Many thanks for your patience, I am pleased to be able to continue assisting with your query now.
Under law the horse will be considered ’goods’ in the same way as an inanimate object. When a private consumer makes a purchase from a business seller, they have certain 'statutory' rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. If you wanted to refer to the legislation directly, please follow this link:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/contents/enacted
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 specifically states that there is an expectation that goods must be:
- of satisfactory quality – they must not be faulty or damaged
- as described – they must match any description given at the time of purchase
- fit for purpose – they should be fit for the purpose they are supplied for
If they do not meet the above requirements, the consumer will have certain legal remedies against the seller:
1. Reject the goods and request a refund – this is known as the ‘short-term right to reject’ and must be applied within 30 days of purchase or, if later, delivery.
2. Repair or replacement – this is still an option in the first 30 days, if the consumer does not want a refund and becomes the standard options after the 30 days have passed. Obviously a repair is not possible here so it would be a replacement instead. Alternatively, if the consumer wants to keep the goods, they can ask for a price reduction, based on what is wrong with them. That is something to be negotiated with the seller.
An important aspect of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is that there is an assumption that any issues complained of, which have become obvious or developed within the first 6 months of buying the goods, were present at the time of purchase. If the seller disagrees that his was the case, it would be up to them to prove otherwise, if challenged in court. On the other hand, any issues which develop more than 6 months after purchase, are assumed not to have originated at the point of sale and it is for the buyer to prove otherwise if challenged in court.
Once a decision has been made on which of the above rights to pursue, the seller should be contacted, preferably in writing, to discuss that with them. If they refuse to discharge their legal obligations under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a formal letter before action should be sent, asking for the desired resolution and making it clear that legal action could follow through the courts.
In the event this matters needs to be taken further, the following are the relevant links:
A report to Trading Standards can be submitted first: https://ssl.datamotion.com/form.aspx?co=3438&frm=general&to=flare.fromforms
Afterwards, a claim can be pursued in The County Court: https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome