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IN A NUTSHELL: READTHE FINE PRINT
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Ensure your second-hand goods are exactly what you need.
Ensure contracts reflect exactly what you expect of the product and what it will be used for, and do not exclude your rights to redress. Contacts Office of Fair Trading: www. oft. gov.uk Trading standards: www.tradingstandards. gair.uk/businessibusiness.cfm Consumer Direct: www.consumerdirect.gov.uk 08454 040506
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (if a warranty is not honoured): wwi.v.smmt. co. uk/home.cfm
For small claims: www.hrncourts-service . goy. uk/infoabouticlaims/index.htm
Workshops
Make sure your maintenance contract lays down exactly what you need in terms of roadworthiness, repair and disclosure should something go wrong (eg, an annual test failure). If you have a problem try your professional association first— it's cheaper than a lawyer.
The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive
This European Directive outlaws unfair practices when selling to consumers. However, to comply with the Directive the UK must redraft some of its existing legislation in order to stay in step with Europe so our Trades Descriptions Act and part of Consumer Protection Act will both be replaced by the Control of Misleading Advertising Regulations 2007 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2007.
David Sanders, Trading Standards Institute lead officer for civil law, says: The terms in the advertising regulations are so broad they will offer greater protection in trader-to-trader contracts.
"But anyone buying from a small ad or individual must make sure they know who and where they are buying from — some dealers pretend to be private individuals to confuse the buyer's sense of their rights."