As well as your rights under the Sale
of Goods Act you may also have rights under other legislation:
Trade
Descriptions Act
This is part of the criminal law - it is a criminal offence to describe
something inaccurately. This could be:
- an advertisement
- labeling
- a verbal description
from a shop assistant.
If you think this law has been broken, then
you should inform your local Trading
Standards Department.
If you buy a coat because you have been told
it is leather and later find it is not, you can :
- claim you money back under
'As described' in the Sale of
Goods Act.
- report the trader
to the Trading Standards Department.
Guarantee
Manufacturers' guarantees are available on many items, particularly
electrical goods. If the goods develop a fault within a specified time
then the manufacturer pays for the repair.
- This guarantee is in addition
to your legal rights via the Sale
of Goods Act.
- You may have to register
your guarantee to make it valid.
Extended guarantees
Many large stores that sell electrical goods will offer you an extended
guarantee along with the goods. Before agreeing, double-check to
see what you are paying for and whether you are already covered.
Goods on credit
The Consumer Credit Act covers goods bought with credit cards. It
also covers many other areas of consumer rights that are backed by
criminal law.
You have extra rights if you have used your
credit card to buy goods which are then found to be faulty.
You can claim your money back from the credit
card company if the goods are worth more than £100 but less than £30,000.
Most credit card companies will insist that
you first try to get your money back from the trader. If the trader
has gone out of business, you still have a means of getting your
money back.
Consumer
Protection Act
If you are injured by a defective item you have bought then you claim
for compensation using this Act.
This claim is usually against the manufacturer.
This is a very complicated process and you should always get advice
first.
Unsolicited
Goods Act
It is illegal for a trader to threaten you for payment of goods that
you have not ordered. It is this Act which protects you.
If you receive unsolicited goods, then you
can:
- Keep them for six
months before disposing of them
- Contact the seller
and tell them about delivery. The retailer then has one month
to recover the goods.
Always keep a note of all communication with
the trader.
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