What are consumer laws with regard to faulty goods?
With the way some retailers approach them, with confusing and
convoluted rules regarding returns, consumer laws would seem to be
a complicated issue. Much of the time, though, shops and businesses
are merely seeking to confuse you about what rights you actually
have, to discourage you from pursuing the refunds, replacements and
repairs that you, like all consumers, are actually entitled to
under the law.
Consumer laws in this area are actually not that complicated,
and cannot be cancelled out by any policy a shop claims to have in
place.
In essence, consumer laws, under the Sale of Goods Act 1979,
state that the retailer is required to take responsibility for any
goods purchased from them which were not of "satisfactory" quality.
If the goods are returned within a reasonable amount of time, they
must offer you a refund; if a longer period has elapsed, you are
still entitled to a free replacement or repair service.
They may attempt to pass you on to the manufacturer, pointing to
warranties or guarantees, but under consumer laws, it is the
retailer who is required to remedy the situation, and any attempt
to brush you off is an infringement of your rights as a
consumer.
To learn more about returning faulty goods and the consumer laws
governing them, read our free Consumer Rights guide.
Claims Financial