Sale of Goods Act 1979
What this means for your business
- Applies to
- United Kingdom
- On this page
- 3 compliance obligations, 1 practical guide
What you must do
3 compliance obligations under this legislation.
Management duties 1
Take delivery of goods when the seller requests it
If you are buying goods, you must accept delivery as soon as the seller is ready and asks you to take the goods. Failing to do so within a reasonable time makes you liable for any loss the seller suffers and for reasonable storage or care costs. In practice, you need to have a process to acknowledge delivery requests and arrange for prompt receipt of the goods.
Other requirements 1
Deliver goods and ensure buyer accepts and pays on time
If your business sells goods, you must get those goods to the buyer when the contract says you should. The buyer must also take delivery and pay the agreed price on the agreed date. Failing to do either can lead to a civil claim for damages.
Payments and fees 1
Provide goods and accept payment at the same time
When you sell goods, you must be ready to hand over the items at the exact moment the buyer is ready to pay, and you must be prepared to receive payment when you deliver. This means you shouldn’t delay delivery waiting for payment, nor should you expect payment after you’ve already handed over the goods, unless you’ve agreed otherwise.
Practical guidance
Our guides explain how to comply with the requirements above.
Sections and provisions
80 classified provisions from this legislation.
Duties 4
Definitions 12
- s.2 Contract of sale.
- s.3 Capacity to buy and sell. necessaries
- s.5 Existing or future goods.
- s.20A Undivided shares in goods forming part of a bulk.
- s.21 Sale by person not the owner.
- s.26 Supplementary to sections 24 and 25. mercantile agent
- s.38 Unpaid seller defined.
- s.45 Duration of transit.
- s.59 Reasonable time a question of fact.
- s.61 Interpretation. bulk buyer credit-broker
- s.62 Savings: rules of law etc.
- s.63 Consequential amendments, repeals and savings.
Exemptions 25
- s.1 Contracts to which Act applies.
- s.11 When condition to be treated as warranty.
- s.12 Implied terms about title, etc.
- s.13 Sale by description.
- s.14 Implied terms about quality or fitness.
- s.15A Modification of remedies for breach of condition in non-consumer cases.
- s.15B Remedies for breach of contract as respects Scotland.
- s.15 Sale by sample.
- s.20 Passing of risk.
- s.22 Market overt.
- s.29 Rules about delivery.
- s.30 Delivery of wrong quantity.
- s.31 Instalment deliveries.
- s.32 Delivery to carrier.
- s.33 Risk where goods are delivered at distant place.
- s.35 Acceptance.
- s.35A Right of partial rejection.
- s.36 Buyer not bound to return rejected goods.
- s.51 Damages for non-delivery.
- s.52 Specific performance.
- ... and 5 more exemptions