Faulty goods and products
- What are your rights if you buy faulty goods or a faulty product?
- How long do you have to return faulty goods?
- Can you return faulty goods without a receipt?
- Do you have to accept a repair for faulty goods?
- Who is responsible for fixing a problem with faulty goods – the business or the manufacturer?
- Can the business refuse to help you with your faulty product if the warranty has expired?
- How can you prove there is a fault with the product you bought?
What are your rights if you buy faulty goods or a faulty product?
If you have bought faulty goods or a faulty product you may be entitled to a refund, repair or replacement. If you have purchased the product within the last 30 days, you have the right to return it for a refund. This is your “short term right to cancel” under the Consumer Rights Act, 2022.
If you bought the product or it was delivered to you more than 30 days ago, you may be entitled to a repair or replacement. If the fault is serious or cannot be repaired, you may be able to get a refund instead.
How long do you have to return faulty goods?
If a fault arises in the first 30 days after you buy a product in-store or from when it was delivered, you have a right to get a full refund. This is called the “short term right to cancel” under the Consumer Rights Act, 2022. Act quickly once you notice the fault, as you must tell the business within the 30-day period that you want to return the faulty product.
If the product you bought becomes faulty more than 30 days after you bought it / it was delivered, you can choose between a repair and a replacement. If the fault is serious or cannot be repaired, you can get a refund instead.
Under the Consumer Rights Act, 2022, if a product becomes faulty in the first 12 months after purchase or delivery, it is assumed that it was faulty when you bought it. This means that if you can show the business within the first 12 months that the product is faulty, they should accept this and offer you a repair, replacement or refund.
If you bought the product more than 12 months ago and it has a fault, you will have to prove the product was faulty when you bought it.
Your consumer rights to a repair, replacement or refund last for up to six years after buying a product. If the product might reasonably be expected to last six years and a fault arises, you can still expect the business to solve the issue, most likely with a repair or replacement. The six-year period applies from the day you bought the product or the day it was delivered.
Check your rights with faulty goods and time limits with the faulty goods tool.
Can you return faulty goods without a receipt?
You can return faulty goods without a receipt if you can provide another proof of purchase such as:
- A credit or debit card statement
- An order confirmation email
- A delivery docket
- A gift receipt
Do you have to accept a repair for faulty goods?
No, if you bought or received your product within the last 30 days, you do not need to accept a repair if the product is faulty. Your “short term right to cancel” under the Consumer Rights Act, 2022, entitles you to a refund.
If it is more than 30 days since you bought or received the product, you are not automatically entitled to a refund. However, the business must offer you a repair or replacement. Find more information on your right to a repair for faulty goods.
Who is responsible for fixing a problem with faulty goods – the business or the manufacturer?
When you buy a product, your consumer contract is with the business (retailer, shop or website) that sold you the goods. If the goods are faulty, the business is responsible for providing a repair or replacement, a refund or a partial reduction in price. They should not refer you to the manufacturer to fix a problem with faulty goods.
Can the business refuse to help you with your faulty product if the warranty has expired?
No, the business cannot refuse to solve your faulty goods problem if you don’t have a warranty or if the warranty has expired. A warranty is separate to your consumer rights. Whether or not you have a warranty, you have the same consumer rights to a repair, replacement or refund for a faulty product for up to six years after buying a product or having it delivered.
Learn more about your rights with guarantees and warranties.
How can you prove there is a fault with the product you bought?
If a problem occurs in the first year after a purchase, consumer law presumes that the fault existed from the time you received the item. You must show or outline to the business that the fault exists. It is up to the business to prove that the item was not faulty when you received it.
If a problem occurs after the first year, there is no longer an assumption that the product was faulty from the start. In this case, it is up to you to prove that any fault was there when you bought or received the product.
One way to do this is to get a report from an independent expert who has inspected your product, for instance a mechanic if it’s a car fault or a technician if the problem is with a computer or washing machine. The expert might report, for instance, that the fault is caused by a low-quality part or poor assembly or you have not used the product enough to explain the problem that has occurred.
If the report proves that the issue is due to a defect, you can share it with the business to support your claim for a repair or replacement. If you cannot get a report or if the issue is due to wear and tear or misuse on your part, you have the option, for certain products, to go to the manufacturer to get a repair.
What if the fault is so serious that you cannot use the product?
A serious fault is one that severely affects your ability to use the item you bought. For serious faults, you can return the item for a refund. You do not need to accept a repair or replacement, even after the initial 30-day period has passed.
Contact the business as soon as you become aware of the fault and explain the serious nature of the problem and how you want it to be resolved. Follow up in writing in case you need to take things further. You can use our letter templates to help you. The business must refund you within 14 days of getting the goods back.
What if you haven't fully paid for a product yet but it is faulty?
If you are paying in instalments, or you haven’t fully paid for the goods, you have the right to withhold payment until the business resolves the issue. For example, if you paid a deposit for a piece of furniture and it arrives with a fault, you can withhold paying the balance until the fault is repaired or the item is replaced.
If you decide to withhold payment, you should tell the business that you intend to do so. If the issue is then resolved and you receive the product in working order, you must pay the agreed amount.
The amount that you can withhold must be based on the reduced value of the goods because of the fault or defect, taking into account the type of product and just how much it differs from how the product should work or appear.
What steps should you take when you realise your product is faulty?
When you notice a fault, contact the business that sold you the goods as soon as possible. Most problems can be resolved by having a chat in store or over the phone or by sending an email. In most cases, a fault or other issue with an item is obvious and easy to explain or show to the business.
If you bought in person, and it’s possible for you to do so, you should bring the item back to the shop. If the item is too big or difficult to transport, take pictures of the fault and bring them with you. For more complex items, like cars, you might need to get a professional report to show that there’s a problem, especially if the business or garage is disputing that the fault exists.
Can the business make me pay for the cost of sending the faulty item back?
If the goods are faulty, the business must pay to collect the goods or reimburse you if you pay the costs of returning them up front.
What if the faulty product needs to be uninstalled or removed by a professional?
If the faulty product was installed and needs a professional to remove it, then the business is responsible for uninstalling it and for installing the replacement goods. Alternatively, the business must pay the costs of removal and installation if you arrange this yourself.
Who is responsible if you bought a product under a hire purchase agreement, and there is a fault?
When you buy a product through a hire purchase agreement, the finance company that offers the arrangement owns the product. You do not become the owner of the product until you make the final payment.
Usually the business you bought from will resolve any issues, but, if not, as the owner, the finance company is legally obliged to solve the issue for you.
What can you do if the business will not solve the issue with your faulty product?
If you cannot resolve the issue informally, you should submit a formal written complaint. Knowing your consumer rights will help you to point out what the business is legally obliged to do. The business should know their obligations. For example, they must not:
- Charge you for repairs to a faulty product
- Charge you for replacing a faulty product
- Expect you to pay the costs of returning faulty goods to them
If the business doesn't resolve the issue, you should make a complaint.
Next steps to resolve your consumer rights issue
- Contact the business informally first, explain the problem and try to work it out.
- Keep a record of all contact and communications in case you need to escalate your complaint later.
- If the problem is not resolved, make a formal written complaint to the business. You can use the CCPC complaint letter templates which outline your consumer rights to help you.
- If you paid by card, you may have the option to request a chargeback from your bank or financial services provider.
- If your claim is for €2,000 or less, you can use the small claims procedure.
- If the problem is not easily resolved, we encourage you to also report the business to the CCPC. Your report will inform our advocacy and enforcement activities.*
- For more guidance, please visit our how to resolve an issue section.
* While we cannot engage with businesses on individual cases, we still encourage consumers to report issues to us so we can act to protect consumers where we find potential breaches of the law.
Different rules apply to goods bought before 29 November 2022. Learn more here – Goods bought before the Consumer Rights Act 2022 .
