have his friends (not including me) come in and return items. He'd simply give them the item back, pocket the cash/gift card. Got caught by fraud prevention due to high return count.

Haha, good one, I'm completely sharing that perspective. However, I sometimes buy largish Dunkin' Donuts boxes for my colleagues or for our clients and throw the receipt away. One time a manager wanted to pay me back, because it was clearly a business expense and reimbursable. I argued "heck, I don't care, people have good times, done". "NONONONO, next time make sure you get the receipt!!!"

Your employer probably loves you, would you work an hour for free?

I guess a receipt could also be useful in the event of food poisoning or similar... also, i can imagine a few other edge cases where the info on a typical receipt (name of server/cashier, date and time of purchase, item/batch number of purchased product etc.) could be useful later on ...

I've expensed doughnuts while on trips for business.

Still I get your point, but there are times I'd want a receipt.

That's simply for taxes, though.

Another comedian's take: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxpIv4FoD2A

I don’t need to be accused, while stepping out on the street still eating the doughnut, of having stolen the doughnut. Especially while on holiday outside my home country.

I think the receipt is a proof that the store recorded the transaction and is not evading taxes.

I see a receipt come out of every till for every transaction. Afterward, they ask if I want it. If I don't, they drop it in the bin.

I don't see how the receipt is proof that the store isn't evading taxes - someone would need to collect them all and compare them to their tax filings.

More like, proving I didn't buy the (a) doughnut. To an insurer who is ready to ding my rates if I did. (Or, if I can't prove I didn't, as things may end up going...)

> I can't imagine a scenario that I would have to prove that I bought a doughnut.

Well, if you go to sit down and then an employee accuses you of not buying anything (or of stealing something, or whatever) and threatens to call the cops.

I'm not being facetious, and it's not just the recent news; a lot of people have been trained to keep receipts at establishments for this exact reason.

It's sad commentary when such an accusation alone is bad enough that we require such documentation to prove our innocence. It's an unfortunate reality.

I'm sure the government would love having no record of (taxable) sales

Patrice O'Neal had an amusing bit about receipts as well.

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