Your refund rights under the Consumer Rights Act

Goods sold by a trader to a consumer must be of satisfactory quality — meeting the standard a reasonable person would consider satisfactory, taking account of price, description and any public statements about them. They must be fit for any particular purpose you made known, and they must match their description, any sample and any model you were shown.

Services must be performed with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time where none was agreed, and for a reasonable price where none was agreed. Anything the trader said about the service that you relied on becomes a contractual term.

Digital content — apps, downloads, streaming, in-game purchases — has its own set of rights: it must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described, and if it damages your device the trader must repair the damage or compensate you.

These rights cannot be excluded, restricted or made subject to conditions. A sign saying 'no refunds', 'no refunds on sale items' or 'exchange or credit note only' is unlawful, and displaying one can attract enforcement action from Trading Standards.

Tier one: the short-term right to reject. Within 30 days of taking ownership, if goods are faulty you can reject them and get a full refund. No deduction for use, and the retailer cannot insist on repairing instead. The clock is paused while goods are being repaired. For perishable goods the period may be shorter, matching how long they would reasonably be expected to last.

Tier two: repair or replacement. After the 30 days, you must give the retailer one opportunity to repair or replace. They must do it within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to you, and they bear the cost including postage. You choose between repair and replacement unless your choice is disproportionately expensive.

Tier three: the final right to reject, or a price reduction. If the repair or replacement fails, or is not done within a reasonable time, you can reject the goods for a refund or keep them and claim a price reduction. After the first six months the retailer may deduct an amount for the use you have had, except for motor vehicles where deductions are allowed sooner.

For the first six months, if a fault appears, it is presumed to have been present at the point of sale and the retailer must prove otherwise. After six months, you must show the fault was inherent — which usually means an independent report for expensive items.

'No refunds on sale items.' Wrong. The Act applies equally to discounted goods. What changes is that you cannot use it for a fault you were specifically told about before buying — a shop can lawfully sell a scratched item cheaply if the scratch is disclosed.

'You need the original packaging.' Wrong. You need proof of purchase, which can be a receipt, a bank or card statement, an order confirmation email or a warranty card. Packaging is not a legal requirement.

'The warranty has expired.' Irrelevant. A manufacturer's guarantee is an extra promise on top of your statutory rights, not a limit on them. You can claim against the retailer for up to six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and five in Scotland — though after six months you must show the fault was inherent.

'You have to deal with the manufacturer.' No. Your contract is with the retailer who sold it to you, and it is usually easier to pursue them. They may then recover from the manufacturer, which is their problem.

'Change of mind.' This one is largely true in a shop — the Act does not cover deciding you no longer want something. But online, distance and off-premises sales are different: under the Consumer Contracts Regulations you have 14 days from delivery to cancel most online orders for any reason, and a further 14 days to return the goods.

If you paid on a credit card and the purchase price was over £100 and no more than £30,000, section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes the card provider jointly and severally liable with the seller. You can claim directly from the card company if the goods are faulty, not delivered, or misdescribed — and this works even if the retailer has gone out of business. It applies even where you only paid part of the price on the card.

Chargebacks are different: a card scheme rule rather than a legal right, available on debit and credit cards, with time limits generally counted from the transaction or the expected delivery date. Ask your bank.

For unresolved disputes, escalate in writing to the retailer's head office with a deadline. Then contact the Citizens Advice consumer service, which advises you and refers matters to Trading Standards — who in England and Wales do not take reports directly from the public. Advice Direct Scotland and Consumerline in Northern Ireland perform the same role.

Many sectors have an ombudsman or alternative dispute resolution scheme, and traders must tell you which one applies to them if a dispute is unresolved. Some are binding on the trader; others are voluntary.

For claims that go nowhere, the small claims track handles most consumer disputes up to £10,000 in England and Wales, without lawyers and with modest fees. Scotland uses the simple procedure with its own limit.