5 common consumer myths busted open - Video script

Don't be fooled by consumer myths! Emma Roberts finds out what the public really know about their consumer rights and sets the record straight.

Knowing your consumer rights can save you a bundle of cash and a lot of hassle, but many of us are still in the dark when it comes to getting refunds, repairs and replacements. I’m going to go Myth busting and see what people really know about their consumer rights. For example, what would you expect to happen if you tried to return a faulty product without a receipt?

Vox pop answers

Actually, you don’t legally need a receipt to get a refund. The Sale of Goods Act 1979 states that a Bank or credit card statement showing the purchased item can be accepted as proof of purchase. But what are your rights if you knowingly buy an item with a fault,  but when you get home you discover an additional fault?

Vox pop answers

If you find another fault with an item that is different to the described defect, you have the right to a full refund.  What about sale items? Do you have the same rights as full priced goods?

 Vox pop answers

Just because the price of a product is reduced, it doesn’t mean your legal rights are. The Sales of Goods act says that the product purchased must be of satisfactory quality.

Many of us shop online now, but do we have the same rights on the web  as on the high street?

Vox pop answers

Actually, you get more protection when buying online than you do on the high street. Most  online purchases have a seven-day ‘cooling off’ period in which you can return the item and get a refund for whatever reason. The seven days starts when you receive the goods but it doesn’t cover perishable goods, unsealed CDs or DVDs, newspapers and magazines and betting, gaming and lotteries. 

Back to the high street , what happens if you have a faulty product but can’t prove to the retailer that it’s defective?

 If you get a fault with a product within the first six months of ownership, you are entitled to a repair or replacement and what’s more is you don’t even have to prove the product is faulty.

So there you have it, the facts about consumer rights aren’t complicated, but once you know them you can save both time, money and your patience.