Repairs and replacements for faulty goods
Goods should last for a reasonable time, with normal use. It’s not always obvious straight away that something is faulty. You can seek a remedy for faulty goods for up to six years after purchase if the goods might reasonably be expected to last that long with normal use.
What to do if you notice a fault within 30 days
If the goods you’ve bought are faulty and it’s less than 30 days since you got them, you have a short-term right to terminate the consumer contract for a full refund. You can accept a repair or replacement if you prefer.
What to do if you notice a fault after 30 days
Contact the business as soon as you notice that the item is faulty or doesn’t meet the terms of the sales contract. You might be able to resolve the issue just by talking to the business you bought it from.
After 30 days, the most common remedies for faulty goods are repairs and replacements. It’s up to you which one you choose, but you cannot insist on a remedy that isn’t possible (for instance a replacement if the item is no longer available). In addition, a business can refuse to repair or replace the goods if doing so would cost too much compared with the value of the goods.
The business or trader that sold you the goods is responsible for repairs and replacements. They shouldn’t tell you to contact the manufacturer instead.
Repairs
Repairs must be done free of charge, in a reasonable amount of time and without significant inconvenience to you.
What is a reasonable amount of time depends on the nature of the repairs and type of goods. But repairs must be done in the shortest time needed to complete them.
You must make the goods available to be repaired, and the business or trader must cover the costs of returning the goods or uninstalling them.
Your right to have an item repaired takes priority over any manufacturer’s warranty or guarantee you might have received when you made the purchase.
Example
You bought a games console, but after six months it stops loading games. When you take it back to the shop, the assistant asks you if you paid for an extended warranty when you bought the console. You didn’t. However, under consumer law, the shop should still arrange for the console to be replaced or repaired.
Further repairs of a faulty item
Sometimes an item might need to be repaired more than once, either to fix the same issue or address a different one. If you no longer have confidence in the business to repair the goods, you can reject their offer of any further repairs and insist on a replacement instead.
For minor faults, you can keep the item and request a partial refund that reflects the item’s reduced value due to the fault. If the fault is serious, you can get a full refund.
Replacements
If you are willing to accept a replacement, you must make the goods being replaced available for collection or return them yourself.
The business must pay for delivery or reimburse you if you pay delivery costs up front. If the faulty goods were installed and need a professional to remove them, the trader is responsible for uninstalling them.
You should then receive the replacement within a reasonable period and without significant inconvenience.
Your rights if a problem is not resolved
You have a right to a full refund or a partial refund in the circumstances outlined below. A partial refund is a reduction of an item’s price that is proportionate (in line with) the item’s lower value because of a fault.
If you haven’t yet paid in full for the goods, you can withhold any outstanding payments until the business or trader has provided goods that are ‘in conformity with’, or in line with, the sales contract you entered.
Repair or replacement refused or impossible
A business or trader can refuse a repair or a replacement if it’s impossible to carry out or would be too costly compared with the full value of the item. In this situation, or if the business can’t provide a repair or replacement within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience, you have a right to:
- a full refund if you return the faulty item
- a partial refund if the fault is minor and you decide to keep the item.
Repair doesn’t fix the issue
If the goods are still faulty, or there’s a new fault, you have a right to accept further repairs or choose a partial or full refund. This will depend on the type and full value of the goods, the nature and severity of the fault and whether you can still have confidence in the trader to make further attempts at repair.
Serious faults
For the most serious faults, you may not need to first seek a repair or replacement, even after 30 days. This applies where you have no confidence in the trader to repair the goods or where the fault creates a safety risk or makes it impossible to use the item and you cannot reasonably trust the trader to put things right.
What you should do
If a repair or replacement isn’t possible or doesn’t resolve the issue, tell the business or trader that you are terminating the sales contract and requesting a full refund. It’s a good idea to do this in writing if possible. The business must refund you within 14 days of getting the goods back.
Hire purchase agreements
When you hire goods through a hire purchase agreement, the owner of the goods is not the retailer but the finance company that leases the goods to you.
Generally, however, you can return the goods to the retailer to handle any issues. The finance company is legally obliged to provide the remedy.
Guarantees, warranties and store policies
Your consumer rights to a repair or replacement apply regardless of any guarantee or warranty that you may have on the goods. In addition, your consumer rights cannot be overridden by store policies.
