Day to day living

Every day you are invited to buy goods and services, with persuasive advertisements announcing that this purchase is the best decision you’ll make.

When you pay for a service from a bank, telephone company, bus, train, airline or travel company, you expect a level of service delivery, quality, and timeliness for the cost. There is an unspoken contract in place between you as a buyer or consumer and the shop or service provider.

The same applies when you buy goods, whether this is a car, clothing, furnishing, garden or electrical appliance. The goods should be safe to use, in working order and last for a reasonable amount of time.

Your rights as a buyer and consumer are protected by the Sale of Goods Act 1979 and Consumer Protection Act 1987.

When goods or services fall short of reasonable expectations or fail to work, you as a consumer are entitled to obtain a refund, replacement or compensation, depending on the goods and the services purchased. As airline and travel companies are not governed by the same legislation, you should always enquire about your consumer rights when booking travel.

When you buy a household item for the kitchen or garden, the goods are covered by a guarantee. This means that the seller promises that the goods or product works and if not, you’ll get your money back.

The guarantee period usually lasts for one year. If the product stops working when the guarantee expires, you’ll have to pay for any repairs or replacement parts. Shops selling goods usually suggest you take out a maintenance contract on a product which covers breakdown or faults after the guarantee ends. You should always check your standard household insurance to see if these breakdowns are already included.