Know your rights in the Christmas sales

You have the same rights shopping in the sales as you do at any other time of the year. Here is some great advice from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission on what your right of returning an item is when shopping in the sales.

Faulty items

Items sold in a sale should be of merchantable quality, fit for their intended purpose and as described to you. If an item is faulty, your rights do not change just because it was on sale. If an item you bought at full price is faulty, and is now on sale at a reduced price, you are entitled to a refund of the full price or a replacement of the same value, with proof of purchase.

Changing your mind

If you buy something at full price but change your mind about it, and it is now on sale at a lower price, you may only be entitled to the reduced amount if the shop is willing to offer a refund. Any offer of a refund in this situation is at the discretion of the retailer and is a gesture of goodwill. Remember, whether a shop is in sale or not, you are not automatically entitled to a refund or exchange of an item if you simply change your mind. The shop’s own returns policy may be different when something is bought in a sale, so check the policy with them before buying if you think there is a change you might change your mind.