The Sale of Goods Act

The Sale of Goods Act 1979
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The main purpose of this act was to ensure that quality is maintained in goods that are sold to the general public.

Under the Act:

All new goods sold must be of 'merchantable quality'. This means that the goods must be of reasonable quality when sold. In other words there should not be any defects to the goods.
The next implied term is 'fit for purpose of use'. This means the goods must be fit for the purpose for which they are sold. If you are sold a microwave oven, it must be able to heat food up, not just light up inside.
The third term within the Act relates to 'meeting descriptions'. This term means that if any sizes or weights are shown on the packaging, the goods must meet these in someway.

If someone sells a good which fails to meet this criteria then they are within their rights to ask the shop/supplier for a refund.

The shop/supplier is obliged to refund the customer. There are some exceptions to this rule, for example if the shop stated that there was a defect with the goods at the time of purchase.

The shop/suppliers may get around the refund payment if they have a clearly visible sign on the premises which states the refunds are not given, but goods may be exchanged for credit note. You cannot simply refuse to give refunds if you do not have the sign on your business premises.

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