Printers are an important piece of equipment to go with your PC. However, buying a printer may not be as straightforward as it seems.

Think about what you need the printer to do for you. Do you want to print in black and white only, or colour photographs? Will you be doing a lot of printing?

Don't assume that a cheap printer is always a good bargain. It may use more ink and therefore be more expensive to run. The best printer for you will depend on more than the initial price.

Ask the seller how much the ink cartridges cost before you buy your printer. They can be expensive - ink can cost more than twice the price of the printer over its lifetime. Also ask the seller how many pages an ink cartridge will print and how much it will therefore cost to print per page, for both colour and black and white. Lastly, ask how many pages it will print per minute to check it is not too slow.

All these questions apply even if you buy the printer in a bundled package along with other products or software.

When buying online, make sure that the company has a UK contact address and telephone number in case you need to get in contact with them. You might want to check for privacy-vetted web sites displaying trading standards logos, such as those of Which?, Web Trader, Trusted Shops and TrustUK.

It is also important to know your rights when buying online. This includes issues over the delivery of your printer. Section 29(3) of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 states that the seller must deliver the goods purchased within a 'reasonable time'. If your printer is not delivered in a reasonable time, you can refuse to accept the printer by using our request a refund for goods not delivered on time letter.

In addition to your printer being delivered within a reasonable time, it should get to you in good condition. If the goods are damaged, you will be entitled to reject the goods under Section 14 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 and claim a refund of the purchase price because the goods are not of satisfactory quality and defective or damaged. You can reject the printer on this basis and obtain a refund by using our request a refund for mail order goods damaged during delivery letter. The buyer also has a right to reject the goods and claim a refund under the Mail Order Traders’ Association’s Code of Practice. Most mail order companies are members of this association.

If you purchase your system using a credit card or finance agreement, you may have additional protection. Credit providers may share liability for any breach of contract or misrepresentation by suppliers of the goods or services, which have been financed (even partially) by the credit.

Under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, a credit card company is jointly liable with a supplier if an article purchased is faulty. However, the article purchased must cost between £100 and £30,000. To request a refund from your credit card company for a faulty printer, you can use our request a refund for goods purchased with a credit card. While the credit card may be liable, it is still advisable to pursue the supplier in the first instance under section 14 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979, which states the goods must be of satisfactory quality and fit for their intended purpose.

Always read the terms and conditions and small print on any official forms. Make sure you know what your terms and conditions cover and what they do not.

You are not bound by standard terms that unfairly favour the trader. Terms and conditions that appear to exclude or limit your liability for faulty or poorly-described goods or for consequential loss are not fair. Not only are unfair terms misleading, they are also unenforceable in the courts.

When ordering, make sure that you get and keep copies of all receipts, details of the order, confirmations, correspondence and order numbers of your printer purchase.

If you are unhappy with your printer or with the service provided by the seller, try to sort it out directly with the seller (or the head office if the seller is part of a chain).

Remember that when you buy any good, including a printer, it must be:

• Of satisfactory quality.
• Fit for its purpose.
• As described.

If it doesn't meet any of these specifications, you are automatically entitled to reject these goods. If you find that your printer does not meet these requirements, you can use our request a refund for goods not fit for their intended purpose letter, our request a refund for goods not matching their description letter as appropriate. If the goods are not of a satisfactory quality, this means that the printer is faulty and you should proceed in the manner described below.

In general, the onus is on all purchasers to prove the goods did not conform to contract (e.g. was inherently faulty) and should have reasonably lasted until this point in time if you want a refund. If you can prove that the goods were faulty when you purchased them, then you are entitled to a refund. To request a refund for your faulty printer, you can use our request a refund for faulty goods letter.

If you would prefer a repair of the faulty printer, you can also make this request. You can use our request repair of faulty goods letter to do so. This repair must not cost you anything and must be done to a good standard. If the repair is not performed to a good standard, then you will be entitled to a refund. If you requested a refund of your printer and it was not done to a good standard, you can request a refund by using our request refund for goods improperly repaired letter.

If you choose to request a repair or replacement, then for the first six months after purchase it will be for the retailer to prove the goods did conform to contract (e.g. were not inherently faulty). After six months and until the end of the six years (or five years in Scotland), it is for you, as the consumer, to prove the lack of conformity.

It is often the case that goods sold (for example, a TV set or a refrigerator or in this case a printer) have a guarantee from the manufacturer to make good any fault found with the goods, within a certain period, provided the manufacturer is notified within a certain date of such defect.

Sometimes the seller refers this guarantee to the buyer and rejects any responsibility for faulty goods.

However, it is worth noting that the manufacturer’s guarantee will not affect the buyer’s right against the seller to claim a refund of the money paid for the goods under Section 14 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (that the goods must be of satisfactory quality and fit for their purpose). However, the buyer must not delay in informing the seller of such defects.

If the seller tries to deny his or her responsibility for your printer and tries to refer you to the manufacturer, you should not accept this excuse. To reject a seller's denial of responsibility, use our reject a seller's denial of responsibility letter to do so. Don't accept any excuses.