The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is the main piece of UK legislation setting out what you are legally entitled to when goods you have bought turn out to be faulty, not as described, or not fit for purpose. It applies across the United Kingdom and consolidated several older pieces of consumer law — including much of the old Sale of Goods Act — into a single, more modern framework.
The three core rights the Act gives you
Under the Act, goods you buy from a trader must be:
- Of satisfactory quality — free from defects, safe, and durable given the price and description.
- Fit for purpose — including any specific purpose you told the seller about before buying.
- As described — matching the description given by the seller, on packaging, online, or in advertising.
If goods fail on any of these points, you have a claim against the retailer you bought from — not the manufacturer — regardless of any separate manufacturer’s warranty.
The 30-day short-term right to reject
For most goods, you have 30 days from the date of purchase (or delivery, if later) in which you can reject faulty goods outright and get a full refund, with no obligation to accept a repair or replacement instead. This is often the strongest position a consumer is in, because after this window closes, the remedies available narrow.
After the first 30 days
Once the short-term right to reject has expired, the Act generally gives the trader the first opportunity to put things right, usually through:
- Repair or replacement, which the trader must carry out within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to you.
If a repair or replacement is not possible, does not work, or takes an unreasonably long time, you may then be entitled to:
- A price reduction, or
- A final right to reject for a refund — though after six months from purchase, a deduction can sometimes be made for the use you have already had of the goods.
The six-month presumption
Within the first six months after purchase, if a fault appears, it is presumed in your favour that the fault was already present at the time of sale — it is up to the retailer to prove otherwise if they want to dispute your claim. After six months, the burden shifts, and you may need to show the fault existed at the point of purchase rather than being caused by wear, misuse or an unrelated later event.
Services and digital content too
The Act does not just cover physical goods. Services you pay for must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time if no time was agreed, and for a reasonable price if none was agreed in advance. Digital content — apps, games, streamed media, downloaded software — must also be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described, giving you broadly parallel protection to physical goods.
What the Act does not do
It does not require a trader to accept returns simply because you have changed your mind about an in-store purchase — that is a matter of the retailer’s own returns policy, not a legal right, unless the purchase was made online, by phone or at a distance, in which case separate distance-selling cancellation rights can apply instead.
Making a claim in practice
- Contact the retailer first, in writing where possible, setting out the fault and the date of purchase.
- Keep your receipt or other proof of purchase — a bank statement showing the transaction is generally sufficient if you no longer have the original receipt.
- State clearly which remedy you are seeking under the Act, and by when.
- If the retailer refuses a legitimate claim, small claims court action (see our separate guide on bringing a money claim without a solicitor) is the usual next step for lower-value disputes.
FAQs
Does the Consumer Rights Act apply to second-hand goods?
Yes, though what counts as “satisfactory quality” is judged against the price paid and the age and condition the item was described as being in — a fault a buyer should reasonably expect in a used item at a low price is treated differently from the same fault in a new one.
Can a trader refuse a refund and only offer a repair?
Only outside the initial 30-day window, and even then only where repair or replacement is a genuinely available and reasonable remedy. Within the first 30 days, for a genuine fault, you are entitled to reject the goods and choose a refund.
Does the Act apply to purchases from private individuals, not businesses?
No. It only applies to purchases from a trader acting in the course of a business. Buying from a private seller — for example through a classified ad — falls outside the Act, though separate rules about goods being “as described” can still apply.