Your rights as a UK shopper
Your Rights When Goods Are Faulty in the UK
8 November 2026
Your rights when goods are faulty in the UK come from the Consumer Rights Act 2015. If something you buy from a business turns out to be faulty, you can reject it within 30 days for a full refund. After that, you can ask for a repair or a replacement, and if that doesn't work, a price reduction or a refund. Your claim is against the trader that sold you the item, not the manufacturer.
Quick answer: Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you can reject faulty goods for a full refund within 30 days. After that, the trader gets one chance to repair or replace them. If the fault is still there, you can ask for a price reduction or reject the goods for a refund. Faults that appear in the first 6 months are presumed to have been there from the start.
Key Takeaways
Goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described.
You have 30 days to reject faulty goods for a full refund.
After that, the trader can repair or replace the goods, at its own cost.
If one repair or replacement fails, you can ask for a price reduction or a refund.
In the first 6 months, the law assumes the fault was there when the goods were delivered.
What counts as faulty
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods you buy from a trader must meet three standards. They must be of satisfactory quality (section 9), fit for any particular purpose you told the trader about (section 10), and match their description (section 11).
That covers things that arrive broken, stop working sooner than they should, or aren't what the listing said. It applies whether you bought the item new or second-hand from a trader, though what counts as satisfactory takes account of things like the price and how the item was described.
Citizens Advice points out that you don't have these rights if the damage came from wear and tear, an accident or misuse, or if you knew about the fault before you bought the item.
Your rights at each stage
When the fault appears | What you can ask for |
|---|---|
Within 30 days | Reject the goods for a full refund, or ask for a repair or replacement |
After 30 days | A repair or replacement, within a reasonable time and at the trader's cost |
After one failed repair or replacement | A price reduction, or reject the goods for a refund (the final right to reject) |
The 30-day right to reject
The short-term right to reject is in section 22. The 30 days start from the day after the goods are yours, have been delivered and, if the trader had to install them, the trader has told you that's done. For goods that are expected to go off sooner, such as fresh food, the period is shorter.
To use it, tell the trader clearly that you're rejecting the goods and want a refund. Under section 20, the refund must come within 14 days of the trader agreeing you're entitled to it, using the same payment method you used, unless you agree otherwise.
Repair or replacement
After 30 days, or earlier if you'd rather, you can ask for a repair or a replacement. Section 23 says the trader must do it within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to you, and must pay the necessary costs, including labour, materials and postage.
The trader can refuse the option you chose if it's impossible, or out of proportion compared with the other one.
If you agree to a repair, you have to give the trader a reasonable time to carry it out before you can ask for something else, unless waiting would cause you significant inconvenience.
When a repair doesn't work
Under section 24, if the goods are still faulty after one repair or one replacement, you can choose either a price reduction or the final right to reject. The same applies if the trader can't repair or replace them, or doesn't do so within a reasonable time.
If you use the final right to reject, the trader may take something off your refund for the use you've had. But it can't do that in the first 6 months, except for motor vehicles.
The 6-month rule
Section 19 says that if a fault shows up within 6 months of delivery, it's taken to have been there from the start. It's then for the trader to show otherwise. After 6 months, you may need to show that the fault was there when the item was delivered, which is where an independent report can help.
Your rights don't simply end at 6 months, though. Citizens Advice says you have legal rights for up to 6 years if there's a fault (5 years in Scotland). A manufacturer's guarantee can be useful later on, and our guide to the difference between a warranty and a guarantee explains how the two fit together.
How to make a claim
Find your proof of purchase, such as a receipt, an order email or a bank statement.
Contact the trader, follow its complaints process and say which right you're using.
Put it in writing and keep a copy.
If the trader won't help and you paid by card, you may be able to claim from your card provider. Our guide to Section 75 and chargeback explains how.
For a wider summary of the law, see our guide to your shopping rights.
Common questions
Do I have to accept a credit note for faulty goods?
No. If you reject faulty goods within 30 days, or later under the final right to reject, you're entitled to a refund using the same payment method you used, unless you agree to something else.
Can a shop send me to the manufacturer instead?
Your contract is with the trader that sold you the goods, so your Consumer Rights Act claim is against that trader. A manufacturer's guarantee is an extra you can choose to use.
Do I have the same rights in a sale?
Yes. Sale goods still have to be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. You can't complain about a fault the trader pointed out to you before you bought the item.
What if I bought the item online?
You have the same rights on faulty goods. You may also be able to cancel within 14 days for any reason, which our guide on how to return something you bought online explains.