Buying Clothes

Your rights and what to do if things go wrong

Your Rights

You have the right to expect certain standards in the clothes you buy. The law says they must be:

of satisfactory quality - this covers, for example, the appearance and finish of clothes, their safety and durability. Clothes must be free from defects, even minor ones, except when a fault has been brought to your attention by the seller, or you examined the item and should have seen the defect.

fit for their purpose - including any particular purpose mentioned by you to the seller - if you tell the seller that you want boots fit for mountain climbing, that is what you should get.

as described - on the package or display sign, or by the seller. If you are told that a jumper is 100% wool, it should not turn out to be acrylic.

These are your statutory rights. All clothes bought or hired from a trader - from a shop, street market, catalogue or doorstep seller - are covered by these rights. This includes clothes reduced in sales.

If Things Go Wrong

If you tell the seller promptly that the clothes are faulty and you do not want them, you should be able to get your money back. You may be offered a replacement, free repair or credit note which you do not have to accept. If you do accept a credit note and cannot find anything else you want, you are unlikely to be able to exchange it for cash later on. If you take clothes back straight away and the seller tries to repair them and fails, you still have the same right to a refund that you had when you agreed to the repair.

You are not entitled to a refund or repair if you:

Examined the clothes when you bought them and should have seen a fault;
Were told about a fault before you bought the clothes;
Simply change your mind;
Made a mistake;
Did the damage yourself.

Making a Complaint

Go back to the shop as soon as possible, taking the clothes with you if you can. If you cannot get to the shop quickly, telephone instead.

Take the receipt or other proof of purchase, such as a credit card slip or cheque stub, if you have one.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome, put your complaint in writing. For more advice contact Trading Standards, the phone numbers are at the bottom of this page.

Remember

Buying goods over £100 on a credit card gives you extra protection if the clothes are faulty or the seller stops trading.
Clothes sold in a sale must be of satisfactory quality unless the faults were pointed out to you.
If you buy secondhand or in a sale from a trader you have the same rights as when you buy new.
You do not need a receipt to complain about faulty clothes.
Notices that just say "No Refunds" are illegal and you still have your rights.

Further advice and information can be obtained from Staffordshire Trading Standards at:

Consumer Advice - Consumer Direct
Tel: 08454 04 05 06
E mail: consumer.advice@staffordshire.gov.uk
Minicom: 01785 854156

14 Martin Street,
Stafford,
ST16 2LG

All of our information leaflets are available in a range of formats and languages, including Braille and large print. If this would be useful to you or someone you know, please contact us.

Last Modified: 17/03/2006 12:40:41
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