Private sellers
If you purchase goods from a private seller the principle of "Buyer Beware" will apply. The reality is that you will have very few rights if the person you have purchased goods from is a private seller.
What rights will I have?
The law states that goods purchased from a private seller must match their description. So, for instance if you purchase a washing machine described as having a hand wash function, it should have a hand wash function; if it doesn't you will be entitled to redress. You are not entitled to any redress if goods purchased from a private seller are found to be faulty. However, if something was described as being "in good working order" and it is not, or "immaculate condition" and it is damaged, you may have a claim to pursue if this amounts to a misdescription of the goods.
What if the goods are still under guarantee?
In most cases a guarantee can only be used by the person who first bought the goods and it will not be of benefit to anyone else. However, some guarantees are transferable so it is always worth checking.
What if you suspect the person you have bought from may actually be a trader?
Because the law puts less responsibilities on private sellers some unscrupulous traders will pretend to be private sellers. It is a criminal offence for a trader to pretend to be a private seller and if you suspect that someone you have dealt with is really a trader you should report this to Consumer Direct on 08454 040506 who will notify the appropriate Trading Standards Department.
