Know your rights on returns
Chrismas is just around the corner…so be ready
With Christmas approaching, there will be thousands of returns and exchanges made.
Understanding your rights can be complicated. The Trading Standards team has some useful tips, just in case there were any disappointments with your purchases or gifts.
If you receive goods as a gift which are faulty, the person who bought them should usually be the person who makes any complaint.
What happens when things go wrong?
- Your contract is with the seller, not the manufacturer.
- A guarantee is additional to your statutory rights – and may have terms and conditions, so always read the small print.
- The law gives you a ‘reasonable time’ to check that there’s nothing wrong with your goods. What is ‘reasonable’ will depend on the type of goods. Try them out at the first opportunity.
- Report any problems to the seller immediately. Your right to a refund, replacement or repair may be reduced if you delay.
Returning faulty goods
- Stop using them at once.
- You can reject faulty goods and receive a full refund, but only if you report the fault quickly. If you choose to reject, it will be up to you to prove they had a fault when they were sold to you.
- Instead of a full refund you can choose a free repair, replacement or partial refund. If the goods go wrong within six months of supply and you choose this option, then it is up to the seller to prove they were not faulty when they were supplied to you.
- The seller can choose whether to repair or replace, but it must be done within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to you as the consumer.