How to buy in sales How to complain about a sale

A step-by-step guide to complaining about faulty sales goods

1Tell the shop about the faulty sales goods

As soon as you realise there is a problem with the sales goods, tell the retailer. They should agree to refund your money, or repair or replace it, regardless of the fact you bought it in a sale.

2Write to the shop about the sales goods

If the retailer refuses you will need to write to them. Explain that, under the Sale of Goods Act, the item was not of 'satisfactory quality' or not 'as described', and you are entitled to a refund, repair or replacement, regardless of the fact you bought it in a sale. You will need to explain that the fault you have found was not one that you were made aware of when you bought the item.

3Give the shop one final chance

If the retailer does not respond or refuses to help, you have two options:

• Write a 'final letter before action' in which you restate your claim, and say that you will start proceedings against the retailer in the small claims court if it doesn't resolve your problem.
• If you paid by credit card, you have Sale of Goods Act rights against the card company, as well as the retailer, so you could take up the matter with the card company.

4Reporting the shop's sale policy to trading standards

If the retailer has tried to limit or exclude your statutory (legal) rights, for example, by saying it does not give refunds on sale items, it is committing an offence. You can complain to the trading standards department local to the retailer. It can then investigate, and may prosecute, the retailer.