Multi Pack Sold As Individual Item

[newbie99]

Is there any laws that govern the retailers in terms of selling items that was purchased as multi pack and then resale as single item such as crisps?

I have seen my local newsagent doing this. Any law broken here? Any thoughts on this?.

[Maydup]

One issue that comes to mind is the sell by date, and the nutritional values. Are the items individually marked or was the data on the outer packaging?

[Hopkirk]

You could always contact the manufacturer for their viewpoint.

As he is probably buying from a supermarket, and not being supplied directly from them, there may be little they can do.

[Buenchico]

This has been much-discussed before on AB.

The simple answer is that no law has been contravened unless, possibly, the law requires the display of ingredients (or of allergens, etc) on certain products, and they are only displayed on the outer wrapper of the bulk pack (and not on the individual packets/cans/etc) inside. In such a case, the secondary seller would be obliged to attach labels to the individual items, so that the labelling requirements were met.

The only sanction that a manufacturer or wholesaler has against a retailer who splits multi-pack items is to refuse to supply that retailer in future. In practice that's nearly always meaningless.

[jno]

I doubt it, you can still sell what you like in this country as long as the product's not illegal or stolen; and I assume he's paid Tesco for it.

[Jackdaw33]

Most of the individual items say, Multi-pack only, not for resale.How valid in law that is I do not know. What I do know is that in multi-packs the content is less per packet than when sold individually.

[newbie99]

Thanks for the response, in summary the law is not enforceable even the item states Not for resale as individual! Provided it has the product details such date and nutrition. Products such as cigarette and chocolate comes to mind has the same size and weight as non-multi pack.

[PeelerPal]

Wow, I think people need to look at the sale of goods act before commenting on things like its ok to sell anything. The reason multipacks are marked not for resale is for weights and measures. If the goods that are sold as an individual item, it is the retailers responsibility to clearly mark the product at a lower price and as part of a multipack. Any retailer selling multipack products as individual items contravene the sale of goods act and can be prosecuted.

[gingejbee]

^^^The Sale of Goods Act doesn't apply to UK law anymore...it's been replaced.

[fiction-factory]

I would be very surprised if that was correct peelerpal except possibly in those cases where the actual capacity/weight was not stated on the item and the law requires it to be Do you have a link please?

[PeelerPal]

Thanks jinge
I never knew that, I thought it was still in force. with what has it been replaced with?

[newbie99]

There is no law that states you shall sell a product at a law price.

[fiction-factory]

My list should have included ingredients/allergen info too.

[gingejbee]

^^^Google "Consumer rights Act"

[Buenchico]

>>> Wow, I think people need to look at the sale of goods act before commenting on things like its ok to sell anything

Rather pointless, surely, given that the Sale of Goods Act 1979 was repealed by Section 60 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015?

Further, the Sale of Goods Act only required that any goods sold should be in accordance with any description apparently relating to them (Section 13) and that they should be 'fit for purpose' (Section 14). Nothing in that Act, nor in the successor legislation, prevents the splitting of multi-pack items.

Clearly, where a retailer uses an EPOS system, to read bar codes on products, he needs to ensure that he doesn't put a single can of Coke through his tills at the same price as a pack of 6 but that still doesn't prevent him from splitting the pack (and many retailers, such as burger van operators, don't use EPOS tills anyway).