Faulty Goods Costing Us Dear

Faulty goods are costing UK buyers on average £5000 over the course of their lifetime, purely due to the fact many people fear returning goods.

A recent poll done for the Department for business showed that over half of the people asked had at least one faulty good somewhere in their household that, for various reasons, had not been returned despite the fact they do not work properly.

Many people blame embarrassment, nerves or the fear of intimidation for their lack of willingness to return faulty goods, with second hand cars being one of the most complained about items.  Low value items also tend to be kept.

The survey, conducted through 3000 people showed that women are losing less money than men due to the problem, with men losing around £89 per year compared to women’s £71.

The reasoning section showed women were the more likely ones to be embarrassed about returning goods whereas men were more likely to feel intimidated.

The survey has been done as part of a larger campaign being done in order to make all UK consumers more aware of their rights when buying goods.

"We want to do all we can to encourage people not to lose out financially because they do not know their rights," said Consumer Minister Kevin Brennan.

"Now is the time to brush up on your consumer rights so you can return any faulty or unwanted goods with added confidence."

All consumers are entitled to a repair, replacement of refund for a good if it turns out to be faulty, and they must also act on the case ‘within a reasonable time,’ usually considered to be around a month with most retailers.

Posted at 10:11AM Mar 06, 2010 by Marc Stenton in UK Economy News  |  Comments[0]