Faulty goods: what you are actually entitled to

When something you have bought turns out to be faulty, your legal rights come from the Consumer Rights Act 2015, not from whatever returns policy is printed on the receipt. A shop’s own policy can give you more than the law requires, but it cannot give you less.

Goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described

These are the three core rights that apply to almost everything you buy new from a business. If any of them is not met, the item is faulty in the eyes of the law, regardless of what the packaging says about final sale or no returns.

The first 30 days matter most

Within the first 30 days of purchase, if goods are faulty, you are entitled to a full refund in most cases, with no obligation to accept a repair or replacement instead. After 30 days, the retailer can normally offer a repair or replacement first, and only owes a refund if that is not possible or does not work.

After six months, the burden shifts to you

For the first six months, a fault is assumed to have existed at the time of purchase unless the retailer can prove otherwise. After six months, it becomes your responsibility to show the fault was present at the time of sale rather than caused by normal wear or misuse, which can require an independent report.

You claim against the retailer, not the manufacturer

Your legal relationship is with whoever sold you the goods, not the manufacturer, even if the retailer tries to redirect you to a manufacturer’s warranty. A manufacturer’s warranty exists alongside your statutory rights, not instead of them.

When it is worth pursuing further

If a retailer refuses a legitimate claim outright, a formal letter before action citing the Consumer Rights Act 2015 directly often resolves it. Small claims court is the usual route if it does not.