Beale v Taylor Case Study

What is the area of law that the case of Beale v Taylor [1967] 1 WLR 1193; [1967] 3 All ER 253 falls under?

What year did the case of Beale v Taylor take place?

Who was the seller in the case of Beale v Taylor?

What was the car described as in the advertisement in the case of Beale v Taylor?

The car that Beale bought in the case of Beale v Taylor was actually a 1961 model.

The court in the case of Beale v Taylor ruled that the seller, Taylor, was not liable for the misrepresentation of the car.

The court in Beale v Taylor determined that the buyer had not relied on the description in the advertisement.

What issue was at the heart of the case of Beale v Taylor?

The case of Beale v Taylor demonstrated that even if a buyer inspects the goods, there may still be a sale by description.

Case Name and Citation

Beale v Taylor [1967] 1 WLR 1193; [1967] 3 All ER 253
Jurisdiction: England and Wales
Year of the case: 1967

Area of Law

Sale by Description, Sale of Goods Act

Case Summary

English case law concerning the implied condition of "sale by description" in a contract of sale of goods.
A 1961 Triumph Herald was advertised for sale as a "white, 1961 Herald Convertible."
The buyer inspected the car and saw a "1200" disc on the rear.
The buyer believed the car conformed to the description and purchased it.
In actuality, the car was a combination of two different Triumph Herald models (front half of an earlier model joined to the rear half of a 1961 model).

Issue

Could the seller of the car be held accountable for failing to fulfill the sale description?

Court's Decision

The vendor was held liable.
The description in the advertisement was relied upon by the buyer.
The car did not correspond to the description.

Sale by Description in Inspected Goods

The answer depends on context.
Even if the buyer inspected the goods, there can still be a "sale by description" if the buyer relied on descriptions.
In Beale v Taylor, the fact that the buyer relied on both the advertisement and the visual inspection (metal disc) was sufficient to breach the sales agreement.
Discrepancies between goods and descriptions might not be obvious immediately.

Explore the landmark case of Beale v Taylor, which centers around the sale by description under the Sale of Goods Act. This quiz will take you through the details of the case, the court's decision, and its implications for seller accountability in sale contracts. Test your knowledge of this important area of English contract law.