Faulty Goods FAQs

The business must make the situation right. The solution depends on when you bought the product, how serious the issue is, and if the product can be replaced or repaired. The fault must not have been caused by you, for example through misuse, accidental damage or wear and tear.

• If you experience a problem within 30 days of receiving the product, you are entitled to reject the item and seek a full refund within the 30-day period. In this situation you do not have to accept a repair or replacement unless you want to.
• After 30 days, you still have strong consumer rights, including repair, replacement or a price reduction for faulty goods. You can also be entitled to a full refund if the fault is serious.

Read more about faulty goods and your next steps or try our Faulty Goods Tool to find out what your rights are.

When you cancel a purchase because the product you bought is faulty, the business or trader should tell you how to return the goods. The business will have to cover the cost.

You may have to pay postage or return costs up front to send your goods back, but the business must reimburse you for this. The business must refund you your original payment and any additional return costs. They must refund you ‘without undue delay’, and no later than 14 days after receiving the returned item. It’s a good idea to get proof of postage in case there is a dispute about when the goods were returned.

A business is entitled to ask for a proof of purchase. This is something that demonstrates you bought the item from their business. A receipt is the easiest form of a proof of purchase, but it’s not essential. You could show your credit or debit card statement, a delivery docket or any other documentation to show it was bought in that particular shop or chain.

If you received an item as a gift, you still need to have a proof of purchase to return it to the seller for any reason. A gift receipt will work. Otherwise you will need to ask the person who bought the item for proof of the purchase.

You should always act promptly if goods are faulty. The earlier you report a fault to a business, the easier it is to prove that the fault existed when you received the item.

Consumer rights law sets our several timelines. Your rights are strongest in the first 30 days after you make the purchase when you have a straightforward right to cancel your purchase and get a full refund. For the first year after a purchase, if your product is faulty consumer law presumes that the problem existed from the time you received the item. Within this first year, it is up to the business to prove that the item was not faulty when you received it, for example, they may prove that any issue is due to wear and tear or misuse on your part.

After 12 months, the consumer must show the good was faulty at the time of purchase or delivery.

• In Ireland, you can seek a remedy for faulty goods for up to six years. The six-year period starts from the date you receive the goods.

Try our Faulty Goods Tool to find out what your rights are and what to do next.

If you contact the business within 30 days of receiving the faulty product, you can seek to cancel the contract for a refund, without having to accept a repair or replacement. After 30 days you can still get a full refund if the fault is serious enough to justify you terminating the contract. After 30 days the business is entitled to offer a repair for minor faults.

Try our Faulty Goods Tool to find out what your rights are and what to do next.

If you buy something in a sale and experience a problem, your full consumer rights apply. Your rights are not reduced because the product was discounted.

No, you do not have to accept a credit note or voucher for a faulty item. Under consumer law, if a product is broken, not fit for purpose, or not as described, you are entitled to a full refund, replacement, or repair.

You can choose to accept a credit note where you consider this a suitable solution but make sure you are clear on any expiry date or limitations on when it can be used.

For 30 days after you receive your product (or after installation if applicable) you can choose between a:

• Full refund
• Repair, or 
• Replacement

You can decide if you would like the product to be repaired or replaced. However, you cannot insist on one option over the other if it would be impossible for the business to carry it out or if it would mean ‘disproportionate costs’ for the business when compared to the other option.

If you decide on a repair it must be free of charge and happen within a reasonable time frame, without any significant inconvenience to you. The business must bear in mind what kind of product it is and what you need it for.

After 30 days, you can still choose between a repair or a replacement. Sometimes neither a repair nor a replacement is possible. In these situations, you can cancel your purchase and get a refund, or a proportionate reduction in price.

You can inform the business that you want a repair or replacement in various ways, including in-person, by phone or in writing. You must make the product available to the business to be repaired or replaced. The business must cover the costs of taking it back.

Try our Faulty Goods Tool to find out what your rights are and what to do next.

Repairs of faulty products, including products that are not durable or not fit for purpose must be free. If the business refuses to provide a repair free of charge, you can look for a reduction in the price paid for the product.

You can also get the product repaired elsewhere and look to recover the cost from the business. You should inform the business in advance that you intend to do this.

The repair must be permanent.

The business cannot repeatedly offer repairs, particularly for the same fault.

If the business repairs a faulty item and the same or different issue happens again, the business can offer a further repair or repairs. However, if you can’t be reasonably confident that the business will be able to fix it the product you can refuse further repairs. You will need to explain your decision to the business taking into account the type and value of the product and the extent of the problem.

Instead of a repair you can look for a reduction in the price paid for the product. You can seek to cancel your purchase and be fully refunded but only if it’s a serious fault or issue.

Our repairs and replacements page has more information, or you can try our Faulty Goods Tool to find out what your rights are and what you can do next.

If you are paying in instalments, or you haven’t fully paid for the product, you have the right to withhold payment until the business resolves the issue. Although, if you received the item in the past 30 days, you may prefer to cancel your purchase for a full refund instead.

If you decide to withhold payment, you should tell the business that you intend to do so. If the issue is then resolved and the product is in working order, you must pay the agreed amount.

The amount that you can withhold is based on the reduced value of the product because of the fault or defect. The reduced value depends on the type of item and how much it differs from what was agreed at the point of sale.

If a business refuses to accept responsibility, you can take further action, such as:

• Making a formal complaint to the business.
• Reporting the business to the CCPC.
• Claiming money back through chargeback if you paid by debit or credit card.
• Using the small claims procedure if the amount of your claim is €2,000 or less.

Often, when a company has ceased trading unexpectedly, a liquidator is appointed. Once this happens, the liquidator is then in charge of the company rather than the owners. To pursue your issue with the company, you should contact the liquidator, once appointed.

If you are seeking a refund for faulty goods, you will be treated as an ‘unsecured creditor’. Unfortunately, this means that you will likely be low down on the list to be paid, as the ‘secured’ creditors such as the Revenue are paid first.

Next steps:

• Check the business/ trader’s premises and their website for any information about the business going into liquidation. Try to establish who the liquidator is.
• Check on the Companies Registration Office (CRO) website, who may have the liquidator’s details
• Contact the liquidator in writing outlining your issue and that you want to submit a claim
• You can also try to use chargeback depending on how you paid. You need to contact your card supplier or bank as soon as you can, as there are conditions and time limits.

Your product might have come with a guarantee that says the manufacturer will provide spare parts, repairs or offer a free replacement for problems within a particular period following purchase.

Guarantees and warranties are separate to your statutory rights (your rights set out in legislation). You can take product back to the shop where you bought them, regardless of whether you have a guarantee or warranty. If you did not pay extra for a warranty, or you have a guarantee that is now expired, you can still take your faulty goods back to the business or shop you bought them from up to six years after purchase. Your consumer rights still apply.

Next steps: 

• Contact the business to resolve the issue and keep a copy of all communications.
• You can use the CCPC complaint letter templates which outline your consumer rights to help you complain to the business.
• If the issue is still not resolved, report the business to the CCPC.
• If you paid by debit card or credit card, you may have option to request a chargeback from your bank. 
• If the amount of your claim is €2,000 or less and the issue is still not resolved, you can use the small claims procedure.
• For more guidance, please visit ourhow to resolve an issue section.

Outside of the EU, your rights may be limited. If you paid with a debit/credit card, you may be able to do a chargeback and should contact your financial services provider to find out more.

Most countries will have a consumer body who may be able to provide information on how to resolve your specific issue. The International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network has a list of many of these bodies.

There may also be legal remedies available to you. You should seek independent legal advice if this is something you would like to investigate.