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Consumer Rights Guide

What happens if you buy something that proves to be faulty? It's really important to know your consumer rights, and how these work in practice.

Smart buyers are clued up on their rights as a consumer. Armed with this knowledge, we're able to counter any retailer who might try to fob us off on the assumption that we're like 95 per cent of shoppers - just that bit unsure of what we are and are not entitled to.

Here are some general principles.

IF YOU ARE SOLD FAULTY GOODS

The first thing to do is to act quickly. Tell the trader about any problems, either by going back to the shop, by phoning or writing. You should stop using the goods. Normally, it's the trader's responsibility to arrange to collect faulty goods that you have rejected, especially if the items are large. However, with smaller, more portable items, it may be more practical to take them back to the trader yourself.

SOME OTHER PROBLEM AREAS WHEN BUYING GOODS

Private sales: When you buy goods from a private individual, you generally don't have the same rights as when buying from a trader. You have no rights to expect goods to be of a satisfactory quality or fit for their purpose, so you should check goods thoroughly before you buy them. However, the law does say that even private sellers shouldn't misrepresent goods to you. So if something has been misdescribed, you might have a claim.

Second-hand goods: You still have full rights when you buy second-hand goods, although the law does say that you must consider the price paid and, if necessary, be prepared to lower your expectations about their performance. For example, it wouldn't be reasonable to expect a tenyear- old, high-mileage car to be completely free from fault, or to perform in the same way as a brand-new vehicle, or to last as long.

Sale goods: Again, you normally have full rights. However, if the goods were reduced in price because of a fault that was either brought to your attention at the time, or should have been obvious to you on examination, you would not be able to have your money back later for that particular fault - so check sale goods carefully before you buy.

You're hopefully just a bit more clued up about your consumer rights now, but don't forget to check the detail out on some relevant websites. Now, where's that busted flush?


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