Sold Faulty Goods? Get Your Refund — Free

The retailer sold you something that doesn't work, broke too soon, or isn't what they described. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you have a legal right to a refund, repair, or replacement — and the retailer, not the manufacturer, is responsible. We draft your complaint letter at no charge.

Check My Refund — Free

Did Any of These Happen to You?

Selling defective or misdescribed goods is one of the most widespread consumer complaints in the UK. If you recognise even one of the situations below, you have grounds to claim — and we can help you do it at no cost.

Answer yes to any of these and you may be entitled to a refund, repair, or replacement:

The item was faulty, broken, or incomplete when it arrived.
It stopped working within weeks or months of normal use.
It looked or performed nothing like the pictures or description on the website or in the shop.
The retailer told you to contact the manufacturer directly and refused to help you.
The retailer offered a repair or replacement but then refused a refund when that also failed.
You paid by credit or debit card and the retailer is ignoring your complaint.
The goods arrived missing parts or accessories that were clearly included in the listing.
You ordered online and the retailer is refusing to accept a return within 14 days for any reason.

Your Rights Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is the main law protecting UK consumers who buy goods from a trader. It applies to purchases made in-store, online, by phone, and by mail order. The key rules are:

Goods Must Be of Satisfactory Quality, Fit for Purpose, and As Described

Every item you buy from a trader must meet three statutory standards:

Satisfactory quality — the goods must be of a standard a reasonable person would consider acceptable, taking into account price, description, and any representations the seller made. This covers appearance, finish, safety, durability, and freedom from minor defects.
Fit for purpose — the goods must do what goods of that type are normally expected to do, and must also be fit for any specific purpose you told the seller about before buying.
As described — the goods must match any description given on the label, listing, or by the seller. A photograph or sample forms part of that description.

If goods fail any of these standards, your statutory rights are triggered immediately — regardless of the trader's own returns policy.

The 30-Day Right to Reject

If goods are faulty, not as described, or not fit for purpose, you have the right to a full refund if you reject them within 30 days of receiving them (the "short-term right to reject"). The retailer cannot impose a restocking fee, a deduction for use, or insist on a repair or replacement instead — you are entitled to your money back in full. The 30-day clock pauses if you agree to a repair or replacement within that period.

After 30 Days: One Repair or Replacement, Then a Refund

Between 30 days and six months after purchase, the retailer gets one chance to repair or replace the goods. If that repair or replacement also fails — or if repair or replacement is impossible, disproportionately costly, or takes an unreasonable time — you can then claim a final right to reject and receive a refund. The retailer may make a small deduction for the use you had of the goods, but the deduction must be genuinely proportionate.

Up to Six Years to Claim (Five in Scotland)

Beyond six months, the burden of proof shifts: you will need to show that the fault existed at the time of purchase rather than arising through normal wear or misuse. However, the law does not impose a hard cut-off at six months — you have up to six years to bring a claim in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and up to five years in Scotland. For durable goods expected to last several years (appliances, furniture, electronics), a fault that emerges within a reasonable lifespan may still be claimable.

The Retailer Is Responsible — Not the Manufacturer

Your contract is with the retailer, not the manufacturer. The retailer cannot legally direct you to a manufacturer's warranty as your sole remedy. Pointing you to a helpline or telling you to "take it up with the brand" is not an acceptable response under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The retailer is obliged to deal with your complaint directly.

Common Faulty Goods Situations We Help With

These are the most frequently reported problems from UK retail consumers. Each has a recognised basis for a claim under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 or related consumer legislation.

Faulty on Arrival

The item arrived broken, wouldn't switch on, or was visibly damaged out of the box. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you have the 30-day right to reject for a full refund. You are not required to accept a replacement or wait for a repair — the choice is yours. Return the goods promptly and keep proof of postage or delivery.

Stopped Working Soon After Purchase

A product that fails within weeks or a few months of normal, careful use is almost certainly not of satisfactory quality. Within six months of purchase, the law presumes the fault was present at the point of sale — it is for the retailer to prove otherwise, not for you to prove the cause. You are entitled to a repair, replacement, or (if the first remedy fails) a refund.

Not As Described or Pictured

If the product you received materially differs from its description, photographs, or specification — whether on a website listing, product packaging, or something a sales assistant told you — it fails the "as described" standard under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This applies even if the item itself functions correctly. You can reject the goods and claim a full refund within 30 days, or a repair/replacement/refund thereafter.

Missing Parts or Accessories

If the product was advertised or listed as including specific components — cables, batteries, assembly hardware, instruction manuals — and those items were absent on delivery, the goods are not as described. The retailer must make good the shortfall without charge. If the missing parts make the item unfit for purpose, you may reject the entire product.

Suspected Counterfeit or Non-Genuine Goods

Selling counterfeit goods as genuine is a serious breach of the "as described" standard and may also constitute a criminal offence under the Trade Marks Act 1994. If you have grounds to believe what you received is not the genuine branded product — materials, build quality, serial numbers, or packaging that do not match — you have a strong basis to reject the goods and claim a full refund. You may also consider reporting the seller to Trading Standards.

Retailer Refusing a Refund or Citing Their Own Policy

A retailer's internal "no refunds after 28 days" or "exchange only" policy cannot override your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. These rights exist independently of any returns policy. A retailer who refuses a refund for faulty goods on policy grounds alone is in breach of the Act. Our letter makes that point firmly, citing the relevant sections, which frequently changes the retailer's position.

"Contact the Manufacturer" Runaround

Directing a customer to the manufacturer's warranty line is not a lawful substitute for the retailer's own obligations under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Your contract is with the retailer. Manufacturer warranties are additional to — never a replacement for — your statutory rights. If a retailer insists you deal with the manufacturer, they are in breach of their legal duties and our letter will make that clear.

Online Orders: 14-Day Right to Cancel

For goods bought online, by phone, or from a catalogue (distance contracts), the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2014 give you an additional, unconditional right to cancel within 14 days of receiving the goods — no reason required. This right exists alongside your Consumer Rights Act 2015 rights and cannot be excluded. The retailer must refund you within 14 days of receiving the goods back.

How Octave Resolution Services Helps

A Free Complaint Letter to the Retailer, Citing the Law

We are not a law firm and we do not provide legal advice. What we do is draft a clear, professionally structured complaint letter on your behalf that sets out your statutory rights and gives your claim the strongest possible foundation. Our letters:

Cite the Consumer Rights Act 2015 directly — identifying the specific standard the goods have failed (satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, or as described) and the remedy you are entitled to.
Invoke Section 75 or chargeback where a card was used — if you paid by credit card for goods costing between £100 and £30,000, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes your card provider jointly liable with the retailer. For debit cards (or credit card transactions under £100), the Visa/Mastercard/Amex chargeback scheme provides a direct route to recovery via your bank. Our letters flag these options so the retailer knows you have an alternative route that bypasses them entirely.
Rebut common retailer deflections — including unlawful reliance on internal returns policies, improper direction to manufacturer warranties, and refusals that misstate the law.
Set a clear 14-day deadline with formal notice that unresolved matters will be referred to your card issuer, Citizens Advice, or the relevant Alternative Dispute Resolution body.
Tailor the letter to your specific situation — the product, the fault, the timeline, and the retailer's response so far.

Every letter is personalised to your case. The service is 100% free.

What to Gather Before You Start

The stronger your evidence, the stronger your complaint. Useful items include: your proof of purchase (receipt, order confirmation, bank or card statement), photographs or video of the fault, any written communications with the retailer, and the product listing or description as it appeared at the time of purchase. If you do not have all of these, do not worry — tell us what you have and we will work with it.

Check My Refund — Free

Don't Accept a Faulty Goods Brush-Off — Act Now

Chargeback time limits typically run from 120 days of the transaction. The sooner you raise a formal complaint, the more remedies remain open. Our letters are drafted within 48 hours of receiving your details, at no charge to you.

How the Process Works

Step 1 — Free assessment (2 minutes): Tell us what you bought, what went wrong, and what the retailer has said so far.
Step 2 — We review your situation (within 24 hours): We identify the strongest grounds — satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, as described, or the 14-day cancellation right — and the most appropriate remedy.
Step 3 — Complaint letter drafted (within 48 hours): A tailored letter citing the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (and Section 75 or chargeback where relevant) is prepared for you.
Step 4 — You send the letter: We provide clear instructions for submitting the letter by email and recorded post to the retailer.
Step 5 — Support if needed: If the retailer does not respond satisfactorily, we advise on next steps including chargeback submission, Citizens Advice referral, and ADR — all at no cost to you.

We are not a law firm and we do not provide legal advice. We are a free complaint letter drafting service. We cannot guarantee any particular outcome. Results depend on the specific facts of your case and the decisions of the retailer or your card issuer.

Check My Refund — Free

Faulty Goods Refunds — FAQs

Common questions about your rights when you have been sold faulty or misdescribed goods. This is general guidance only — it is not legal advice.

What is the 30-day right to reject faulty goods?

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, if goods are faulty, not as described, or not fit for purpose, you have the right to reject them and claim a full refund within 30 days of receiving them. The retailer cannot insist on a repair or replacement during this period — the choice is yours. The 30-day clock pauses if you agree to a repair or replacement attempt within that window.