Dear Ann,
The Sale of Goods Act 1979 provides four main protections for buyers:
1. The seller must have the right to sell the goods
2. Goods sold by description must correspond to the description
3. Goods must be of satisfactory quality
4. Goods sold by sample, the goods must correspond to the sample in quality
In contracts for the sale of goods and supply of services certain basic provisions are implied by statute in order to provide protection to purchasers. The main provisions derive from the Sale of Goods Act 1979 and the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982. The Sale of Goods Act protects purchasers where the seller does not have the right to sell the goods. Where the goods are sold by description there is an implied term that the goods will correspond to that description. Businesses must ensure that the goods they sell are of satisfactory quality and fit for their purpose. Where the goods are sold by sample there is an implied term that the goods will correspond to the sample in quality. Where the goods are supplied along with a service then the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 applies. This implies the identical provisions as the Sale of Goods Act in relation to the goods supplied. In addition there are implied terms that the service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, that the service will be carried out within a reasonable time and where no price is agreed a reasonable price will be paid.
In this case the