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Faulty Goods

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. If they are not, your rights are against the retailer who sold them — not the manufacturer, and not the warranty. The strongest right is also the shortest: 30 days from delivery to reject faulty goods and get a full refund, no repair attempt required. Call 0800 007 4103 free, any hour — and a one-hour consultation with a UK solicitor (£145, a fixed fee) can be booked right on the call.

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30 days from when you took ownership to exercise the short-term right to reject and get a full refund. After that the retailer gets one chance to repair or replace before you can claim a refund, and after six months the burden of proof shifts onto you.

Faulty Goods at a glance

Claim from the seller

Your contract is with the retailer — being sent to the manufacturer is a deflection

30 days, full refund

The short-term right to reject: no repair attempt needed, full money back

Then one repair or replacement

After 30 days the retailer gets a single chance to put it right before a refund is due

Six-month rule

A fault appearing within six months is presumed to have been there at delivery — the retailer must prove otherwise

Up to six years to claim

Six years in England, Wales and NI; five from discovery in Scotland

The three tiers of remedy

First tier, within 30 days: reject the goods and get a full refund. You do not have to accept a repair, a replacement or a credit note, and the retailer cannot deduct for the use you have had. Second tier, after 30 days: the retailer is entitled to one attempt at repair or replacement, which must be done within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to you. Third tier: if that attempt fails, you can claim a refund, which may be reduced to reflect use for goods kept a long time, or keep the goods and claim a price reduction. Digital content and services have their own parallel rules under the same Act. Talk it through with a lawyer now →

Who has to prove what

For the first six months after delivery, a fault is presumed to have been present when you bought the item, so it is for the retailer to prove it was not — that you damaged it, misused it, or that it is fair wear. That presumption is the single most useful thing in the Act and the thing retailers are most reluctant to mention. After six months the burden flips to you, and an independent report may be needed for anything substantial, particularly vehicles and appliances. Keep the receipt, the packaging, the advertisement or listing, and photographs — as described is a separate ground from satisfactory quality and is often the easier one to prove. Talk it through with a lawyer now →

The extra routes people forget

If you paid any part of the price by credit card and the item cost over £100 and up to £30,000, the card provider is jointly liable with the retailer under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act — which is invaluable when a retailer stops responding or goes under. Debit card payments have no equivalent statutory right but chargeback may be available through the card scheme within time limits. Buying online adds a separate 14-day cooling-off right to cancel most purchases for any reason at all, which is independent of whether anything is wrong with the goods. Talk it through with a lawyer now →

If something you bought is faulty, step by step

Tell the retailer in writing, fastWithin 30 days you can simply reject it and demand your money back.

Do not accept being sent to the manufacturerYour contract is with the seller, whatever their policy says.

Escalate to the card provider or a claimSection 75 for credit cards over £100, then small claims. Call 0800 007 4103 free, any hour — and a one-hour consultation with a UK solicitor (£145, a fixed fee) can be booked right on the call.

Faulty Goods — your questions answered

The shop says I have to contact the manufacturer. Is that right?

No. Your legal rights under the Consumer Rights Act are against the retailer who sold you the goods. A manufacturer's warranty is an extra, voluntary layer on top and does not replace or reduce your statutory rights. Put it to the retailer in writing that you are exercising your rights under the Act against them as seller — that sentence alone resolves a surprising number of disputes.

My item broke after four months. Do I have to prove it was faulty?

No. Within the first six months the law presumes the fault was present when you took ownership, and it is for the retailer to prove otherwise. Point this out explicitly, because it is the part retailers most often gloss over. After six months the burden moves to you and you may need an independent inspection report to make the claim stick.

Can I get a refund rather than a repair?

Within 30 days, yes, outright — that is the short-term right to reject and you do not have to accept a repair. After 30 days the retailer is entitled to one attempt at repair or replacement first. If that attempt fails, or is not carried out within a reasonable time or without significant inconvenience to you, then a refund becomes available — possibly reduced for the use you have had.

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