The Basics of Sale of Goods and Services Legislation

Any business that offers a service or sells goods has to comply with a long list of rules, regulations and legislation. In the UK, the sale of goods and services imposes a range of implied terms and conditions that firms must meet for each and every transaction.

The following is a list of the main legislation that is designed to protect consumers and buyers:

The Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 (SGSA);

The Sale of Goods Act 1979 (SGA);

Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations 2002 (SSGCR);

Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008;

Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 (UCTA);

Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 (UTCCR);

The Equality Act 2010;

The Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008;

The Provision of Services Regulations 2009;

The Cancellation of Contracts made in a Consumer’s Home or Place of Work etc Regulations 2008;

The Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012

For details of buyers’ and sellers’ rights read our Your Responsibilities and Rules and Regulations sections.

When selling services or goods online and/or via mail order, there are other statutory requirements that have to be conformed to. Our Online Trading and Distance section will tell you more.

Those who sell goods also have to make sure that the products they sell conform with safety legislation. Our Product Safety section will tell you more about your legal obligations in this area.

A business that sells any kind of goods needs to ensure that it is their standard terms of sale that are applied in their contracts with the customer rather than the terms of the customers.

Sellers also need to be careful not to make false or misleading claims or statements about things that buyers later rely upon when using those goods. Any seller that is not honest about what their product does could be sued for misrepresentation.

There is more guidance on this topic in our Key Considerations section. Our Supporting Documentation page will also be helpful.

The Hylton Potts team of advisors can also be contacted on 0207 381 8111 or by email, so why not drop us a line or give us a call.