Ironing board ire
Question
Do I need a receipt to return a faulty ironing board after just three months of use? The store refused because I've lost my receipt, but the board is unstable and could collapse. What are my rights?
Answer
It's possible that the retailer may be breaching three Acts of Parliament and European law in refusing to do anything about this ironing board.
The Acts of Parliament are: the Sale of Goods Act 1979 as amended; the Consumer Protection Act 1987; and the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. All of these would indicate that there has been a breach of contract and, as such, you can get a refund for the ironing board.
The real problem is that you don't have the receipt. Do you have some other means of proving that you bought the item from the shop, such as a credit card slip, cheque stub or credit card or bank statement? One of those should suffice.
If you cannot get anywhere by talking to a member of staff at the shop, you could write to the owner formally. Alternatively, you could contact your local Trading Standards Office and ask them to take up your case, especially as there are safety issues involved.
Updated: 05/03/2013
Question answered by CAB
