As a consumer, you have rights whether you buy something from a high street store or off the internet…but how many of you actually know what your rights are? A recent poll suggests that less than 50% of people know what their consumer rights are and even less know how to go about complaining if they’re unhappy with a purchase. So here they are in an easy to remember form (taken from Martin Lewis’s The Money Diet):

The SAD FART Rules

SAD FART is a great way to remember your consumer rights:

‘S’ stands for Satisfactory quality – anything you buy should be in a satisfactory condition and safe to use when you get it home.

‘A’ and ‘D’ stand for As Described – if you read a description or ask a specific question about a product before buying and then find out that it isn’t as described you have the right to a full refund without question.

‘F’ stands for Fit for the purpose – being sold an item or a product that isn’t fit for the purpose it’s described as being for is again a consumer rights issue. So, should you buy or receive an item that’s broken or that has parts missing then it obviously isn’t fit for the purpose specified.

‘A’, ‘R’ and ‘T’ stand for And a Reasonable Time – sellers have to give consumers a reasonable amount of time to try out their purchases and take back faulty items. You should make complaints and return items as soon as possible and normally within a week – this will virtually guarantee a full refund. Any longer and you may only be offered a replacement or a partial refund.

Play the Complaining Game
Once you know your consumer rights you can actively complain about poor quality products and services. Even if you have no rights you can still make a difference by complaining to the company that sold you the item/service and if it’s a poor quality item the manufacturer as well. Companies don’t like consumers that complain because they have a reputation to think about and so many will offer some form of compensation for any inconvenience caused.

This doesn’t mean that you should go and complain about everything you buy but if you do have a genuine complaint and the company refuse to acknowledge your consumer rights then it might help to kick up a bit of a stink.

Buying on the Internet and from Second Hand Dealers
If you buy anything from a store on the internet, or from a mail order catalogue, then you have the same consumer rights as if you bought the goods on the high street. eBay stores also have these rights however private sellers may not accept returns and this should be stated in the description of the item you’re buying.

Second hand goods and any goods that are bought during a sale in a high street store also follow the same consumer rights rules – if it’s in an unsatisfactory condition or is broken then you can return it. Private sellers that advertise second hand goods must describe the items as they are. If they don’t then you can ask for a refund but if they do and you still buy a broken lawnmower or something similar then on your head be it. As they say, buyer beware!