This article is from page 16 of the 2008-01-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
THE Clare Citizens information Centres are advising local shoppers that their consumer rights don’t go away if they are tempted by bargains in the New Year sales.
With the New Year sales taking erip of the county, the network of advice centres receive a lot of que- ries from shoppers in relation to their consumer rights at this time of year. Their basic message 1s that if a sales item turns out to be faulty, the shop must offer a refund, repair or replacement. According to Informa- tion Service manager, Paul Woulfe, some shops put up signs during their sales along the lines of ‘No money refunded’, “No refunds during sales’, ‘No exchange’ or ‘No liability ac- cepted for faulty goods’.
‘These signs can give the impres- sion that you don’t have certain consumer rights. So the shop may be committing an offence in using them, and could face prosecution.
“If goods turn out to be faulty, consumers are entitled to ask for a refund, replacement or repair. If the shop still refuses to give you one of these three options, report it to the Director of Consumer Affairs. You are not entitled to an exchange (or
a refund or a credit note) simply be- cause you change your mind about something you’ve bought. So double- check the shop’s refund policy before buying anything in the sales’, added Paul Woulfle
‘Some shops do allow you to ex- change goods that you’ve had second thoughts about, but remember that it is at their discretion and they do this as a goodwill gesture. If the product is faulty, you are entitled to a replace- ment, a repair or a full refund. You don’t have to take a credit note, even if the shop assistant insists, “this is our policy’.
“Stock with a reduced price in the winter sales must have been on offer for the advertised original price for at least a month before the price was KeLeLU(eolem
‘For example, shops are not al- lowed to have a label or sign on a product saying ‘reduced by 30 per cent’ if this 1s the first time that they are Selling this particular product. If you lose your receipt, your rights still apply. The shop is entitled to see proof of purchase, but this can be a credit card bill or a bank statement,” Mr Woulfe explained.