For consumers in Northern Ireland
Ordering things online or over the phone can be a lot easier and may provide you with increased choice, however these methods of ordering become less appealing when your goods do not arrive with you. The seller of the product has a legal responsibility to make sure that your purchases arrive with you, so they must take action if you do not receive your items. Read more
Handling stolen goods is considered to be a crime, but if you are unknowingly sold stolen goods then you should not get into trouble for it. If you believe that you have bought something which has previously been stolen from its rightful owner then you should take action. Read more
If an item that you have purchased has caused damage to you or your property and you were not responsible for the damage, then you might be able to make a claim for compensation. If the damage was to property then you can “claim damages“, whereas if the product caused you to be injured then you may be able to make a “personal injury claim“. Read more
If you have unknowingly bought an item which was fake or counterfeit, then you have a right to claim a refund, even if the seller did not know that the item which they were selling was not the genuine article. You should also report the seller to Trading Standards to prevent them from selling counterfeit goods again in future. Read more
When a shop, company or trader goes out of business and ceases trading, it can adversely affect all of the people who have used that business. If you have not received goods, services or money that you are owed because of this, then you still have some legal rights. However, it can be much harder to sort these issues out, and there is no guarantee that you will receive the goods or services that you paid for, or money that you might be owed.