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+--- Forum: Buying & Selling (/Forum-buying-selling)
+--- Thread: Before You Buy: Know Your Rights (/Thread-before-you-buy-know-your-rights)
Before You Buy: Know Your Rights - Neko - 14-11-2009 10:22 PM
Four very useful rights to bear in mind when buying online, as laid out in the Goods and Services Act. These cannot be ignored by your retailer, so if you have problems with a purchase, point to them and press on.
1) If Things Break
"[Goods] must be as described. [They] must be of satisfactory quality, sufficiently durable, free from any defects."
First month: reject and return for refund. You have a right to a cash refund, not store credit.
First 6 months: replacement or repair. In the event of dispute, you do not have to prove that the goods are broken; the retailer has to prove that they are not. If they cannot demonstrate the item working, then it is broken - so the PC shop that tells you you're using it wrong had better know how to make it run.
Beyond 6 months: depends on the expected life of the product - but you can deal directly with the retailer. You do not have to accept being redirected to the manufacturer, it is the seller's job to sort it out.
2) Buy On Credit
"Your credit card provider is often liable."
Very useful to know is that if you order something costing £100-30,000 by credit card, watch the money go, but no goods arrive - it's the credit company's problem. Don't clear your credit balance until you've got the product in your hands and you've seen it working, and they'll fight for you, even if the retailer you bought from has gone bust.
3) Services are Like Goods
"[The act] does the same for services as the Sale of Goods Act does. The service provided has got to be provided with reasonable skill and care. The goods bit means the widget has got to be of satisfactory quality."
This means that if the PC repair shop charges you £50 and hasn't fixed the problem, you can demand a refund, or take it back and make them fix it at no extra charge.
4) Changed Your Mind
"When it comes to buying over the web, you're allowed to change your mind."
Within the first 7 days, you can send back any product for a refund, provided it is unopened. You are likely to be liable for return postage, but that's better than ending up with two identical items due to a Christmas mixup. Does not apply to perishable goods like food, magazines, tickets, or clothes that have been worn for more than a trying-on.
Full Article at the BBC website.
- Neko - 14-11-2009 10:22 PM
Oh, and would some admin be kind enough to sticky this one please? Ta
