Right to reject goods

Consumers can reject the goods and require their money back provided they complain within "a reasonable time" (usually a short period).

The Sale of Goods Act does not define what amounts to a "reasonable time" but consumers have to be given a reasonable time to examine the goods to see if they are satisfactory. Normally this would be a matter of days not weeks.

In practice courts decide this case by case. A court is able to take into account all the relevant factors in coming to a fair view such as whether the consumer had been hospitalised immediately after the sale, so that he could not check the goods.

Where a consumer is entitled to reject the goods, he must tell the retailer immediately. He is not obliged to send them back but must make them available for collection. However, most consumers would return goods they had themselves taken away to assist them convince the retailer their claim was legitimate and so speed things up.