Bargain buy or old turkey – sale shoppers should know their rights

5 January 2008

Shoppers hitting the new year sales could find that goods at ‘knock-down prices’ aren’t necessarily the bargains they seem to be, warns Which? Legal Service.

Some retailers misrepresent sale goods, using incorrect advertising and misleading price tickets, says the professional legal advice team from Which? The service has provided a free online guide for confused sales shoppers at whichlegalservice.co.uk

Which? Legal Service Top 5 Tips for buying in sales:

1 Normal statutory rights apply when returning sale goods A retailer cannot legally state, for example, that there are ‘no returns on sale items’. You still have the right to claim a refund, replacement or repair when returning sale goods, and you’re entitled to be fully reimbursed (not just for the last ticketed price of the goods) if the goods are faulty (other than advised at the time of purchase), not fit for purpose or not as described.

2 Keep the receipt You can return sale goods using any proof of purchase, including a bank statement or a credit card bill, but it cuts down on time and hassle to have the receipt ready.

3 Use the plastic if you're spending over £100 If a retailer refuses to remedy problem sale goods, the credit card company has the same responsibility as the retailer - invaluable if the retailer goes bust or denies responsibility.

4 On sale goods the original price must be clearly displayed along with the sale price A price ticket, for example, cannot simply say ‘Sale - £20’ without specifying how much the item cost originally.

5 The product must have been for sale at a higher price for 28 consecutive days in the previous six months at the same outlet This is true for all sale purchases, from a new jumper to a new car, but doesn’t apply to food and drink or items with a shelf life of less than six weeks.

Peter McCarthy, Senior Lawyer, Which? Legal Service, says:

“We always get calls at this time of year from people who have found their sale ‘bargain’ isn’t as much of a find as they thought, and they’re not sure where they stand legally on taking it back. Signs in shops that say ‘no refunds on sale goods’ aren’t legally enforceable as faulty, unfit or misdescribed goods can be returned; it’s important people know their rights when they’re hunting for a bargain in the new year sales.”

Visit whichlegalservice.co.uk for further information about shoppers’ rights when buying in the sales.

---

Press releases, papers and documents published on this page are the intellectual property of an organisation unrelated to Central Lobby. We promote their parliamentary and political campaigning activities as they are subscribers to the Central Lobby service.

As such, Central Lobby does not edit, endorse, or attempt to balance the opinions expressed on this page. The content of press releases and other such types of content are the responsibility of the originating organisation.