New Year Slough bargains: Know your rights
As the New Year sales descend upon us, Slough Borough Council’s trading standards team is offering residents some useful advice.
Your basic consumer rights apply equally to goods bought in a sale. However, additional customer 'goodwill' policies operated by some stores, such as an automatic refund or exchange if you change your mind, may not apply to sales goods.
Keith Eaglestone, head of Slough trading standards, said: “Some sales goods can be reduced because of slight defects. Our advice is check carefully. This is because the seller is not obliged to give you your money back if you are complaining about faults pointed out prior to purchase.”
The Sales of Goods Act states goods must be:
* 'Of satisfactory quality', which means a standard that a reasonable person would regard as acceptable, bearing in mind the way they were described, what they cost and any other relevant circumstances
* 'Fit for their purpose', which includes any particular purpose mentioned by you to the seller. For example, if you buy a computer game and say to the trader you want to play it on a particular console, it must be compatible
* 'As described' on the package, display sign or by the seller - for example, a jumper described as cashmere mustn't be acrylic
If goods aren't of satisfactory quality, fit for their purpose or as described, you have a right to return them and get your money back. There is no set time limit. However, the quicker you report the problem, the easier it will be to obtain a refund.
Instead of a refund you may be offered a credit note, vouchers or the repair of the goods. You are not obliged to accept any of these if you’ve returned the item within a reasonable time.
Usually it is the person who bought the goods who should take them back. Of course, this is not always practical when it comes to presents. However, in practice it is normally proof of purchase – such as a receipt – that retailers will insist on seeing.
While you have the same rights even if you lose the receipt, it is useful evidence of where and when you bought the goods, although credit or debit card statements can also be used as proof of purchase.
The law says it is up to the seller to deal with complaints about defective goods. However, you may have additional rights under a manufacturer’s guarantee.
You are usually required to send off details such as your name and address and date of purchase to validate the guarantee.
If you receive a gift voucher, remember, they are only valid for a certain time, typically 12 months from the date of purchase.
Confronting the hurly burly of the High Street sales season is not to everyone’s taste. If you buy goods or services from a catalogue, on the internet or by any other form of ‘distance selling’, generally speaking, you additionally have the right to:
* Clear information before placing an order
* Written information about a purchase, including a description of the goods, the price and any delivery charges
* A cancellation period during which an order can be cancelled without any reason and a full refund made. This typically lasts for up to seven clear working days after receipt of the goods
If you have brought goods on a credit card and the item is more than £100 – but not greater than £30,000 – both the supplier and the credit provider have the same liability to you if the goods are faulty or they were misrepresented.
This means if the supplier goes bankrupt before you receive the goods, you can make the same claim against the credit provider that you would have brought against the supplier.
Be wary of offers that seem ‘too good to be true’ – they probably are! Misleading advertisements may:
* Include false promises about what products can do
* Conceal or leave out important facts
* Create a false impression in some way
Ask questions and try to see the goods before you buy. Do consider whether you’ll be able to easily contact the seller if there is a problem. Don’t rush into a purchase you might regret.
If a product is not to your satisfaction, go back to the seller with proof of purchase. Try not to get annoyed and be sure of your facts.
If you are not satisfied, write a letter of complaint to the company’s head office, consumer complaints department or chairman. Persevere, as you may need to send a follow-up letter. If this fails, contact Consumer Direct, a nationwide network of consumer experts, on 08454 040506. Calls are charged at local rate.
Slough Borough Council