1-3: No refunds, No sale goods exchanged or money refunded, Sold as seen and inspected

When you buy goods from a trader the law gives you certain automatic, statutory rights under the sales contract. Goods should be of satisfactory quality, fit for the purpose and as described. If they are not, you have the right to choose a full refund, including the return postage costs.

4: No refunds or exchanges without a receipt

You must have some proof of purchase in order for the trader to deal with your complaint but the law does not require this to be a receipt. A credit card statement or PayPal email confirming purchase should be adequate.

5: Time limits for reporting defects

There is no fixed time limit for reporting faults – that’s correct, no magical 7, 14 or 28 days. The law states that you have a reasonable time to report a problem with the goods, which means the time it would take a reasonable person to notify the seller after recognising a fault with the product. An extreme example is the purchase of a lawnmower in winter. It would be reasonable for the person not to be aware of any fault with the item until they came to use it in spring. As long as they reported the issue shortly after using it, they could still be entitled to reject the goods for a refund. This said, we would recommend that you test goods wherever possible as soon as you receive them as you may have more options open to you to resolve your complaint, such as Paypal Buyer Protection or credit card chargeback. Even if you do not report a problem soon after noticing a fault this does not mean that you no longer have any rights - simply that you can no longer demand a refund. You may still be entitled to a replacement, compensation or a repair.

Be aware that your 7 day cancellation period when purchasing online is completely separate from your right to return faulty goods.

6: If the delivery note is signed then no claims accepted

You are not obliged to open the goods whilst the delivery man is waiting at the door, but if you do sign a delivery note ensure that you clearly mark that you have not inspected the goods. Try to quickly check for obvious damage or tampering to the packaging. Where this is found you should mark this on the delivery note and, where practical, ask the courier to wait as you check the product for damage.

7: not liable for any consequential losses

If you purchased a product that caused damage to another product or your property, you are entitled to compensation for this where it was a reasonable foreseeable loss that stemmed from the product being faulty or not as described. For example, if a waterproof camera cover claimed to work to a depth of 20m but it did not, resulting in damage to your camera when used at 10m you may be able to claim for the cost of replacing your camera. This is regardless of the fact that the camera cover may have cost £20 and the camera £1000.

Further information on your rights is available at www.consumerdirect.gov.uk