The following is a quick guide to your shopping rights in France, as set down by the European Union;

• Price Discrimination: You cannot be charged a higher price than local residents when buying products or services unless the price difference is justified (i.e., higher P & P costs which may be incurred to deliver overseas).

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  Guarantee: When you buy a product you have two years to request repairs or replacement if the product turns out to be faulty or not as described in any advertising or promotion. If a product cannot be repaired or replaced within a reasonable time or without inconvenience, you may request a refund or price reduction. The two year guarantee period starts as soon as you are in receipt of the goods i.e., when they are delivered or when you leave the shop, and you must inform the seller of the fault within two months of discovering it.

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  Seller's guarantee: Many shops will offer an additional guaranteed either included in the price or at an additional cost. By taking this guarantee you do not lose your rights to the two year guarantee described above. In a similar way if a shop sells you a product cheaper because it has 'no guarantee' this this only means that you don't have any additional protection but you still have the two year standard guarantee.

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  Get what you paid for: If you buy something that does not look or work as advertised the seller must repair or replace it free of charge, or give you a full refund.

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  Buying online, by post or phone: When you buy goods not in person, i.e., online, by post or by telephone you have the same rights to a repair, replacement or refund from the seller as you would if you had bought them in a shop.

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  Damage: If something you buy causes damage as a result of it being defective the seller is responsible for damage caused.
  
  

Please note that if a product has a fault which is pointed out at the time of sale then that fault does not fall under the guarantees above.

Finally, remember by explaining the situation politely, giving a smile and perhaps speaking in French, no matter how little you know, you will find that many shops will be sympathetic to your problem!

Further Information

For further information on shopping, markets, shopping from the UK to France and sales in France please see the Guide2Brittany ' Guide to Shopping and Markets ' section.