Shopping Rights on Buying Goods
Your Rights
The law says that goods
must be:
-
of
satisfactory quality - they must meet the
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.
This covers, for instance, the appearance and finish
of the goods, their safety, and their durability.
Goods must be free from defects, even minor ones,
except when they have been brought to your attention
by the seller for example, if the goods are said
to be shop-soiled.
-
fit
for their purposes - including any particular
purpose mentioned by you to the seller - for example,
if you are buying a computer game and you explain
that you want one which can be played on a particular
type of machine, the seller must not give you one
that cannot.
-
as
described - on the package or a display
sign, or by the seller. If you are told that a shirt
is 100% cotton, then it should not turn out to be
cotton and polyester.
These are your statutory rights.
All goods bought or hired from a trader - whether
from shops, street markets, mail order catalogues,
UK websites or door to door sellers - are covered
by these rights. This includes goods bought in sales.
When you decide to complain, bear in mind how the
item was described. A new item must look new and unspoiled
as well as work properly, but if the goods are second-hand,
or seconds, then you cannot expect perfect quality.
Many traders have goodwill policies
which go beyond your statutory rights. For example,
some stores will allow you to exchange goods which
are not faulty, such as clothes which are the wrong
size.
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