Know your Black Friday shopping rights

If you're buying Black Friday deals in store or online, you have clear rights set in place by the Consumer Rights Act. So make sure you know what to do, if your Black Friday shopping goes wrong. 1. A faulty Black Friday deal Hunting for the best Black Friday deals can be stressful enough without discovering that you've bought something that's faulty. We recommend that you go to the retailer in the first instance, rather than using a warranty. Move quickly, though, as you only have 30 days in which to reject something that's faulty and get your money back. But after 30 days, you can still ask the retailer to repair or replace it. 2. Unwanted purchases: online vs in store You can only return non-faulty goods for an exchange or refund to a high street retailer if it has a returns policy. Most shops' returns policies state time limits for returning non-faulty products, often 28 days. But sometimes they extend this period – especially at Christmas – so you might have more time than you think. Check when you buy. If you order online, you can cancel the order at any time from the moment you paid and up to 14 days from the date the goods were delivered to you. Once you've notified the retailer that you'd like to cancel, you then have a further 14 days to return the product. 3. Digital content that doesn’t work In 2015, the Consumer Rights Act introduced new digital rights. This essentially means that anything you download or stream – including apps, ebooks, games, music or movies – is now covered by the legislation. The retailer has one opportunity to repair or replace any goods or digital content that are of unsatisfactory quality, unfit for purpose or not as described, before you can demand a refund. Crucially, for the most part, these rights only apply to digital content you pay for, not the free stuff. 4. Problems with a Black Friday delivery It’s always the retailer's responsibility to deliver your goods to you. If your parcel doesn't turn up on time, goes missing altogether, arrives damaged or is stolen from your doorstep, the retailer needs to rectify the situation. You shouldn't have to chase the delivery courier if there is a problem. Know your delivery rights and always speak to the retailer in the first instance. 5. Avoid scams on Black Friday There has been an increase over recent years in goods being sold by unscrupulous sellers on social media and marketplace websites, as it’s easy to set up multiple accounts that don’t require too many details. According to the latest annual Intellectual Property Crime Report, Facebook and Instagram continue to be a focus for scammers selling counterfeit and often unsafe counterfeit goods. So, be careful you know your rights and watch out for scams when buying on Facebook Marketplace. Other platforms such as Twitter, Gumtree, Amazon and Alibaba are also favourites for counterfeiters who use the world-wide reach of such platforms to sell their infringing products. When making purchases around Black Friday and Christmas, try to pay using a credit card as this will offer you more protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act if something goes wrong. We advise caution if you see any Black Friday deals advertised on social media that look too good to be true. For more details on your Black Friday shopping rights, visit: https://ift.tt/2zpNsKM Which?: http://www.which.co.uk Twitter: https://twitter.com/whichuk Facebook: https://ift.tt/1fAOmna