Consumer rights and sales

Sales encourage consumers to spend more money than usual and sometimes even with more recklessness. Thoughtless shopping is not protected by consumer law. If a consumer realises that he has made the wrong choice when purchasing a particular product, he has no legal right to a refund. Hence it is always worth double checking a retailer's refund policy before buying and this is particularly important when you are sale shopping.

On the other hand, should there be a problem with something bought in a sale, the laws that apply to most things consumers buy apply equally to goods sold at a reduced price. It is a misconception that consumer rights are different during sales.

Sale or no sale, if goods are faulty consumers have the right to claim for a repair, replacement or refund within two years from the date the product was purchased. However, one cannot claim for faults that are apparent or brought to one's attention before the item was bought.

Consumers should be on the look-out for any misleading practices during sales. For instance, it is illegal to pretend that goods have been reduced to the sales price when in reality the retailer just raised the original price. When a shop makes a comparison with previous prices, the previous price should be the last price at which the goods were available before the sales period.

Caution should always be taken before getting carried away with the enthusiasm of sales offers. All may not be as it seems. Not to be misled, it is important to carefully read all the information that accompanies the offer, especially the small print.

During sales, consumers must also be wary of huge price reduction claims and never buy something without first shopping around, hence ensuring that one is really getting a bargain.