I was talking to some staff in a retailer in Glasgow this morning that knew that any goods that you purchased were covered by a manufacturer’s warranty. They knew that the warranty lasted for a year or two. They also knew that you were covered under the Consumer Rights Act. But they didn’t really know what that meant. Or how long the cover lasted.
It’s disturbing to come across shop staff that have sketchy knowledge of these rules. This lack of knowledge makes it difficult when we try to return faulty or damaged goods.
I tried to return a faulty phone to a Glasgow shop recently. I was amazed at the information I was given by the guy I was dealing with. Nothing that he said, and none of the timescales mentioned, were contained in the new legislation. I had the distinct impression that he was making it all up as he went along.
So we want to hear about your consumer experiences.
Do you understand what rights you have under the Consumer Rights Act? And do you think that retailers you have dealt with understand the changes?
What about dealing with content that you have bought digitally? Have you had any experience of dealing with problems with downloads or other digital content that is now covered by the Consumer Rights Act?
When the Consumer Rights Act replaced the Sale of Goods Act it was meant to make it clearer for consumers to understand their rights. It was also supposed to help retailers deal with consumer problems. The new rules are supposed to help consumers understand when they can take faulty good back to the shop they bought them from. They should also outline what retailers have to do when these faulty goods are returned.
I’m keen to find out whether you think the changes are working. I’m looking for some MoneySucks readers to talk to me about problems they have faced when returning faulty goods.
If you think you can help then please drop me a line at info@moneysucks.net or leave a comment at the end of this article.
I tried to return a handbag to jenners Edinburgh where I purchased it only 6 weeks ago the stitching came away in 2 separate places. I did not have my receipt as it was bought by card and the receipt disposed of after checking off bank statement. Not only did the rather surly I assume supervisor although she did not give me the courtesy of her title refuse to change my faulty bag she suggested I could have bought it from john Lewis I was lost for words.