Lesson 4 Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act, Part 2

Lesson 3 – Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act, Part 2

This lesson is designed to be delivered in 40 minutes. Slides can be adjusted or amended as the teacher sees fit or feels appropriate for the class.

Aims and Objectives

By the end of this class, students will be able to explain the responsibilities of the retailer with regard to:

Selling goods and services
Providing redress to consumer who have a valid complaint
Resolving complaints and fulfilling their responsibilities
Signs/statements

Materials

Student worksheet and sample role play (to be photocopied prior to class)
Lesson 3 PowerPoint

Introduction

Open Lesson 3 PowerPoint and provide an overview for the class of the material to be covered in the lesson (Slides 1 & 2).

Slide 3: Although students have already examined the entitlements of consumers under the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act 1980, they need to be aware that retailers have corresponding responsibilities to ensure that goods are of merchantable quality, etc.

Slides 4: Ask students what they think they should be entitled to in the event of a fault occurring after they have bought an item. Explain that the forms of redress are known as the “Three Rs” – refund, replacement and repair. The best solution for the consumer is the refund. However, whether or not they receive a refund will depend on a variety of factors, e.g. how long since the item was purchased, the length of time they took to complain, the nature of the fault and how easily it might be fixed etc.

Slides 5 - 7: The “Three Rs” are explained in detail. In slide 5, an example of “how big the issue is” would be the on/off button falling off a stereo – the button is fundamental to the functioning of the product, but a repair should be a simple matter and should be considered

Slide 8: Credit notes are often suggested by the retailer as a resolution for complaints. However, if there’s a fault with the goods, a consumer does not have to accept a credit note and can look for a refund (a refund allows you to take your custom elsewhere if you wish). If there isn’t a fault with the goods and the consumer simply changes their mind about the item, then they have no rights to any redress under the law. If a shop offers a credit note in this situation they are doing so as a courtesy/shop policy.

Slide 9: The retailer has full responsibility for resolving complaints – they cannot pass the responsibility for faulty goods on to the manufacturer. This is because a contract exists between the retailer and the consumer – not the manufacturer and the consumer. The consumer can choose to return the goods to the manufacturer directly if this is more convenient for them, if it could lead to a quicker solution, or the shop has gone out of business, but the retailer ultimately is responsible for resolving complaints.

Discussion could open up here about when it might be best to go to manufacturer, and what happens if they won’t deal with your issue. If the manufacturer won’t deal with the problem for whatever reason, you can still go back to the shop to have the problem resolved, and take it to Court if not resolved to your satisfaction. If the seller (shop) has gone out of business, in some circumstances you may still be able to follow up with the manufacturer.

Slide 10: Guarantees and warranties add to consumers’ rights, but they do not remove responsibilities from the seller.

Slide 11: Signs/statements. Retailers may attempt to limit their responsibilities to consumers by displaying misleading signs. It is important that students can recognise that these signs are illegal. Ask students for examples of signs that they may see in shops, and then reveal the samples that are shown. Signs or statements that indicate that the policy does not affect your consumer rights are fine. An example of a verbal statement made by a seller that you should also get in writing is if they say "I’ll give you an extra six months of warranty if you buy today".

Slide 12: Role play of common consumer problem. The scenario is outlined on this slide and an introduction is given on the worksheet. In pairs, the students should take turns of playing the role of the consumer and the shopkeeper.

Slide 13: Summary of Lesson. Students to complete the questions on the student worksheet for lesson 4.

Homework assignment

Students to go to and research how the National Consumer Agency enforces consumer laws to ensure that retailers take their responsibilities to consumers seriously. Ask them to list the various types of enforcement actions the NCA can take and give a brief synopsis of each. HINT: Look at “Enforcement” under the “Taking Action” tab.