but the other side of the privity rule is that only the person (or company) who actually sold the product can be sued, and this part of the rule remains. If the seller cannot be traced, is bankrupt or otherwise unable to pay damages, the consumer has no claim in contract against anyone else involved in the product’s supply. This rule can also cause hardship to the seller, since it applies even if it was not the seller but the manufacturer who causes the defect.