New warning on hire agreements

The European Consumer Centre has warned consumers not to confuse a hire-purchase agreement with a consumer-hire agreement.

In its new set of guidelines, Buying a New Car, the centre explains that with hire-purchase, you are hiring the car, and ownership of the car only passes to you when the last payment has been made. In a consumer-hire agreement you are leasing the goods for the duration of the contract and ownership never passes to you.

If you change your mind after signing an agreement, you may still withdraw from the contract within 10 days of receiving a copy of it by giving notice in writing.

The centre advises consumers to carefully consider whether to waive their "cooling-off rights" when completing the form.

The brochure explains consumer rights under the Sale of Goods & Supply of Services Act and also offers tips on buying a car in another EU member-state.

The centre has published a second brochure, which sets out the consumer's rights and obligations when cancelling credit card transactions. The new publications are available through the European Consumer Centre website www.ecic.ie, or from the Consumer Advice Shop in Dublin and other public information centres.