No papering over the cracks

Letter from Thomas Wilbraham:

Dear Felicity, I recently purchased a 200 page block of so called quality cream watermarked writing paper. On first using this paper I received a paper cut which I put down to a mischance. However, over quite a short period of time, I received two more – one of them quite deep – which I could no longer put down to bad luck. When I rang the manufacturer to alert them to the fact that their product was not safe to use, I certainly did not expect gratitude but I did not expect to get the run around from them that I did. I was passed from department to department and never seemed to be speaking to the same person nor to anyone who seemed willing to help. I tried to make progress by contacting them on three separate occasions. On the third occasion, it became evident that they were no longer willing to take my calls and ever since I have been fobbed off with obviously fabricated excuses as to why no one can be reached who can deal with my complaint. This product is described as being luxury stationery which it clearly is not. I do not think this situation should be allowed to go unchallenged and that the company should be held to account. I am very unhappy.

Felicity replied:

Dear Thomas, Your experience with this company is all too common and rarely does a week go by when my post bag/inbox does not contain another example of this sort of behaviour despite the fact that these issues are clearly cut and dried (no pun intended). The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is explicit on your statutory right that the goods you have bought be of a satisfactory quality. On that score, it requires that the goods be fit for purpose and, in that section under (g), safe. This would certainly be backed up by the Sale of Goods Act 1979. Furthermore, I feel reasonably certain that this is a product liability under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 which is is said to exist when ‘the safety of the product is not such as persons generally are entitled to expect’.