Consumer Law
Consumer rights
All individual consumers have certain rights when they purchase goods from business traders located in the UK.
Goods fall under a number of categories. Some are typically considered goods such as clothing, furniture and household items as well as food and drink. Goods can also be provided as part of a service, for example a mechanic repairing an engine back to its working state would be considered a good. More unexpectedly animals and some pets can be regarded as goods as well as crops, but only once they have been harvested!
A trader is not allowed to make a written statement saying you have no legal rights when buying goods. A false description of the goods should not be made and the goods themselves should not be dangerous or unsafe.
Your basic legal rights when you buy goods in your personal capacity are that the goods must be safe, fit for their purpose and match the description given. If the goods are not of reasonably quality or do not match their description then you have the right to get your money back or have the goods replaced. If you suffer a loss as a result of this breach then in some situations you may even be eligible for compensation for this loss.
You will not have the right to return the goods if you just changed your mind about wanting them or there is a fault on the goods which was so obvious you should have noticed it before buying them. Regular wear and tear does not entitle you to refund the goods either.
You possess legal rights even before you buy goods. A trader must not mislead you into making a decision about whether to buy something or not. For example, you take your faulty fridge into for repair and a trader tells you that it cannot be fixed. If this is an untrue statement then the trader is committing a misleading action which you can make a claim against.
Dangerous goods
Our solicitors can help you bring a claim against a trader for faulty goods which have caused damage to property or caused personal injury to you or someone else. We will help you claim compensation for damage caused by unsafe goods.
Claiming compensation for personal injury or damage to property is a complex area of law and is most likely to require specialist advice. Contact our professional, experienced solicitors who can advise you how best to proceed with any potential claim.