With many shops having started their sales yesterday. York Trading Standards offers advice to those shoppers ready to enter the fray for the post-Christmas

frenzy

IT may seem like a great deal when you see offers abound such as "WAS £160, NOW £99!" - but this isn't such a bargain if the goods were never on sale at the higher price.

Shops who mislead customers in this way may be committing a criminal offence.

What if the wrong price is displayed - for example £9.99 instead of £99.99? Can you insist on buying the item at the lower price? No, the shop has no legal obligation to sell the goods at the price displayed, but shops who make misleading price indications can be prosecuted.

Unless a shop states otherwise the earlier price mentioned for the goods must have been offered for at least twenty eight days within the last six months.

Not all goods available in the sales will have been reduced in price as some shops buy in end of lines and other stock especially for the sales.

Beware of buying from the type of shop that springs up at this time of year which has only a short-term lease and may be here today, gone tomorrow.

It won't be possible to pursue a claim for faulty goods, if you can no longer find who sold the goods to you. Reduced goods marked 'shop soiled' or 'seconds' won't be in perfect condition, but you still have legal rights when you purchase goods in the sale.

If you buy a jumper marked 'seconds' and it turns out only to have one sleeve then you are entitled to your money back.

However, if there was only a slight imperfection in the weave you would not. You have no right to return goods for a particular fault if that fault had been pointed out to you before purchase, or if you had tried on the goods and the fault was so obvious that you should have seen it when you examined the goods.

It is advisable to report problems with any goods you buy as soon as possible, as the law says you only have a reasonable time in which to reject goods.

You may need to be able to prove where and when you bought the goods, so keep your receipt. However, you are not entitled to your money back just because you change your mind about what you have bought - many shops will offer a credit note or a refund under these circumstances, but they are not required to do so.

For further advice please contact City of York Trading Standards at 9 St Leonard's Place or telephone 01904 551562. The fax number is 01904 551590 and the e-mail address is trading.standards@york.gov.uk