Like many others I've just spent a fortune in the January sales, including a substantial sum on a leather jacket. Unfortunately, when I got home I discovered the jacket had quite a bad rip in the seam under the arm - this wasn't visible on the outside of the jacket.
I went back to the shop the following day but was told I couldn't get a refund because the jacket was in the sale. Is this true?
MR
The Sale of Goods Act says that any goods you buy must be of satisfactory quality, fit for their purpose and as described. So you can reasonably expect the jacket not to have any defects or faults, and a tear in the underarm seam would definitely qualify as a defect.
The Act applies to sale goods too - unless the goods are marked as reduced in price because of a defect which is pointed out to you. Also, if the defect is quite obvious and you had plenty of time to examine the jacket, you wouldn't be able to apply the Act.
But it sounds as if the tear in the seam wasn't particularly visible, so you should be entitled to a refund. Go back to the shop and explain that it can't refuse to give you your money back just because you bought your jacket in a sale - the same statutory rules apply.
