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Distance Selling 
Today more of us are buying goods without coming face to face with the seller. Mail order and particularly internet sales are increasing in popularity as the most common forms of ‘distance sales’.
When you buy goods over the internet or mail order from a UK company, you enter into an agreement with the seller. If you buy the goods on hire purchase, your agreement is with the finance company. These agreements are called ‘contracts’. A contract gives details of the main points you agreed with the seller, for example, what you are buying and how much you have to pay. By law, a seller is responsible for problems with goods sold to you. First, the law requires sellers to provide goods of ‘satisfactory quality’. This means they must reach a reasonable standard, taking into account their price and how they were described. Second, the goods must be ‘suitable’. This means that the goods must be reasonably fit or suitable for their ordinary uses and for any specific use you told the seller about. What you told the seller before buying the goods will obviously be relevant. Often, defective goods are both unsuitable and of unsatisfactory quality. The seller cannot blame someone else for these problems, for example the manufacturer or wholesaler. If you were sold poor quality or unsuitable goods, you are entitled to a refund. In fact, if you bought the goods on or after 31 October 2000, you can return the goods for any reason within 7 days of delivery. You do not have to accept an exchange or credit note. You should be offered your money back. If the seller refuses, you have two main options. You can complain to the local Trading Standards office or the Office of Fair Trading. If the poor quality or unsuitable goods have damaged your property or injured anyone, you could also take legal action. In these circumstances, you may also have a simultaneous claim against the manufacturer. The word ‘goods’ includes cars, toasters, washing machines, food and even animals. Computers, computer disks and computer games are also goods. If goods are of unsatisfactory quality, you may return them and claim a refund. If you require any further information about the services that we provide or would like to review your financial planning position, please contact us |