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Faulty Goods: A Shopkeeper's Guide to the 30-Day Right to Reject

What the 30-day right to reject means under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, how repair and replacement fit in, the six-month presumption and what to tell staff.

A customer comes back with a kettle that stopped working after a week and says, "I want my money back." What are you obliged to do? This guide sets out the basics of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 for goods that are faulty, in plain English, so that you and your staff can respond calmly and consistently. It is general information, not legal advice.

What the short-term right to reject is

If goods do not match the contract, for example because they are faulty, a consumer has a short-term right to reject them (sections 19, 20 and 22 of the Act). Rejecting means telling the trader they are ending the contract. The indication can be by words or conduct, but it must be clear enough for the trader to understand. The trader must then refund the consumer, and the consumer must make the goods available for collection or return them as agreed.

The 30-day period

Section 22 says the standard period is 30 days. It begins on the first day after all of these have happened: ownership or possession has passed to the consumer, the goods have been delivered, and, where the contract requires installation, the trader has told the consumer that it is done. For goods that can reasonably be expected to perish sooner, the period is shorter. If the consumer asks for, or agrees to, a repair or replacement, the clock stops while they wait for the result.

What a refund involves

The refund must be given without undue delay and within 14 days beginning with the day the trader agrees the consumer is entitled to it.
It must use the same payment method the customer used, unless they expressly agree otherwise.
You must not charge a fee for the refund.
The trader bears the reasonable cost of returning the goods, apart from costs the consumer incurs returning them in person to where they were collected.
Within the first six months, no deduction for use applies to a rejection, with exceptions for motor vehicles and any goods specified by a future order. Outside that period a deduction may apply, so check the Act for your own case.

Repair or replacement

A consumer can also ask for a repair or replacement (section 23). You must do it within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to the customer, and you must meet the costs, including labour, materials and postage. The customer cannot require a remedy that is impossible or disproportionate compared with the other. Generally, a customer who has agreed to a repair must give you a reasonable time to carry it out before seeking a replacement or exercising the short-term right to reject.

If the fix does not work

Under section 24, the customer can choose a price reduction or the final right to reject if the goods still do not conform after one repair or replacement, if repair or replacement is not available, or if you did not carry it out in a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience.

The six-month presumption

Under section 19, goods that fail to conform within six months of delivery are presumed to have been faulty on the day of delivery. This applies to the repair, replacement, price reduction and final right to reject remedies, but not to the short-term right to reject. It does not apply if it is established that the goods did conform on that day, or if applying it is incompatible with the nature of the goods or how they failed.

What to tell your staff

Do not say "no refunds on sale items" or "you only get a credit note" for faulty goods. A fault is treated differently from a change of mind.
Ask when the item was received and what is wrong, and note both.
Check the date: inside 30 days, the customer may be entitled to reject and be refunded.
Escalate anything unclear to the owner or manager rather than guessing.
Record what was agreed and the date, particularly where a repair or replacement was requested.

Check the current rules on GOV.UK

Rules and guidance can change, and special provisions exist for some goods and contracts. Read the current guidance on GOV.UK and speak to your local Trading Standards service or a legal adviser if you are unsure.

Sources

In ZRKEE's seven areas

The Consumer Rights Act applies everywhere in England. If a customer dispute escalates, your local council's Trading Standards team is the local contact, so find its page on your council's website before you need it.

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