Classified advertisements placed by individuals in newspapers and magazines are not covered by the Advertising Standards Authority's "court of practice". If you happen to buy goods that have been wrongly described in such an advertisement, and have lost money as a result, the only thing you can do is bring a case against the person who placed the advertisement for misrepresentation or for breach of contract. In this case, you would use the small claims procedure, which is a relatively cheap way to sue for the recovery of a debt. If you want to pursue a claim, you should take into account whether the person you are suing will be able to pay damages, should any be awarded. Dishonest traders are aware of this and often pose as private sellers to exploit the legal loopholes that exist: that is, they may claim they are not in a position to pay damages.