Law for consumers

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 409, 22 October 1991, Page 7

Law for consumers

If there is one thing that you can be sure of in this world it's that at some stage in your life something that you buy will tuni out to be either broken or faulty in some way. Everyone knows the sinking feeling that goes with a brand new toaster or even a new car breaking down soon after you buy it. The good thing is that the law provides a helping hand in situations like this in the form of the Sale of Goods Act 1908. The Act says that everything you buy from a dealer (shops/mail order / door to door salespeople), whether it is a pair of shoes or a pair of false teeth, must be of reasonable quality and "fit for the purpose for which it is bought". In other words, the thing must be of decent quality and it must do the job that it was bought to do. For example, if you bought a dress in a shop

consumer column

by

ANI

Waaka

and one of the sleeves fell off soon after you bought it, the law would say that it was not of reasonable quality. And, if the high powered electric chainsaw that you bought won't even cut a piece of plywood, it is clearly not"fit for the purpose for which it was bought". So, if you believe that you have been ripped off and that your case fits within these guidelines, the law entitles you to

go back to the person who sold you the item and sort it out. Because the Sale of Goods Act says that you can go back to the seller, don't let the seller try to send you back to the company that made the article (the manufacturer). The seller has to do that - you only need to deal with the person who you bought the thing from. You can ask for either a repair, a replacement product or a refund of the money that you paid to buy the product. What you will get will depend on how serious the fault is. If your new electric kettle doesn't go because the element needs replacing, the seller would only have to provide you with a new element. But if the kettle was faulty and the fault caused it to explode after only two weeks use, then the whole kettle would need Turnpage 12

Consumer column

From page 8 replacing (or your money back). It does not matter if the thing you buy is second hand - this law applies to second hand goods as well. So good luck with standing up for your consumer rights when you have been ripped off!

If you are having no luck in talking things through with the seller, remember to ring one of the agencies in your community like your local Citizens Advice

Bureau, Community Law Centre, or ring me at the consumer Advice Service of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, toll free on (04) 473 4490