Shoppers' refund right 'at risk'

Thursday, 05 November 2009 12:00

The right to a refund under British rules is under threat from the EU, according to legal experts.

Under current rules, UK consumers have a legal right to a refund, repair or replacement for faulty or wrongly described goods, if they act within a reasonable time.

However, the Law Commission of England and Wales, and the Law Commission of Scotland, have warned the Consumer Rights Directive from the European Commission could force Britain to scrap the right to a refund.

Instead, consumers would only be entitled to a repair or a replacement.

The two Commissions said in a statement that the right to refund should be kept: "It is a simple, easy to use remedy which inspires consumer confidence.

"We recommend that in normal circumstances, a consumer should have 30 days to return faulty goods and receive a refund, with limited flexibility for special circumstances such as perishable goods, or goods which both parties know will not be used for some time."

Which? lawyer, Chris Warner, said: "We're pleased that the Law Commissions support the right to reject faulty goods, which is an important and valued protection for British consumers.

"The government must now do all it can to ensure that British consumers don't find themselves worse off as a result of the Consumer Rights Directive.

"Rather than watering down the UK rules, other EU countries should be able to benefit from the rights we already enjoy."

• Tags:
• consumer rights cowboys
,
• household
,
• news