Short answer

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. You can reject faulty goods for a full refund within 30 days, and after that ask for a repair or replacement. Services must be carried out with reasonable care and skill. Card payments add extra protection.

What does the Consumer Rights Act give you?

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies when you buy from a business as an individual. Goods must be:

• of satisfactory quality, judged by what a reasonable person would expect given the price and description;
• fit for any particular purpose you told the seller about;
• as described, and match any sample or model you were shown.

Digital content has similar rights. Services must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time if no time was agreed, and for a reasonable price if none was fixed. Anything the trader told you that you relied on, such as a quoted finish date, becomes part of the contract. These rights cannot be excluded by the trader's terms.

Can you get a refund for faulty goods?

Your remedies depend on timing:

• Within 30 days: the short term right to reject. Return the goods and get a full refund, usually within 14 days of the trader agreeing. The period is shorter for perishable goods.
• After 30 days: you can ask for a repair or replacement. The trader gets one attempt.
• If the repair or replacement fails: you can reject the goods for a refund (the final right to reject) or keep them with a price reduction.

If a fault appears within six months of delivery, it is presumed to have been there at the start unless the trader proves otherwise. After six months, you may need to show it was an inherent fault. No deduction for use can be made from a final right to reject refund in the first six months, except for cars and other motor vehicles. A shop that says it only offers a credit note or sends you to the manufacturer is wrong: your contract is with the seller.

What are your rights when you buy online?

Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, you can usually cancel an online, phone or doorstep contract within 14 days without giving a reason. For goods, the 14 days runs from the day you receive them. For services, it runs from the day you enter the contract. If the trader did not tell you about your cancellation right, the period is extended by up to 12 months. The trader must refund you, including standard delivery, within 14 days of receiving the goods back or of your cancellation for services. Some items are excluded, such as personalised goods and perishables, and if you ask for a service to start within the cancellation period you may have to pay for what has been done.

What can you do about a cowboy builder or poor workmanship?

A builder must do the work with reasonable care and skill. If they do not, you can ask them to put it right at no cost to you (repeat performance). If that is impossible or not done within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience, you can claim a price reduction, which can be a full refund. You may also claim the reasonable cost of another builder fixing the work.

• Take dated photos and keep the quote, contract and all messages.
• Write to the builder setting out the defects and give a reasonable deadline to fix them.
• Do not simply withhold all payment: holding back a fair amount for the defective part is safer.
• Consider an independent surveyor's report as evidence.

If the contract was agreed at your home, you normally have a 14 day cooling off period too.

How much compensation can you get for a delayed or cancelled flight?

Under UK261, flights leaving the UK on any airline, and flights into the UK on a UK or EU airline, can attract fixed compensation if you arrive more than three hours late. It is £220 for flights up to 1,500km, £350 for 1,500km to 3,500km, and £520 for longer flights (£260 if the delay is three to four hours). Similar amounts apply to cancellations with less than 14 days' notice unless you were re-routed close to your original times. No compensation is due for extraordinary circumstances such as bad weather or air traffic control strikes, but routine technical faults usually do not count. Claim from the airline. If it rejects your claim or has not replied after eight weeks, you can use the airline's approved alternative dispute resolution scheme or the Civil Aviation Authority.

What are chargeback and section 75 claims?

Under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, if you paid at least partly on a credit card for a single item or service with a cash price over £100 and up to £30,000, the card provider is jointly liable with the trader for breach of contract or misrepresentation. You can claim the full amount from the provider, even if you paid only a deposit on the card. Chargeback is different: it is a card scheme rule, not a legal right, and covers debit cards and purchases under £100. Ask your bank promptly because card schemes set time limits. For package holidays, the organiser is responsible for all services in the package under the Package Travel Regulations 2018. If your hotel, transfers or excursions were not as promised, complain to the organiser during the holiday if you can, then in writing when you get home, and claim a price reduction or compensation.

What are the key deadlines and time limits?

These are the main time limits for consumer claims in England and Wales:

• Short term right to reject faulty goods: 30 days from delivery (shorter for perishables).
• Presumption that a fault existed at delivery: first six months.
• Cancelling online, phone or doorstep contracts: 14 days, extended by up to 12 months if you were not told.
• Trader's refund after cancellation: within 14 days.
• Flight claims: escalate to ADR or the CAA if the airline has not resolved it after eight weeks.
• Court claims for breach of contract: generally six years from the breach.
• Small claims track: claims up to £10,000. Court issue fees range from £35 (up to £300) to £455 (£5,000 to £10,000).

What should you do next?

1. Stop using faulty goods where possible and act quickly, especially within the 30 day window.
2. Gather evidence: receipt or bank statement, order confirmation, photos, the contract and all messages.
3. Complain in writing to the trader, naming your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the remedy you want, with a clear deadline.
4. If you paid by card, contact your card provider about a section 75 claim or chargeback.
5. Ask Libra about your situation and to draft a complaint or letter before claim. If you are about to hire a builder, use a written contract such as Libra's Works and Services Contract (Short).
6. If the trader still refuses, you can make a small claim through the county court, or find a lawyer or clinic through Libra.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 30 day right to reject?

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you can reject goods that are faulty, not as described or unfit for purpose within 30 days of delivery and get a full refund. You do not have to accept a repair first. For perishable goods the period is shorter.

The shop is refusing a refund. What can I do?

Check whether you are within 30 days or whether a repair or replacement has already failed. If so, put your refund request in writing, quoting the Consumer Rights Act 2015. If the shop still refuses, consider a section 75 or chargeback claim, then a small claim in the county court.

Can I return a faulty used car?

Yes, if you bought it from a dealer. You can reject it within 30 days for a full refund. After that the dealer gets one chance to repair or replace. If that fails you can reject it, but the refund can be reduced for use, even in the first six months.

Do I have a cooling off period with a builder?

If you agreed the contract at your home, online or by phone, you usually have 14 days to cancel. If you asked the builder to start within that period, you may have to pay for work done. Contracts agreed at the builder's premises have no automatic cooling off period.

When does an airline not have to pay flight compensation?

When the delay or cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances outside the airline's control, such as severe weather, security threats or strikes by air traffic control or airport staff. The courts have held that most technical faults are not extraordinary circumstances, so they usually still qualify.

Can I use section 75 if I paid part on credit card?

Yes. If the cash price of the single item or service was over £100 and up to £30,000, section 75 applies even if you paid only part, such as a deposit, on your credit card. You can claim the full amount from the card provider, not just the part you paid on the card.

Can a shop refuse a refund because I have lost the receipt?

No. A receipt is only one way to prove you bought the item. A bank or card statement, order confirmation, packaging or loyalty record can also be proof. If the item is faulty, your rights against the seller under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 do not depend on having the receipt.

Can I return something I bought online if I just changed my mind?

Usually yes. Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 you can cancel within 14 days of receiving the goods, then have 14 days to send them back. The seller must refund within 14 days of getting them back. Exceptions include personalised items, perishables and opened sealed hygiene goods.

Does a no refunds sign in a shop take away my rights?

No. A notice saying no refunds cannot remove your statutory rights if goods are faulty, not as described or not fit for purpose. The shop does not have to refund for a simple change of mind in store, but it must deal with faults under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

How long can I claim that something I bought is faulty?

You can bring a claim for up to six years in England and Wales, but the practical position changes over time. In the first six months the seller must disprove that the fault was there at delivery. After six months you must show the fault existed from the start.

Can I still claim from the shop after the manufacturer's guarantee ends?

Yes. Your rights against the seller under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 are separate from any manufacturer's guarantee or warranty. Goods must be of satisfactory quality and last a reasonable time. A reduced or expired guarantee does not cancel your legal right to a repair, replacement or refund.

Who is responsible if my online parcel never arrives?

The seller is responsible, not you, until the goods are in your hands or those of someone you have nominated. If they do not arrive, you can ask for delivery or a refund. Unless agreed otherwise, goods should arrive within 30 days. Do not accept a courier's refusal to deal with it as final.

Ask Libra

• My new washing machine broke after 3 weeks. Can I get a refund?
• The shop says I can only have a repair. Is that right?
• Can I return something I bought online if I changed my mind?
• My builder has done poor work and won't come back. What can I do?
• My flight was delayed 4 hours. How much compensation can I claim?
• How do I make a section 75 claim with my credit card company?

Sources

• Consumer Rights Act 2015 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Consumer Credit Act 1974, section 75 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Flight delays: your rights (Civil Aviation Authority)
• Make a court claim for money: court fees (GOV.UK)
• Consumer protection rights (GOV.UK)

This guide is general information about the law in England and Wales as at September 2026, not legal advice. For advice on your situation, ask Libra or find a lawyer through Libra.