Faulty Goods: Refund, Repair, or Replacement?

"Sorry, it's against our policy" is not the law. When something you've bought turns out faulty, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you specific entitlements — and for the first 30 days, the choice is yours, not the shop's.

The first 30 days: your call, not theirs

If something is faulty, of unsatisfactory quality, or not as described within 30 days of purchase, you're entitled to a full refund. The shop cannot insist on a repair or replacement instead, and they cannot fob you off with store credit unless you agree to it. This is a short-term right — outside this window, the rules change.

After 30 days: repair or replacement first

Once the 30-day window has passed, the shop generally gets one attempt to repair or replace the item first, of their choosing (within reason). If that attempt fails, doesn't happen within a reasonable time, or causes significant inconvenience, you can then ask for a refund, or a price reduction if you want to keep the item.

You have up to six years in England and Wales (five in Scotland) to bring a claim for a faulty item, though the burden of proving the fault was there at the point of sale increasingly shifts to you the longer you've had it — realistically, this covers genuinely persistent faults, not general wear over years of normal use.

"No receipt, no refund" isn't the full story

A receipt is the easiest way to prove a purchase, but it's not the only way. Bank statements, order confirmation emails, and loyalty card records can all serve as valid proof of purchase. A shop refusing to help purely because you don't have a paper receipt, when you can prove the purchase another way, is not automatically entitled to refuse.

Sale items and "final sale" — a common myth

Your consumer rights on faulty goods apply whether or not something was on sale or discounted. A "no refunds on sale items" sign has no legal effect for genuinely faulty goods — it can only limit your rights around simply changing your mind, which was never a legal right in the first place for in-store purchases (see below).

Changed your mind? Different rules apply

If an item isn't faulty and you've simply changed your mind, in-store purchases have no automatic legal right to a refund — that's down to the shop's own goodwill policy. Online and distance purchases are different: under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, you generally have 14 days to cancel most online orders for any reason, plus a further 14 days to send the item back once you've cancelled.

What to do if a shop refuses

• Stay calm and factual, and reference the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by name — this alone sometimes changes the conversation
• Put your request in writing (email is fine) if speaking to staff doesn't resolve it, so there's a clear record
• If the retailer still refuses and the item cost was paid partly or fully by credit card and was over £100, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act may let you claim from your card provider instead
• Citizens Advice can help if a retailer continues to refuse a valid claim

Our free Consumer Rights Checker walks through your specific situation, and our letter templates include wording for raising a faulty goods dispute with a retailer in writing.