Consumer law in the UK: your rights as a buyer
Whether you've bought a faulty laptop, ordered a service that wasn't delivered properly, or received an app that doesn't work as advertised, UK consumer law gives you enforceable rights. This hub explains what those rights are, how they work, and what to do when they're breached.
Consumer law protects you across three main areas: goods you buy in shops or online, services you pay for, and digital content like apps, games, and ebooks. The core law is the Consumer Rights Act 2015, supported by regulations on distance selling and credit card protection.
The short version
When you buy something in the UK, it must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and match the description. If it isn't, you have the right to reject it within 30 days, or ask for a repair or replacement within six months. For services, you're entitled to reasonable care and skill. For digital content, you have equivalent rights to physical goods. Distance sellers must give you 14 days to change your mind. Your credit card issuer may also protect you if the seller fails to deliver.
At a glance
| Category | Your rights | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Goods (physical items) | Satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, as described. Right to reject (30 days), repair, replace, or refund (6 months). | 30 days to reject; 6 months to claim repair or refund. |
| Services | Reasonable care and skill, completed in reasonable time, at a reasonable price. | Claim within the limitation period (6 years). |
| Digital content | Same as goods: must work as described, not damage your device, be supplied with updates where promised. | 30 days to reject; 6 months to claim repair or refund. |
| Distance sales | 14-day right to cancel (with exceptions). | 14 days from the day after purchase. |
The Consumer Rights Act 2015
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is the central piece of UK consumer protection law. It replaced the Sale of Goods Act 1979 for most consumer transactions and adds protection for services and digital content. It applies to any contract between a consumer and a trader (a business selling to you for personal use, not for business purposes).
The Act is split into parts covering goods, services, and digital content. Each part sets out what a trader must guarantee, what rights you have if those guarantees are broken, and remedies available to you.
Consumer law is prescriptive: the trader cannot waive your rights by writing a disclaimer or small print in a contract. Any term that tries to exclude or limit your statutory rights is void and unenforceable.
Your rights for goods
When you buy a physical item (a phone, a sofa, a car), the seller gives you three key guarantees under the Consumer Rights Act.
Satisfactory quality. The good must be of a quality that a reasonable person would regard as satisfactory, taking into account the nature of the good, any statements made about it, and the price you paid. A luxury watch is held to a higher standard than a basic pen. A new good is held to a higher standard than a second-hand one.
Fit for purpose. If you told the seller what you needed the good for, it must be fit for that purpose. If you buy a tent and tell the seller you're camping in winter, it must be suitable for winter camping.
As described. The good must match any description given in the listing, advertisement, or packaging. If it says "waterproof", it must be waterproof. If it says "100% wool", it must be 100% wool.
These guarantees apply for a period of six months from purchase. After six months, the burden shifts to you to prove the fault existed at the time of sale (though this is only relevant if you wait longer than six months to claim).
Your remedy rights within 30 days. If the good doesn't meet one of these guarantees, and the fault isn't due to something you did, you have the right to reject it within 30 days and get your money back in full. This is a right to reject outright, not a right to repair or replacement. The 30-day period starts from the day of purchase and is a hard deadline; once it passes, you move to the remedies below.
Your remedy rights from 30 days to six months. After the 30-day rejection period ends, the trader can choose whether to repair or replace the good. You cannot demand a refund at this stage unless repair and replacement are impossible or disproportionately costly. The repair or replacement must happen within a reasonable time and without causing you significant inconvenience.
Your final right to reject (six months onwards). If repair and replacement fail (either they don't fix the fault or they happen again within a short period), you then have the right to reject the good and get a refund, even after six months has passed. However, the trader can reduce the refund by a deduction reflecting the use you've had of the good. This right lasts until the end of the limitation period, which is six years from purchase in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and five years in Scotland.
Your rights for services
When you pay for a service, the Consumer Rights Act guarantees three things.
Reasonable care and skill. The service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, according to the standard you'd expect from a competent trader. This applies whether the service is professional (a plumber, a solicitor) or less specialised (a hairdresser, a removal company).
Reasonable time. If no time is specified in your contract, the service must be completed within a reasonable time. What's reasonable depends on the nature of the service.
Reasonable price. If no price is agreed in advance, you must pay a reasonable price.
If the service fails to meet any of these, you have the right to ask for the service to be performed again, or to be compensated for losses caused by the failure (or both). You cannot demand a full refund in the way you would for a faulty good, but you may be entitled to damages covering the cost of hiring someone else to fix it or compensation for the consequences of the poor service.
Services claims fall outside the small claims court in some cases (especially professional services), so dispute resolution may be more complex. Check the relevant ombudsman scheme for your service type.
Your rights for digital content
Digital content (software, apps, games, ebooks, audiobooks, music, films, and any downloadable file) is treated like goods under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
It must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described. A game must run as advertised. An app must not crash repeatedly. An ebook must be readable. A download must not contain malware or damage your device.
You have the same 30-day right to reject and six-month right to remedy (repair or replacement) as for physical goods. However, digital content has one specific addition: if the trader promised updates, they must continue to provide them. If they stop providing essential security updates, for instance, that may breach the satisfactory quality guarantee.
The consumer who buys the digital content has these rights, but once they start using it, you generally cannot demand a refund simply because you changed your mind (unlike physical goods or distance sales). However, if the content genuinely doesn't work or breaches one of the three guarantees, your remedy rights still apply.
Distance and online selling
If you buy something online, by phone, or by catalogue, you're protected by the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 (which implement the Consumer Rights Directive).
Your cancellation right. You have 14 days from the day after you place the order to cancel and get a full refund. This applies even if you changed your mind, with limited exceptions.
Exceptions to the cancellation right. You cannot cancel once you've started using digital content, audio recordings, or films. You cannot cancel a bespoke item made to order. You cannot cancel perishable goods or personalised items. You cannot cancel services once they've been performed (though you get the right to cancel before performance).
How to cancel. The seller must provide a cancellation form or a clear method to cancel (email, post, online portal). You need to contact them within 14 days. The seller then has 14 days from receiving your cancellation notice to refund you.
Costs. The seller pays for return shipping of physical goods. If you caused the fault (deliberately or through misuse), they can deduct the cost of the item's depreciation in use.
Faulty goods step by step
If you've received a faulty item or a service that wasn't performed properly, here's the process to resolve it.
Step 1: Notify the seller. Contact the seller in writing (email is fine) within a reasonable time. Describe the fault clearly, include a photo if relevant, and state what remedy you're seeking (refund, repair, or replacement). Keep a copy.
Step 2: Gather evidence. Keep the faulty item, the receipt, the original packaging, and any images. If the fault is safety-related or serious, take photos immediately. Document any costs you've incurred as a result of the fault.
Step 3: Wait for the seller's response. Give them a reasonable time (typically 10 to 14 days) to respond. The Consumer Rights Act doesn't set a specific deadline, but traders are expected to act promptly.
Step 4: Escalate if needed. If the seller refuses or ignores you, escalate in writing. Reference the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the specific right you're claiming (satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, as described). Set a deadline for their response (such as 7 days).
Step 5: Use ADR if available. Many traders are signed up to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) schemes. These are free or low-cost independent bodies that can investigate your complaint and impose a decision on the trader. Check the trader's website for their ADR provider. ADR is not binding on you, but is binding on the trader.
Step 6: Go to court if necessary. If ADR fails or isn't available, you can claim through the small claims court. Most consumer cases are straightforward and handled by small claims. You can claim for the value of the good, repair costs, or compensation for loss of use.
How to claim a refund, repair, or replacement
For a refund (first 30 days). Contact the seller and request to return the item. They must accept the return and refund you within 14 days of receiving it back (for distance purchases). For in-store purchases, the refund should happen immediately upon return, unless the purchase was online.
For a repair or replacement (30 days to six months). Contact the seller and request repair or replacement. The seller is responsible for organising and paying for the repair or replacement. It must happen within a reasonable time. If repair and replacement both fail, you then have the right to reject the good and get a refund (reduced for use if more than six months have passed).
For compensation for losses. If the faulty good caused you financial loss (such as hiring a plumber because the faulty tap flooded your kitchen), you can claim damages. Include the receipt for the cost and explain the link between the fault and your loss.
Section 75 Consumer Credit Act protection
If you paid for an item using a credit card and the seller fails to deliver or the item is faulty, you have additional protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
Your credit card issuer is jointly and severally liable with the seller for any breach of contract or misrepresentation, so long as the purchase was made with a credit card and the price was between GBP 100 and GBP 30,000 (increased from GBP 15,000 in 2021).
This means if the seller goes bust, you can claim from your credit card company instead. You do not have to pursue the seller first; you can go directly to your card issuer.
This protection does not apply to debit cards or charge cards, though some charge card issuers offer equivalent protection as a matter of policy.
ADR and ombudsman schemes
If you cannot resolve a dispute with a trader directly, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is often the next step.
ADR schemes are free or very low-cost and resolve disputes without going to court. Most are binding on the trader but voluntary for you (so if you lose, you can still pursue the court route, though in practice few people do after losing an ADR decision).
Common ADR schemes include the Furniture Ombudsman (furniture and soft furnishings), the Motor Ombudsman (motor vehicles), the Ombudsman Services (goods and services complaints), and scheme-specific ombudsmen for financial services, energy, and telecoms.
Check the trader's website or terms and conditions for their ADR provider. If they don't have one, you can still pursue the small claims court.
Going to small claims for consumer cases
Small claims court is the right forum for most consumer disputes under GBP 10,000 (GBP 2,000 if both parties haven't agreed to higher limits). The process is informal, costs are low, and you do not need a solicitor.
You file a claim at your local county court. You'll provide evidence (photos, emails, receipts, the original contract). The court will give the trader a chance to respond. If they do not defend the claim, you'll get judgment by default. If they do defend it, there may be a hearing (often by video now).
Consumer cases are often straightforward: you have the receipt, photos of the fault, and evidence that you contacted the trader. The law is clear: the good must be of satisfactory quality. If it isn't, you're entitled to a remedy.
Common misconceptions
"I've used it for two months, so I've lost my consumer rights." False. You have six months to claim a repair or replacement. After 30 days, the trader chooses the remedy, but you can still claim. After six months, you can still claim if you can prove the fault existed at the time of sale.
"If the shop has a 'no refunds' sign, that's legally binding." False. Consumer Rights Act protections cannot be excluded by a sign or small print. A "no refunds" policy is void.
"I clicked 'I agree' to the terms and conditions, so I've accepted the faulty good." False. Clicking 'I agree' does not waive your statutory consumer rights. Any term trying to exclude those rights is unenforceable.
"The guarantee card is my only protection." False. Manufacturer guarantees are separate from your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act. Your rights exist regardless of whether there's a guarantee card.
"Digital downloads can never be returned." Partially true. You cannot cancel a digital download just because you changed your mind once you've started using it. But if the download is faulty or doesn't match the description, you still have repair and replacement rights.
"Faulty goods are my fault unless the seller can prove otherwise." False. Within six months, the burden is on the seller to prove the fault was caused by you, not the other way around.
Related concepts
If you're exploring consumer law further, these related areas may be relevant:
- Small claims court - How to file a claim and what to expect
- Breach of contract - When a trader breaks an agreement
- Liability and damages - Recovering losses caused by someone else's breach
- Distance selling and cancellation - Your 14-day right to cancel online purchases
- Alternative dispute resolution - Resolving disputes without court
- Credit card protection - Your card issuer's liability
- Faulty goods and remedies - Repair, replacement, and refund rights
- Digital content and downloads - Apps, ebooks, games, and software
- Service failures and complaints - When a service isn't performed properly
- Trader rights and defences - What a trader can argue in their defence
Sources
- UK Legislation: Consumer Rights Act 2015
- UK Government: Consumer Protection Rights
- Citizens Advice: Consumer Rights
Written by Peter Kolomiets, founder of CaseCalm. UK consumer law content reviewed 28 May 2026. This page provides general information and is not legal advice. For your circumstances, consult a solicitor or adviser.