Consumer law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Consumer law - Essay Example As a general rule, the goods sold must â€Å"meet the standard that a reasonable person would regards as satisfactory, taking into account any description of the goods, the price and all other relevant circumstances†.1 By quality of goods, the intent of the law is to include not only the appearance and finish of the goods but also their durability and safety. The sales of Goods Act of 1979 so provides that a seller must only sell goods that conforms to its description and the failure of the seller to meet the requirements of the standards set would result into a liability on the part of the seller. Note that even tiny defects that could have gone unnoticed both by the seller and the consumer at the time the goods were sold are considered as non-compliance to the standards of the goods sold and shall be considered as a ground to impose liability on the part of the seller, should the consumer demand for such. However, where the goods are sold as â€Å"shop-soiled† or as damaged goods and the seller openly declares such damage, the seller shall not be held liable for non-compliance with the standards of goods sold. The goods must therefore be as described2. Aside from the standard of goods sold which must be satisfied, the goods must be fit for its purpose. According to the Supply of Goods and Services Act of 1982, the goods must be fit for any particular purpose mentioned by the seller to the buyer. For instance, where the seller purports to sell a pair of climbing shoes, such climbing shoes should be fit for the purpose and will not break easily from the rigors of mountain climbing. Where the goods do not perform as the seller claims it would, then we can say that the goods does not match its description not just in its physical appearance but also in its capabilities. In our hypothetical case, Lil bought a pair of shoes from â€Å"tuffstuff† and wore them on a hill-walking holiday. By the end of the holiday, the shoes