Q: I bought an electric kettle from a local shop for the price of €30. After only a few days, the kettle started not working properly. So I went back to the seller. As soon as I told him about the problem, he immediately pointed out to me a ‘no refunds/returns’ notice displayed in the shop. Is such notice legal? Can a seller refuse to give compensation when a product sold turns out faulty?

A: Notices claiming no refunds will be given or returns accepted, without specifying that the consumer’s statutory rights are not affected, are illegal. Any kind or type of product purchased is protected by the Consumer Affairs Act, in that it must be as described and fit for its purpose.

In other words, goods purchased must be free from defects and must perform the functions they are normally expected to do. When this is not the case, and yours is a case in point, we have the legal right to request a remedy. No shop owner’s notice or business policy can take away these legal rights.

‘No refunds’ and ‘No exchanges’ policies may only be applied to situations whereby customers change their mind when they realise they have made a wrong buying decision.

In such cases, the law does not give us any rights, and it is up to the seller to decide whether to offer a solution or what to offer.

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