Consumer Affairs Commission

One of the many provisions under Jamaican law which protect the Consumer is the Sale of Goods Act. Some of the provisions of this Act are as follows:

DOES A SALE AGREEMENT HAVE TO BE IN WRITING?

A sale agreement can be made in writing, by word of mouth, or through a combination of both. It can also be suggested or implied by the conduct of the seller and the Consumer.

The mere fact that an agreement is not in writing does not prevent the seller or the Consumer from enforcing it.

WHEN NEW GOODS DON’T WORK

As a Consumer, you are entitled to a refund or a replacement if new appliances or other goods you have purchased do not work or are not of a reasonable quality.

If this happens to you, be sure to report the matter to the seller immediately.

REMEMBER to examine all new goods thoroughly in the store, if at all possible, before making your purchase. Taking this precaution will reduce your risk of purchasing goods which do not perform adequately or are of unacceptable quality.

DELIVERY OF GOODS

Sale agreements may contain a specific time for the delivery of goods.

If the seller fails to deliver the goods on time, then he will be in breach of the agreement, and the Consumer has the right to refuse to accept the goods.

If no time is specified, then the delivery must take place within a reasonable period.

INCOMPLETE DELIVERY

When a seller delivers goods to a Consumer, the Consumer may find that the delivery contains a lesser quantity than what was agreed. A seller cannot excuse a shortfall in the delivered quantity on the grounds that he will deliver the balance later.  The Consumer has the right to reject the goods in such cases.However, if he accepts the goods, he must pay for what he has taken.

CHECKING DELIVERED GOODS

A Consumer is entitled to examine goods that are delivered to him, particularly if he has not had the opportunity to check them before. If they are not as specified in the sale agreement, it is his right to return them to the seller and obtain a refund.

RETURN OF DELIVERED GOODS

As a Consumer, you are entitled to reject goods that have been delivered to you if they do not reflect what was specified in the sale agreement and you are also entitled to the return of any money paid . It is not your responsibility to deliver the rejected goods to the seller; however, you must notify the seller immediately, preferably in writing, when he should collect them.

SEEKING COMPENSATION WHEN GOODS ARE NOT DELIVERED

A Consumer who suffers losses due to a seller’s failure to deliver goods as agreed can sue for damages in court. The court will assess the losses and decide how much monetary compensation should be awarded to the Consumer.

FAILURE TO DELIVER GOODS

The seller is required by law to deliver goods to the Consumer as stated in the sale agreement. If the seller fails to deliver the goods, the Consumer has the right to ask the court to grant an order forcing the seller to do so in keeping with the agreement.

OWNERSHIP OF STOLEN GOODS

By law, stolen goods belong to the person from whom they were stolen. If you purchase stolen goods and the seller is later found guilty of theft in a court of law, you will be obliged to return the goods. In addition, you will have to file a lawsuit against the vendor to recover the money you paid for the goods. 

Provided by Ministry of Justice