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CONSUMER PROTECTION

The Consumer Rights Act 2015

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 became law on 1 October 2015, replacing three major pieces of consumer legislation - the Sale of Goods Act, Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations, and the Supply of Goods and Services Act. It was introduced to simplify, strengthen and modernise the law, giving you clearer shopping rights.

Product quality - what should you expect?

As with the Sale of Goods Act, under the Consumer Rights Act all products must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described.  

The rules also include digital content in this definition. So all products - whether physical or digital - must meet the following standards:  

  • Satisfactory quality  Goods shouldn't be faulty or damaged when you receive them. You should ask what a reasonable person would consider satisfactory for the goods in question. For example, bargain-bucket products won’t be held to as high standards as luxury goods. 
  • Fit for purpose  The goods should be fit for the purpose they are supplied for, as well as any specific purpose you made known to the retailer before you agreed to buy the goods. 
  • As described  The goods supplied must match any description given to you, or any models or samples shown to you at the time of purchase.

Who should you claim against?  

If what you’ve bought doesn’t satisfy any one of the three criteria outlined above, you have a claim under the Consumer Rights Act. 

If you've bought a faulty product, you can read our guide, which shows you what you should do and how to make a claim. 

If you want to make a claim under the Consumer Rights Act, you have several possible ways of resolving your issue, depending on the circumstances and on how you want the retailer to remedy the situation. 

Your rights under the Consumer Rights Act are against the retailer – the company that sold you the product – not the manufacturer, so you must take any claim to the retailer.  

What you can claim depends on how much time has passed since you physically took ownership of the goods. 

Read on to find out what your rights are in the first 30 days and beyond. 

Taking ownership

Your 30-day right to reject starts from the date you take ownership of the goods. 

For example, if you purchased your goods in store and then took them away with you, your 30-day right to reject would start from that day.

But, if you ordered in store to have your goods delivered later or if you purchased your goods online, your 30-day right to reject would not start until your goods are delivered to you.

Bear in mind that if you nominated a safe place or neighbour and your order is left there, then this will be interpreted as the parcel having being delivered to you, and your 30-day right to reject will begin.

How long do you have to return a faulty product?

Under the Consumer Rights Act you have a legal right to reject goods that are of unsatisfactory quality, unfit for purpose or not as described, and get a full refund - as long as you do this quickly. 

This right is limited to 30 days from the date you take ownership of your product. After 30 days, you will not be legally entitled to a full refund if your item develops a fault, although some sellers may offer you an extended refund period. 

This right to a refund doesn't apply to products you've bought as downloads, though - such as music, games or apps. 

You can, however, ask for a digital product to be repaired or replaced if it develops a fault. And if this isn't possible, or is unsuccessful, you have the right to receive a price reduction. 

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