Consumer Law and Sale of Goods

Buying goods:

When you buy something in a shop or street market you and the seller are making a legal contract.

If you have a complaint later on, it is the seller of the goods-not the manufacturer-who must sort it out.

The Law says that goods you buy:

Must be of a satisfactory quality and be safe.

Must not be damaged or defective unless the person selling them to you points out a fault.

Must be fit for the purpose for which the seller knows you are buying them.

Must be as they are described by the seller, or on the package or display sign-if a shirt is said to be 100 per cent cotton it mustn't be made of polyester.

We advise you to give yourself time to shop around and compare prices. Remember to check out if there are any extra costs such as delivery.

Buying in a sale:

You have the same rights when you buy in a sale. Some sale goods are sold with a defect, if this is pointed out, you can't then ask for a refund.

Fact to remember:

If an item is of good quality, retailers are under no obligation to exchange it or give you a refund (for example, if you decide you don't like the colour) although many do in the interest of customer relations.

Buying from a private seller:

Be careful when buying privately because you have fewer rights.

The only rule is that what you are buying must be as described, if it's not don't buy it.

Take someone with you to act as a witness to any conversations.

Beware of traders who pose as private sellers-this is illegal. If you think someone is doing this, complain to your local trading standards office.

Buying secondhand goods:

You have the same rights as when buying new goods. You can still claim your money back if they're faulty, unless the fault is obvious or pointed out to you at the time, or is to be expected with secondhand items.

Buying secondhand items at auctions:

What matters here is whether you have the chance to look at the goods before you buy them, if you do and you don't take this up your rights might be limited. Read the auctioneer's terms and conditions carefully before you bid.

Internet auctions:

If you don't have a chance to examine the goods before buying, for example, when bidding at an internet auction you normally have the same rights as when you buy goods elsewhere. Be careful, some Internet auctions are only notice boards between private buyers and sellers, in which casr your rights are the same as when buying from a private seller.