Consumer Rights Act 2015 Overview

When you buy goods from a trader, they must be:

• Of satisfactory quality: Free from minor defects, safe, durable, and of acceptable appearance — considering what a reasonable person would expect for the price and description.
• Fit for purpose: Suitable for the usual purpose of that type of product, and for any specific purpose you made clear to the seller before buying.
• As described: Matching any description, sample, or model shown.

Your rights are against the seller (the retailer), not the manufacturer. A manufacturer's guarantee is additional — it does not replace your statutory rights. Retailers cannot direct you to the manufacturer for statutory remedies; they are responsible themselves.

The CRA 2015 gives you a tiered system of remedies for faulty goods:

1. Short-term right to reject (first 30 days): Return the goods and receive a full refund. You do not have to accept a repair or replacement. The 30 days run from delivery (or installation, or disclosure of a digital element).
2. Repair or replacement (30 days to 6 months): You can ask for a repair or replacement. The seller gets one attempt to fix the fault. If the repair or replacement fails, you can then claim a price reduction or exercise the "final right to reject" for a refund (which may be subject to a deduction for use).
3. Final right to reject or price reduction (after 6 months): If a fault emerges after 6 months, you must prove the fault was present at the point of sale — the reverse burden shifts back to you. Remedies remain repair, replacement, price reduction, or final right to reject.

Services under the CRA 2015 must be carried out:

• With reasonable skill and care — the standard of a competent person in that trade or profession.
• Within a reasonable time — if no time was agreed, the work must be completed within what is reasonable in all the circumstances.
• For a reasonable price — if no price was agreed in advance.

If a service fails to meet these standards, you can ask the trader to redo the work or to carry out a partial redo. If reperformance is impossible or the trader refuses, you are entitled to a price reduction. Unlike goods, there is no right to a full refund for services in all cases — only where the service has no value to you at all.

The CRA 2015 extended statutory rights to digital content — including apps, downloadable software, films, ebooks, and streaming services. Digital content must be:

• Of satisfactory quality (stable, free from bugs that affect usability)
• Fit for purpose
• As described

If digital content is faulty, you are entitled to a repair or replacement. If that is not possible or the fault is not fixed within a reasonable time, you can claim a price reduction. Unlike physical goods, there is no 30-day right to reject for digital content — but the other remedies apply immediately. If faulty digital content damages a device or other digital content, you may also be able to claim compensation for those losses.