Six-Month Presumption

The six-month presumption is a rule in the Consumer Rights Act 2015: goods that do not conform within six months of delivery are treated as not having conformed on the day they were delivered.

Last updated: 19 October 2026

What it means

Section 19 says that if goods fail to conform to the contract at any point within the period of six months beginning with the day they were delivered, they are treated as not having conformed on the delivery day. The exceptions are where it is established that the goods did conform on that day, or where applying the presumption is incompatible with the nature of the goods or how they failed ^[1].

Why it matters when you buy

A fault that appears in the first six months is treated as having been there from delivery, unless one of those exceptions applies. After six months the rule no longer helps you.

A worked example

Goods are delivered on 1 March. The six months beginning on that day end on 31 August. A fault on 20 April is inside the period, so it is treated as present at delivery. A fault on 10 September is outside it.

Illustrative scenario: figures are examples, not quotes, valuations or market prices.

Related

• Short-term right to reject
• Satisfactory quality
• Faulty goods and the Consumer Rights Act: your options

Sources

1. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 19 (consumer’s rights to enforce terms about goods), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 19 October 2026.