Faulty Goods and the Consumer Rights Act: Your Options

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If something you bought is faulty, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you a set of rights against the trader who sold it. In outline, you can reject faulty goods for a refund in the first 30 days, ask for a repair or replacement after that, and in some cases still get a refund or a price reduction. This guide walks through each step using the text of the Act and official guidance. It is guidance, not legal advice, and the details depend on your facts.

Last updated: 19 October 2026

What counts as faulty

The Act treats every contract to supply goods as including three terms [1][2][3]:

  • Satisfactory quality. Goods must meet the standard a reasonable person would consider satisfactory, taking into account the description, the price and all other relevant circumstances. Aspects of quality can include fitness for usual purposes, appearance and finish, freedom from minor defects, safety and durability [1].
  • Fit for a particular purpose. If you tell the trader what you want the goods for, they must be reasonably fit for that purpose [2].
  • As described. Goods must match the description, and information the trader gives about their main characteristics is treated as a contract term [3].

Citizens Advice says you have these rights whether you bought new or secondhand. It says you have no legal rights if the damage came from wear and tear, an accident or misuse, or if you knew about the fault before you bought [4]. Its page applies to England and links to separate advice for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland [4], so check the page for where you live.

Within 30 days: reject for a refund

The short-term right to reject lasts 30 days. The 30 days begin on the first day after ownership or possession has passed to you, the goods have been delivered, and any installation the contract requires has been notified as done [5]. The limit is shorter for goods that can reasonably be expected to perish sooner, and the right is lost if the time passes unless you and the trader agree you can use it later [5].

To reject, you must make it clear to the trader that you are rejecting the goods. The Act says the signal can be spoken or an action, but must be clear enough for the trader to understand [6]. The trader must refund you without undue delay and within 14 days of agreeing you are entitled to one, and must pay any reasonable costs of returning the goods, apart from costs you incur by taking them back in person [6].

A worked example

A washing machine is delivered and installed on 1 March, and all the conditions above are met on that day. The 30 days begin on 2 March, the first day after, so they end on 31 March. A fault that appears on 20 April is outside the 30 days, so the short-term right to reject has gone, but the later rights below still apply.

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

After that: repair or replacement

If you ask the trader to repair or replace the goods, they must do so within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to you, and bear the necessary costs, including labour, materials and postage [7]. You cannot require a remedy that is impossible, or that is disproportionate compared with the other one [7]. The 30-day clock stops while you wait for a repair or replacement you have asked for or agreed to [5].

The six-month presumption

If the goods do not conform at any point within six months beginning with the day they were delivered, they are treated as not having conformed on the delivery day [8]. 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 [8].

Refund or price reduction

After one repair or one replacement, if the goods still do not conform, you can choose between a price reduction and the final right to reject, but not both. You can also use these if you can require neither repair nor replacement, or if the trader failed to repair or replace within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience [9]. The price reduction can be an appropriate amount, up to the full price [9].

If you use the final right to reject, the refund may be reduced by a deduction for use. No deduction can be made if you exercise the final right to reject in the first six months [9]. The Act gives exceptions for motor vehicles and certain goods specified by order [9], so a car is treated differently.

Questions people ask

How long do I have to claim?

The Act sets 30 days for the short-term right to reject [5] and a six-month period for the presumption [8]. We could not open an official source on the overall time limit for bringing a claim, so we do not state one. Check the current guidance for where you live.

Do I need proof of purchase?

We could not open an official source on proof of purchase, so we do not give advice on it. Keep your receipt or order confirmation as a sensible habit.

What if I bought it second hand?

Citizens Advice says it does not matter whether you bought the item new or secondhand, and you will still have rights [4].

Where to get help

GOV.UK’s consumer rights page says the law protects your rights when you buy goods, services or digital content remotely or in person, and it points to Citizens Advice, Advice Direct Scotland and Consumerline depending on where you live [10].

Sources

  1. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (goods to be of satisfactory quality), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 19 October 2026.
  2. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 10 (goods to be fit for particular purpose), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 19 October 2026.
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 11 (goods to be as described), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 19 October 2026.
  4. Return faulty goods, Citizens Advice (England), citizensadvice.org.uk. The page shows no review date. Checked 19 October 2026.
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (time limit for short-term right to reject), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 19 October 2026.
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 20 (right to reject), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 19 October 2026.
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 23 (right to repair or replacement), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 19 October 2026.
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 19 (consumer’s rights to enforce terms about goods), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 19 October 2026.
  9. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 24 (price reduction, final right to reject and deduction for use), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 19 October 2026.
  10. Consumer rights, GOV.UK, gov.uk. The page shows no date. Checked 19 October 2026.