Faulty goods and your rights
If a fault develops soon after you purchased an item, or if it
was faulty straight away, then you are entitled to a full refund
from the retailer.
The legal term to use here is the "right to
reject" under the Sales of Goods Act as the item was not
of a "satisfactory" quality. The item must be returned within a
"reasonable" amount of time for a refund to be given; this is
usually a few weeks so you should seek a refund as soon as possible
after discovering the fault.
To obtain a refund:
1. Contact the retailer, tell them you want to
reject the item and would like a full refund. If the item is
genuinely faulty and the retailer feels a "reasonable" time has yet
elapsed you should get a refund.
You will probably need to provide proof of purchase but remember
this doesn't always have to be a receipt. It can be a credit card
or bank statement, a witness, a cheque stubb or any other evidence
that proves you bought the product from that retailer.
2. If the retailer rejects your claim then
check to see if the faulty goods are covered by the manufacturer's
guarantee. If they are then tell the manufacturer about the fault
and ask for a refund.
3. If neither the retailer nor manufacturer
offer a refund then write to the retailer again formally rejecting
the faulty goods under the Sales of Goods Act. Explain that you
will take the matter to the small claims court unless a full refund
is offered.
4. If the retailer still does not offer a
refund then after this then you may want to consider getting the
item replaced or repaired instead. If however you are adamant that
you want a refund then consult our free and comprehensive guide to
using the small claims court.
5. In addition, if you paid for the faulty
goods with a credit card and they cost between £100 and £30,000 you
are entitled to get a refund from your credit card provider under
Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. To learn more about making a
claim this way then consult our free and comprehensive guide on
Section 75 refunds. You can also use this method if the retailer
subsequently goes bust after you buy the faulty goods.
Claims Financial
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