Knowing your consumer rights can really help get you out of sticky situations. I used to buy extended warranties and insurance for things I was probably covered for – until I joined the consumer rights team….
Well, now I know that if a product you’ve bought develops a fault, your statutory rights mean you can reject it and get your money back, or you can have it replaced or repaired. Remember, no retailer should ignore your rights under the Sale of Goods Act – warranty or no warranty!
Wavechange once told us:
‘In my experience, shop staff are often unaware of the SOGA and one young man in Currys actually told me that it didn’t apply to them. My suggestion to anyone seeking repair or replacement of goods is to be polite and take along a printout of the relevant information on the Which? website. This is clear and easy for shop assistants to understand. ’
No receipt? You still have rights
Don’t forget, the Sale of Goods Act applies to everyone. Even if you don’t have a receipt, you still have rights. And if it all goes wrong? Although it should be viewed as a last resort, there is the small claims court – which allows you to claim up to £10,000 in England and Wales.
Now, a few weeks ago my 91-year-old grandmother was phoned up by some scammers trying to get her to give over her bank details. Fortunately she didn’t give them anything – no one crosses my grandma.
But if you’ve been the victim of a card scam, usually the most you’ll stand to lose is £50 because the bank should refund the rest. You should explain to your bank exactly what happened, giving them as much detail as possible.
Delays and disappointing goods
Did you also know that if your flight is under 932 miles (if someone whisked you away to Venice for example) and delayed for at least two hours, you can get free hotel accommodation and hotel transfers if an overnight stay is required?
You also have the right to cancel most online orders up to seven working days from the day after you receive the goods? Something that could come in very handy if you’ve bought something that didn’t quite look how it did on the website, as I did recently when my new winter coat turned out to be the thickness of paper.
Did any of these rights surprise you? Have you had success exercising your consumer rights before? We’d love to hear your stories.