Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Consumer Issues

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Problems with sellers:

Do shops have to give refunds for returned goods?

Goods from a shop must be fit for the purpose for which they were bought, they should match any description given and should be of satisfactory quality.  That means that the goods should be what you reasonably expect them to be given the price you paid.  If these requirements are not met then you have legal right to reject them and get your money back.  If you cannot get back to the shop for some time, you should telephone and let the seller know that you have a problem with the goods and that you want to reject them and get a refund.

If you have kept an item for several weeks without properly checking it and discover that it has a problem, you may have difficulty in returning it and getting a refund because you would have had  "reasonable" time to use the goods, unfortunately, there is no legal definition of what "reasonable" time is.

What happens if the shop where I bought the items tries to give me a credit note?

If you accept a credit note, when you actually had the right to a refund, for instance because the goods were not of satisfactory quality, then you cannot change your mind if you accept a credit note, unless you can prove that you were forced to take it.  However,  if you have simply changed your mind about the goods you would have no legal right to your money back.  If the seller offers you a credit note in these circumstances they are doing more than is required by the law.