W L
RETURNING UNWANTED GIFTS – KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
BY DEREK PAYET
Former head of Wirral Council ’ s Trading Standards Service Derek Payet shares with us his guide to returning gifts this Christmas .
Derek has a Masters degree in Business and Commercial Law . Following on from his role at Wirral Council , he is now a director of Business Approval Ltd .
Business Approval work in partnership with Trading Standards Services to ensure that only reputable businesses , committed to excellent customer service are registered . Members of the Business Approval Register can display the ‘ Trading Standards Approved ’ logo - making it easy for consumers to identify them as a vetted and trusted business .
With 16 years of service at Wirral Council , Derek knows many local businesses , some of whom are now members of the Business Approval Register . He also has a good idea who to avoid .
Derek said : “ I had 28 years with Trading Standards Services helping to protect people from rogue traders , unsafe products , counterfeit goods and supporting consumers with advice when things go wrong . I ’ m pleased that I can continue to work on something that I believe really matters . It won ’ t come as a surprise to hear that people get nervous when looking to buy goods or services from businesses , with so many horror stories being reported in the media . Making the right choice can be stressful . Can they be trusted ? Are they reliable ? Is it safe to buy ? That ’ s why the Business Approval Register is so important to local residents , as it provides reassurance that they are using a reputable business .”
1 . You don ’ t always have an automatic right to a refund or an exchange if you have received a gift and you don ’ t like what you have been bought or if it ’ s an item of clothing that doesn ’ t fit . This applies no matter how expensive the item was – it ’ s all down to the seller whether they offer you anything at all .
2 . If there is a gift receipt with your present , you shouldn ’ t have a problem .
3 . If the purchase was made at a distance , for example by mail order , over the phone or from a website ; the purchaser will normally be entitled to a 14 day cooling off period starting from the date of delivery .
4 . If the gift was bought from a shop ; there are certain steps you can take before going to the shop : First check to see if the shop has a returns policy , most retailers will have their own policy on returns . Some shops will say you can return items within a specified time-period , others won ’ t .
5 . The shop ’ s returns policy might be written on the receipt ( if you can get hold of the receipt ) or you could check their website or phone the shop and ask .
6 . You may find that the item has been reduces in the sales , if the shop only offers you a refund of the sale price , again there isn ’ t much you can do about this , unless the returns policy says otherwise .
7 . You ’ ll stand a better chance if you can take the receipt with you and return the item in its original packaging . It ’ s up to them what they offer you - you ’ ll need to decide whether to accept it or not . If the item is faulty , then you do have additional rights .
To view a list of approved members , visit : www . businessapprovalregister . com . You can also pick up a free member directory available from outlets across Wirral .
18 wirrallife . com