Shoppers lumbered with faulty goods should find it easier to get their money back thanks to Government plans to beef up consumer rights. Last week, new proposals for a Consumer Rights Bill were launched in a bid to clear up confusion about what you are entitled to when you buy shoddy items in store. They include an automatic, no-quibble, 30-day 'right of return' if your goods are broken or flawed. They also suggest a major change to the law to allow items bought months in advance of their actual use to be exchanged at a later date — for example, baby clothes bought well in advance of the birth that fall apart within days of being worn.


At the moment, even if an item has never been used, but is discovered to be faulty when the packaging is opened, companies can argue that too much time has passed for a refund. Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, says: 'For too long, consumer law has been overly complex, making it difficult for people to make the most of their rights. We have to ensure consumers' needs are at the heart of any changes.' .....Read more here