High Street Shopping

Return policies - When buying clothes or other goods, always check the shop’s return policy (especially if you’re still undecided about the thing you’re buying). If you have proof of purchase you are entitled to a refund or exchange within the specified time period. If you lose your receipt, a bank statement may also be accepted.

Exchange policies - Many shops will still allow you to exchange the product for an item (or items) of the same price. However, if the product has gone on sale since you bought it, you will only be able to exchange it for the sale value. Some shops will also only offer store credit rather than giving you your money back in cash, so check this beforehand.

Pricing - Traders are responsible for pricing their products clearly, and they must sell it to you for the specified price (let this one slide if you get to the till and it’s been reduced obviously). Say you pick up a coat from a rack of 10. If all of the coats are priced at £25 but when you get to the till you are charged £35, you can point out to the assistant that all of the coats were priced at £25, and it is the shop’s obligation to sell you the coat for £25, regardless of what the till says.

A common sight in clothes shops is a customer arguing with the assistant over the pricing of a sale item. However, if all but one of the coats are priced at the same price, you have no right to the lower price. This is how shop protect themselves from people swapping price tags.

Remember to ask for your student discount, and if the store doesn’t offer it, ask why not!

Supermarkets

Out of Stock deals - Say there is an offer advertised for 12 tins of beans for the price of 6 in your local supermarket. You think great, I’ll stock up and live off beans on toast  for 2 weeks so I can go out more. But you get to the shelf and they’ve all been snapped up! This disappointment is common in uni towns, because savvy students (especially those that follow STS!) get to deals like this fast. However, you don’t have to miss out.

Ask an assistant about Tesco ‘Special Promise’ vouchers. These are ‘rain-check’ vouchers that mean you can still get an on-offer product for the special price when it comes back in stock. However, these are handed out at the stores discretion and some shops can opt out completely, but its worth trying your luck with a kind faced lady stocking shelves.

Asda also do similar ‘Smiley’ vouchers, and Sainsbury’s have ‘Special Coupons’. It seems that some employees don’t even know about these, so ask a senior member of staff if necessary.

Online Shopping

The right to change your mind - You buy a dress/video game/shoes (insert your vice here) online then realise you really can’t afford it. You have 7 working days to cancel your order.

Distance Selling Regulations give you a legal right to send most goods back within a week, for a full refund (including outward delivery costs), even if there’s no fault. The seller must then pay back any cash within 30 days, including cost of delivery to you – although be sure to specifically ask for this to be included as some stores don’t add it automatically. If it doesn’t specify your cancellation rights, you may have longer to cancel the order.

Delivery times - You have a right to cancel your order if the product was not delivered on the specified date. If a date wasn’t specified at all, then delivery should be within 30 days.

Using your card to pay - Especially when paying for something expensive, it is wise to use a Visa to pay as you are then better protected if the seller goes out of business. Paying with a card can often offer you more security. Pay for £100+ goods with a student credit card, because then the card company becomes jointly liable with the retailer if something goes wrong. This gives you extra legal rights.Only do this if you can clear the card in full next month to avoid interest!

Guarantees and Warranties

Guarantees are usually given free of charge, whilst you usually have to pay for a warranty. Traders are not required to give you these by law, but they can protect you should things go wrong. They can allow you to get goods replaced or repaired, or to get faulty work put right when your other consumer rights no longer apply. You might find it easier to claim on a guarantee or warranty if the trader is refusing to give you what you want. They can also be very useful if the trader has gone out of business.

Landlords

It is vital you know your rights as a tenant in order to get your deposit back at the end of the year and ensure your dwelling is fit to live in. Check out our Tenancy Agreement checklist for all the information you need. You have a two way agreement with your landlord, make sure you understand how it works on both sides.

Situations in which your rights may be affected

• Write on receipts that its a gift so that the rights can be transferred to the receiver.
• If the product is personalised in some way, is perishable, or the security seal is broken (eg on a DVD), you can’t return it. You also can’t return something if the fault was your own doing (so no shrunk tops because you still struggle doing your own washing).
• You can’t return underwear, swimwear, or earrings.
• Freebies – if a ‘free gift’ is stated as part of the purchase, you have the same rights on it unless otherwise specified eg ‘depending on availability’.
• If you need to make a complaint, remain polite – those of us who have worked in retail know that there is nothing worse than an irate customer shouting at you for circumstances beyond your control. If the assistant can’t help you, calmly ask to speak to the manager.

Remember that traders will do their best to satisfy you as a customer because they have a reputation to maintain. If you have a problem with a trader remember to stay polite but make it clear that you know your rights and the seller will jump to help you. Its also important to know what outcome you want- refund, exchange, repair or compensation. Just remember to play the Poor Student Card!

As a final note….always read the terms & conditions before complaining!