# Faulty goods: your rights under the Consumer Rights Act

> The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives shoppers a 30-day right to reject faulty goods, then repair, replacement, a price reduction or a refund. This…

- URL: https://centiview.com/uk-money/faulty-goods-your-rights-consumer-rights-act
- Published: 2026-10-22T04:17:00.000Z
- Figures checked: 2026-10-22
- Edited by David A
- Topic: Life events (UK)
- Publisher: Centiview (Persie Ltd, London)
- General information only, not financial advice

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives shoppers a 30-day right to reject faulty goods, then repair, replacement, a price reduction or a refund. This guide explains the steps, the six-month rule, time limits and where to get free help.

## What the law says about goods you buy

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, every contract to supply goods to a consumer is treated as including a term that the goods are of satisfactory quality. Section 9 of the Act says the test is what a reasonable person would consider satisfactory, taking into account the description, the price and all other relevant circumstances. Quality covers more than whether something works: the Act lists state and condition, fitness for the usual purposes, appearance and finish, freedom from minor defects, safety and durability. The term does not cover a defect that was pointed out to you before you bought, or one that an examination before buying ought to have revealed.

In the first 30 days you have a short-term right to reject the goods and get a refund. Beyond that, or if you prefer, you can ask for a repair or a replacement. If that fails, you can ask for a price reduction or use a final right to reject. This is general information, not advice on any particular purchase.

## The 30-day right to reject

Section 22 says the short-term right to reject lasts for 30 days. The 30 days begin on the day after ownership has passed to you, the goods have been delivered and, where the contract needs installation, the trader has told you it is done. You can reject before those events happen. Perishable goods can have a shorter period. You use the right simply by making clear to the trader that you are rejecting the goods, which can be spoken or written, although a written record is easier to rely on later.

Once you reject, the trader must refund you without undue delay and within 14 days of agreeing that you are entitled to the refund. Section 20 says the refund must go back by the same payment method unless you expressly agree otherwise, and the trader cannot charge a fee for it. The trader must pay reasonable costs of getting the goods back, other than costs you incur by taking them back yourself. If you ask for a repair or replacement during the 30 days, the clock stops while that is dealt with. If the repaired or replacement item is also faulty, you get the later of 7 days after that waiting period ends or the rest of your original 30 days.

## Repair, replacement and the six-month rule

Section 23 says repairs and replacements must be free of charge, including labour, materials and postage, and must be done within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to you. You cannot insist on a remedy that is impossible or whose cost to the trader would be unreasonable compared with the other option. If you choose a repair, you generally cannot demand a replacement or reject the goods until the trader has had a reasonable time to repair, unless waiting would cause you significant inconvenience.

Section 19 contains the six-month presumption. If goods turn out not to conform to the contract within six months of delivery, they are treated as having been faulty on the day of delivery, unless the trader shows they were fine then or the presumption does not fit the nature of the goods or the fault. Put simply, in the first six months the trader has to show the fault was not there from the start. Citizens Advice describes the same pattern: claims are usually easier in the first 6 months, and after that you may have to show that you did not cause the problem.

> **Key numbers** 30 days: short-term right to reject (Consumer Rights Act 2015, s.22). 14 days: refund deadline after the trader agrees you are entitled (s.20). 6 months: presumption that the fault was there at delivery (s.19), and no deduction for use if you reject within it (s.24), except for motor vehicles. Up to 6 years (5 in Scotland): how long legal rights can last if there is a fault, per Citizens Advice. Checked 2026-10-22.

## Price reduction, final right to reject and time limits

If one repair or replacement has not fixed the problem, if repair or replacement is impossible, or if the trader has not done it within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience, section 24 lets you choose between a price reduction and a final right to reject. You can use one or the other, not both. A price reduction is an appropriate amount, and can be the whole price where that is fair, with the trader refunding anything you paid above the reduced price. If you reject at this stage, the refund can be reduced to reflect the use you have had of the goods. That deduction cannot be made if you reject within the first six months, but the Act says this protection does not apply to motor vehicles.

Citizens Advice says your legal rights can last for up to 6 years, or 5 years in Scotland, if there is a fault. That is a time limit for taking action, not a promise that every product will last that long. What counts as satisfactory durability depends on the type of goods, the price and what a reasonable person would expect, so a long-lasting appliance is judged differently from a cheap accessory. Warranties and guarantees add to your legal rights, and Citizens Advice notes they can be useful when something goes wrong after the first six months.

## A worked example

These figures are illustrative only. Suppose a laptop costs £800 and develops a fault three months after delivery. The 30-day window has passed, so you ask for a repair. The repair does not fix it. Because you are within six months, no deduction for use can be made if you use the final right to reject, so the refund would be the full £800. If you instead chose a price reduction and the trader and you agreed an appropriate reduction of £200, you would keep the laptop and be refunded £200, leaving £800 minus £200, which is £600, as the price you effectively paid.

Now suppose a £600 appliance fails after eight months and a repair does not work. The six-month protection from deductions has ended. If the trader could justify a deduction of £90 for the use you have had, the refund on rejection would be £600 minus £90, which is £510. The £90 is an invented number, since the Act only says the refund may be reduced to account for use, and the right figure would depend on the facts.

## Common mistakes and getting help

- Waiting past the 30 days without raising the fault, which can turn a straight refund into a repair-first process.
- Not keeping proof of purchase, photos of the fault and a record of what you asked for and when.

GOV.UK points people in England and Wales to Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 (Welsh language 0808 223 1144), Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. In Scotland, Advice Direct Scotland is on 0808 164 6000 (consumeradvice.scot), and in Northern Ireland, Consumerline is on 0300 123 6262.

## Check before you act

Laws, helpline hours and time limits can change, and individual cases differ. Please confirm the details on the official pages linked below before relying on this general guide.

### Sources
- [Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (satisfactory quality)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/9)
- [Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 19 (rights to enforce terms)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/19)
- [Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 20 (right to reject)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/20)
- [Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (30-day time limit)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/22)
- [Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 23 (repair or replacement)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/23)
- [Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 24 (price reduction, final right to reject)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/24)
- [GOV.UK, Consumer protection rights](https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights)
- [Citizens Advice Scotland, claiming using a warranty or guarantee](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/claim-using-a-warranty-or-guarantee/)