Residents in East Dunbartonshire who received faulty goods, services or digital content this Christmas are being reminded of their consumer rights.
Anyone who discovers their product is faulty or has received misdescribed services or downloadable content should be entitled to a repair, replacement or refund on goods that aren’t working properly.
Consumers can get a refund on a faulty product bought within the last 30 days and are entitled to have an item bought within the last six months repaired or replaced once – in most cases a consumer will receive a full refund if the item still does not work properly. You may get a repair or replacement for goods bought more than six months ago but you will need to prove you didn’t cause the fault.
If services like beauty treatments or experience days are not carried out with reasonable care and skill you can ask for the trader to repeat or fix the service and you should get some money back if this can’t be done. Digital content is also protected. Consumers have the right to a repair or replacement if they receive faulty digital content, which includes online films and games, music downloads and eBooks.
Council Leader, Rhondda Geekie, is urging people in East Dunbartonshire to exercise their consumer rights. She said, “People aren’t always aware of what they are entitled to so if you are unsure please get in touch with the Council’s Trading Standards team which provides free consumer advice and assistance for East Dunbartonshire residents. It’s worth remembering that there is also a free business advice service for businesses located in the area too.”
She continued, “Whilst there are increased calls to Trading Standards about faulty gifts after Christmas the service deals with a wide variety of complaints throughout the year. Some of the most common queries relate to second-hand cars, substandard or incomplete home improvements and increasingly, purchases made online. Consumers should be aware that there are specific rules and cancellation rights that apply to online purchases so if you are in any doubt, please contact Trading Standards to ensure you are not left out of pocket.”
East Dunbartonshire’s Trading Standards team can be contacted on telephone number 0300 1234510 or by emailing trading.standards@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
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