04
When you buy goods or services from a trader, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you strong statutory protections that cannot be contracted away.
Key topics
Goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described. You have 30 days to reject faulty goods for a full refund. After 30 days the seller gets one attempt to repair or replace before you can claim a partial refund.
For goods bought online, by phone, or by mail order you have 14 days to cancel and return — even if there is no fault. This is the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 right, separate from your faulty goods rights.
Streaming services, apps and software must be of satisfactory quality and as described. If a digital service has a significant outage, you are entitled to a proportionate price reduction under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
A term in a consumer contract is unfair if it creates a significant imbalance in the parties' rights to the detriment of the consumer. Unfair terms are not binding on you, even if you signed the contract.
Guides
Stage 03 · rights
If goods are faulty, not as described, or unfit for purpose, you have a statutory right to a full refund within 30 days …
Stage 03 · rights
Under UK GDPR you have the right to request a copy of all personal data an organisation holds about you. This is called …
Stage 03 · rights
When a trader provides a service that does not meet the standard of reasonable care and skill, you are entitled to requi…
Stage 03 · rights
When you buy goods from a business online, you have two separate sets of rights: a 14-day cooling-off period to change y…
Stage 05 · file
If a trader carried out a service that was not performed with reasonable care and skill, or was not completed within a r…
Latest news
Clarifies when a retailer must offer a full refund versus a repair or replacement, and sets the clock for what counts as a reasonable inspection period.
3 min read →A County Court ruling clarifies that streaming and software subscriptions are "digital content" under the Act, giving consumers the right to refunds for faulty service.
4 min read →The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 provisions on subscription contracts come into force, requiring traders to provide a simple one-step cancellation mechanism.
3 min read →The tariff for road traffic whiplash claims under the Civil Liability Act 2018 has been uprated in line with inflation. Claims handled on the Official Injury Claim portal are affected.
3 min read →Articles
How-to
Where to begin, which parts to skip, and how to tell a rule from its exceptions. A method you can use on any law.
Explainer
The order in which rules apply, and what happens to a clause that goes against the law.
How-to
What to include, what to leave out, and how to prove it was received.
Explainer
Cost, time and control over the result, compared side by side.
FAQ
General answers with links to official sources. Not legal advice.
Official resources
Free guidance on returns, repairs and refunds.
Detailed explanations of your rights and how to enforce them.
Official overview of consumer protection law.
Free dispute resolution for financial products including credit cards.