§ 1. When does the Act apply?
The Act applies when you, as a private individual, buy an item from a business or from someone carrying on a trade. It does not apply if you buy something from another private individual.
Machine-translated from Norwegian. The Norwegian text is the one that applies. Read the original in Norwegian.Norsk English العربية Polski Українська
The text of the law (unofficial translation)
The Act applies to consumer purchases (forbrukerkjøp), unless otherwise provided by law.
Consumer purchase means the sale of an item to a consumer (forbruker) when the seller (selger) or the seller's representative acts in the course of business.
Consumer means a natural person who is not acting mainly in the course of business.
A representative acting in the course of business is jointly and severally liable with the seller for the seller's obligations unless the consumer is expressly made aware that the representative is acting only as an intermediary and is not jointly and severally liable with the seller. The liability does not apply when the seller is acting in the course of business.
The Act applies to the exchange of items insofar as it is suitable.
What does this mean?
The Consumer Purchases Act is your most important protection when you shop. For the Act to apply, two conditions must be met.
First, you must be buying as a consumer. This means you are buying the item for yourself or your household, not for a company you run.
Second, you must be buying from someone carrying on a trade — a business, shop or dealer. If you buy a used car from a car dealer, the Act applies. If you buy the same car from your neighbour, it does not. In that case the Sale of Goods Act (kjøpsloven) applies — and it gives you fewer rights.
The Act also applies to exchanges — for example if you trade in your old phone when you buy a new one.
Example
Kari buys a used TV on Finn.no. The seller is a company that refurbishes and resells electronics. Since she is buying it for her living room, and the seller is a business, the Consumer Purchases Act applies. If Kari had bought the TV from a student who wanted to get rid of it, the Consumer Purchases Act would not have applied.
Common mistakes
- Believing that the Consumer Purchases Act applies to purchases between private individuals
- Believing that the Act applies when you buy something for your sole proprietorship
- Forgetting that intermediaries who sell on behalf of others can be held liable
What should you do?
Always check who you are actually dealing with. Is there an organisation number on the receipt? Is the seller acting as a business? Then you are covered by the Consumer Purchases Act.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Act apply if I buy a dog?
Does the Act apply when I shop online?
- § 2Which items the Act applies to
- § 3The Act is mandatory (ufravikelig)
- § 1Scope of the Sale of Goods Act