Law Gives Protection In Door Sales Of Books

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30401, 28 March 1964, Page 14

Law Gives Protection In Door Sales Of Books

A Christchurch solicitor has pointed out that section 44 of the Mercantile Law Act (1908) offers very substantial protection against door-to-door booksellers who endeavour to gloss over, or conceal, the final price that the purchaser will be called on to pay for sets of volumes.

Many householders do not realise how much they will have to pay when they sign

agreements to purchase a set of books from door-to-door vendors. But, unless the agreement makes it clear, in large (18 point) type what the total, final price is, the agreement is invalid, and therefore, not binding in law, the solicitor pointed out. The relevant section of the act is:

“Every agreement for the purchase of any book or part of a book, or of engravings, lithographs, or pictures, or of any other like matter, whether illustrated or not, shall be absolutely void in every case where such printed matter is not to be delivered to the purchaser at the date of such agreement in a completed form, and so as to embrace the whole of the volumes of the printed matter, unless the purchaser of such printed matter first signs an agreement on a form in which, in red capital letters not less than great primer, the following words and figures are printed—namely, the total liability of the purchaser under this agreement is (inserting the amount in similar printed letters and also printed figures of like size), and unless such form is printed or written in black, wholly or partly, across and subsequent to the printing of such red letters and figures.’ ”