Lesson 2:
Sale of Goods and
Supply of Services Act 1980
Part 1:
Your Rights as a Consumer
Overview of Lesson
• Goods and Services
• Your rights as a consumer:
Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act
• How the law protects a consumer buying:
– Goods
– Services
Goods and Services
• A good is:
– Something tangible
– It can be seen
– Usually consumed
immediately
– Examples include:
food, furniture, cars,
games console etc
• A service is:
– Something that is
done for you, by a
person or machine
– Examples include:
service on a car, hair
cut, flight, etc.
The Sale of Goods and
Supply of Services Act 1980
states that….
• Goods should be of merchantable quality
• This means that the goods should be of
reasonable quality, considering what was
said about them, what they are supposed to
do, the price paid and how long they should
last
• Example: crisps should be edible up to the
Use By/Best Before date displayed on them
The Sale of Goods and
Supply of Services Act 1980
states that….
• Goods should be fit for their purpose
• Example: a washing machine must be
capable of washing clothes, a combined
fridge freezer must be capable of freezing
food
The Sale of Goods and
Supply of Services Act 1980
states that….
• Goods should be as described
• Example: a jacket described as
waterproof should not let rain in
The Sale of Goods and
Supply of Services Act 1980
states that….
• Goods should conform to
sample
• Example: the wallpaper or
carpet you receive should be
the same as the sample
shown to you in the shop
when you ordered it
The Sale of Goods and
Supply of Services Act 1980
states that….
• When a consumer buys goods from a
supplier, they have the right to use the goods
as they see fit, without any restriction placed
on them by the seller
• However, due regard should be given to the
purpose that those goods were sold for
The Sale of Goods and
Supply of Services Act 1980
states that….
• It is illegal for a supplier to demand payment
for unsolicited goods
• If a company sends you something you didn’t
order and does not provide for return post, it
can’t invoice you for the product
• Example: book clubs
The Sale of Goods and
Supply of Services Act 1980
states that….
• Services must be provided
with due care and attention
• Example: a car left in
garage for a full service, but
the garage failed to change
the oil
The Sale of Goods and
Supply of Services Act 1980
states that….
• A person offering their services
should have the necessary skills to
be able to provide that service
• Example: a TV repairer should
have the skills necessary to fix
televisions
The Sale of Goods and
Supply of Services Act 1980
states that….
• Any parts or goods used in the
provision of services must be of
merchantable quality (e.g. building
materials used in a new extension
on a house)
Summary of Lesson
• Goods and Services
• Your rights as a consumer:
Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act
1980
• How the law protects a consumer buying:
– Goods
– Services
Sale of Goods and Supply of
Services Act 1980