CROWDS of shoppers thronging the post-Christmas sales are unaware of their rights when it comes to snapping up bargains, according to new research.
While three-quarters of consumers claimed they knew what their rights were, a study has revealed large gaps in their knowledge.
The survey by Consumer Direct found seven out of 10 did not know that if they change their mind about a purchase they are not legally entitled to a refund and two in five did not know what their rights would be if they bought damaged goods.
Researchers found most people wrongly believed consumer rights were different during the sales and Carol Brady, a Consumer Direct spokeswoman, said: "It's always worth double-checking a retailer's refund policy before buying and this is particularly important when sales shopping.
"Although many shops allow you to exchange full-price goods that you've had second thoughts about, they do this as a goodwill gesture.
"There's no legal requirement for them to do it. These goodwill gestures may change or be withdrawn altogether during the sales.
"If you've bought goods that turn out to be damaged or faulty, you are entitled to a repair, replacement or refund."
