Consumer Rights Act 2015 overview FAQs

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is UK legislation that sets out the rights of consumers when buying goods, services, and digital content. It requires products to be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described, and gives consumers clear remedies (such as repair, replacement, or refund) when these standards are not met.

The Act also protects consumers from unfair contract terms and misleading information provided by traders.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 was introduced because previous consumer laws were fragmented, inconsistent, and didn’t reflect how people increasingly purchased digital content and online services. It created a single, coherent framework that addressed these gaps, made rights easier to understand and enforce, and provided clearer obligations for businesses.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 replaced the consumer elements of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 and the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, and it also replaced the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 by bringing these provisions together into one modern framework.

Yes. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies across the whole of the UK, including Scotland. However, certain enforcement processes and court procedures differ slightly under Scottish law.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is considered effective because it simplifies consumer law, strengthens protections, and gives clearer remedies. Research on UK consumer law enforcement also finds that stronger statutory rights, such as those in the Consumer Rights Act, lead to better outcomes for consumers.

No. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies only to consumer–trader transactions. It does not apply when a business buys goods or services for business use, as these transactions are usually covered by contract law and the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended).

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires businesses selling goods, services, or digital content to ensure they meet the standards of being satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described. If they fail to meet these obligations, businesses must offer the appropriate remedies, such as repair, replacement, price reduction, or refund.

The Act also places responsibilities on traders to provide clear information, handle complaints fairly, and avoid unfair contract terms.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you have the right to receive goods, services, and digital content that are of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described. If these standards are not met, you are entitled to remedies such as a repair, replacement, price reduction, or a refund, including the short-term right to reject faulty goods within 30 days.

The Act also ensures that traders cannot rely on unfair contract terms or misleading information.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, “satisfactory quality” means that goods must meet the standard that a reasonable person would consider acceptable, taking account of the description, price, and all other relevant circumstances.

In practice, goods should be:

• Safe to use
• Durable, lasting a reasonable length of time
• Free from defects
• Fit for their normal purpose
• Of acceptable appearance and finish
• Working properly, including any digital or mechanical functions

What counts as satisfactory depends on context. A low-cost item may be expected to show more wear than a premium product, but it must still work properly and safely. If goods fall below this standard, they may be faulty under consumer law.

A statutory right is a legal protection automatically given to consumers by law, such as under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. It applies regardless of any warranty, cannot be removed or limited by a seller, and gives you enforceable rights against the retailer if goods are faulty, not as described, or unfit for purpose.

A manufacturer’s warranty is a voluntary promise made by the manufacturer. It sets out what the manufacturer will repair or replace, for how long, and under what conditions. It is optional, can have limitations or exclusions, and is usually enforced against the manufacturer, not the retailer.

No. A trader cannot opt out of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by using their own terms and conditions.

Your statutory rights are automatic and mandatory. Any contract term that tries to limit, exclude, or undermine those rights is unenforceable. This includes attempts to restrict refunds, shorten time limits, or shift legal responsibility onto the consumer.

A trader’s terms may add to your rights, but they cannot take them away.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, unfair contract terms are terms that create a significant imbalance between a consumer and a trader, to the consumer’s detriment, and are not transparent or fair.

The Act protects you by:

• Banning unfair terms so they are not legally binding, even if you agreed to them
• Requiring terms to be clear, plain, and easy to understand
• Ensuring key terms (such as price and main subject matter) are only enforceable if they are transparent and prominent
• Enabling courts and regulators to challenge and stop the use of unfair terms

Examples of potentially unfair terms include those that allow a trader to change prices without notice, limit their liability unfairly, or deny you legal rights.

You can return faulty goods within 30 days of purchase for a full refund, as set out in Section 22 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

After 30 days, Sections 23 and 24 require the retailer to offer a repair or replacement first, and if that fails, you can then pursue a refund or price reduction.

You may bring a claim for faulty goods for up to six years (five in Scotland) under the Limitation Act 1980, though this is not an automatic right to a refund for the whole period.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the six-month rule means that if goods develop a fault within six months of delivery, the law assumes the fault was present at the time of sale, unless the retailer can prove otherwise.

During this period, the consumer is entitled to a repair or replacement, free of charge. The retailer cannot insist that the consumer proves the fault existed when the goods were bought.

If a repair or replacement is unsuccessful, not completed within a reasonable time, or causes significant inconvenience, the consumer can then claim a refund or price reduction.

The burden of proof is about who must show what caused the fault.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, if goods become faulty within the first six months, the law assumes the fault was present at the time of sale. During this period, the retailer must prove that the fault was caused by misuse, accidental damage, or normal wear and tear if they want to reject the claim.

After six months, the burden of proof shifts to the consumer. This means the consumer must show, usually with evidence such as an expert report, that the fault was inherent and existed (or was developing) when the goods were supplied.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the “one-repair” rule means that a retailer normally gets one opportunity to fix faulty goods.

If goods are faulty, the retailer can choose to offer a repair or replacement. If that repair or replacement fails, is not done within a reasonable time, or causes significant inconvenience, the consumer does not have to accept further attempts.

At that point, the consumer can move to the final remedies and choose a refund or a price reduction (with a possible deduction for use if more than 30 days have passed, except for certain goods).

A customer can ask for a refund if the goods are faulty, not as described, or unfit for their intended purpose. They can also request a refund if services are not carried out with reasonable care and skill or if digital content is faulty or causes damage to a device.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the right to a price reduction applies when a fault with goods, services, or digital content cannot be fixed.

It applies if:

• A repair or replacement is impossible, or
• A repair or replacement fails, or
• A repair or replacement is not provided within a reasonable time or causes significant inconvenience

The price reduction must reflect how much the goods or content fall below what was agreed and can be up to a full refund. For goods, the retailer may make a deduction for use if the final right to reject is exercised after the first 30 days (with limited exceptions).

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the retailer is responsible for the reasonable cost of returning faulty goods.

If the goods are faulty, not as described, or unfit for purpose, the seller must cover return costs. This can include arranging collection or reimbursing postage. The consumer should not be left out of pocket for exercising their legal rights.

If the retailer asks the consumer to return the goods, they must either provide a prepaid method or refund the return costs.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a company must issue your refund without undue delay and within 14 days of agreeing that you are entitled to it. If the refund relates to returned goods, the 14-day period runs from the day the trader receives the goods back.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods must be delivered within 30 days unless you agreed a different timescale.

If delivery is late, you can:

• Give the seller a new reasonable deadline for delivery; or
• Cancel immediately if the delivery date was essential (for example, for a specific event) or the seller has already missed an agreed date.

If the goods never arrive, you have the right to cancel the contract and receive a full refund. The refund must be given without undue delay and within 14 days of cancellation.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods bought in a sale or from a second-hand shop are still protected by consumer law.

The same core rights apply: goods must be as described, fit for purpose, and of satisfactory quality. However, what counts as “satisfactory” takes account of the price, age, and condition of the goods. For example, wear and tear may be acceptable for second-hand items, but faults that go beyond what a reasonable person would expect are not.

Retailers cannot exclude or reduce your statutory rights simply because goods are discounted or second-hand. If an item is faulty in a way that was not clearly pointed out before purchase, you are still entitled to a remedy.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, reasonable care and skill means that a service must be carried out to the standard that a reasonably competent professional in that field would provide.

In practice, this means the service provider should:

• Use appropriate knowledge, training, and expertise
• Carry out the work carefully and competently
• Follow accepted industry standards and good practice
• Avoid mistakes that a competent provider would not make
• Take reasonable steps to prevent harm, loss, or damage

The standard does not require perfection, but it does require the service to be performed properly and professionally. If a service falls below this level and causes loss or poor outcomes, it may breach the Act.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, if a trader fails to perform a service within a reasonable time, you are entitled to a remedy.

You can require the trader to repeat the service so it is completed properly and within a reasonable time, at no extra cost and without significant inconvenience. If a repeat performance is impossible, not carried out within a reasonable time, or would cause significant inconvenience, you are entitled to a price reduction, which can be up to a full refund.

What counts as a reasonable time depends on the nature of the service, what was agreed, and what a reasonable person would expect in the circumstances.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you can get a refund for downloaded digital content, but only in certain situations.

You cannot get a refund simply because you have downloaded the content or changed your mind.

However, if the digital content is faulty, not as described, or not fit for purpose, you are entitled to a remedy. The seller must first offer a repair or replacement. If that cannot be provided, or does not fix the problem, you may then be entitled to a price reduction, which could be up to a full refund.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, if digital content damages your device or other digital content, you have the right to a repair or compensation.

If the damage was caused because the digital content was faulty or the seller failed to exercise reasonable care and skill, the seller must:

• Repair the damage, or
• Pay compensation if repair is not possible or practical.

This applies even if the digital content itself was free (for example, a free app or update), as long as it was supplied with goods or services you paid for. The responsibility lies with the seller, not the manufacturer or developer.

Section 42 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets out the consumer’s right to a repair or replacement when digital content is faulty. It requires the trader to put the digital content right within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to the consumer. If this cannot be done, the consumer may then move on to other remedies provided by the Act.

Consumer Rights Act 2015 Section 44 provides that when the digital content supplied by a trader does not conform to the contract and the trader cannot repair or replace it within a reasonable time or without significant inconvenience, the consumer is entitled to a price reduction.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a “mixed” contract (such as buying a dishwasher with installation) is treated as having separate elements, each covered by different parts of the Act.

The goods element must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described. If the dishwasher is faulty, you have the usual remedies for goods, including repair, replacement, or refund.

The service element (the installation) must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time, and for a reasonable price if one was not agreed.

If the problem is caused by faulty installation, rather than the appliance itself, your remedies relate to the service, not the goods. If the poor installation causes damage, you may also be entitled to repair or compensation.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is enforced by local authority Trading Standards services, which investigate and act on breaches, and by the Competition and Markets Authority, which addresses wider market issues and unfair practices. Individual rights under the Act are enforced through the courts when consumers bring claims.

To file a customer complaint in the UK under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you start by submitting your complaint directly to the trader, explaining how the goods, service, or digital content fail to meet the standards set out in the Act and stating the remedy you are entitled to.

If the trader does not resolve the issue, you can escalate the complaint to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) body, provided the trader is covered by or agrees to use one. If the dispute remains unresolved, you can file a claim through the courts, often via the small claims process for lower-value cases.