Legal expert Denise Nurse has clarified consumer rights during the festive shopping season, particularly when purchasing sale items. On BBC Morning Live, she addressed the common misconceptions about buying discounted goods.
The show’s account on X (formerly Twitter), @BBCMorningLive, posted: “If you’re looking to get ahead with Christmas shopping, lawyer @denisebn explains what your legal rights are on sale items, including whether you can get an exchange or refund on any presents bought weeks before the big day.”
In a video linked to the tweet, Denise Nurse explained: “You have your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, whether you buy full price or at a discount. So when you go and buy your sale items, you’ll still have your statutory rights.”
She further commented: “44% of people didn’t know…lots of people think because when you buy something sale you’re often told it’s different to buying it full price, they think therefore your rights are different, in terms of your statutory rights. But they’re not. So you get the same rights if you buy it full or sale price.”
Denise also emphasised that consumers are entitled to a return, repair, or full refund for faulty items, as long as the fault is present and the item is not as described. She then outlined specific conditions that would invoke these consumer rights, reports the Mirror.
These include:
- Satisfactory quality
- As described
- Fit for purpose
- Last a reasonable length of time
Denise noted: “If you buy something and it’s not of satisfactory quality, it’s not as described, its not fit for purpose and it doesn’t last a reasonable time, for example, then that is when – even if you’ve bought it at a discount or on sale – you would still have the right to a return, get your money back, full refund or a repair.”
How long do you have to return a faulty product?
According to consumer champions Which?, under the Consumer Rights Act, should your goods be unsatisfactory, unfit for purpose, or not as advertised, you are legally entitled to a refund or repair. The length of time you’ve owned the item determines your options: within the first 30 days, you can opt for a repair or replacement, and the retailer cannot reject a refund request.