Caveat emptor

Caveat emptor

Caveat emptor is a Latin Phrase which means "Let the buyer beware". Generally caveat emptor is the property law doctrine that controls the sale of real property after the date of closing.

Under the doctrine of caveat emptor, the buyer could not recover from the seller for defects on the property that rendered the property unfit for ordinary purposes. The only exception was if the seller actively concealed latent defects.

Before statutory law, the buyer had no warranty of the quality of goods. In many jurisdictions, the law now requires that goods must be of "merchantable quality". However, this implied warranty can be difficult to enforce, and may not apply to all products. Hence, buyers are still advised to be cautious.