If goods you bought turn out to be faulty, your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 are affected by certain time limits.

These time limits determine which remedies are available and who must prove the goods were faulty.

For the legal standards that goods must meet, see What Statutory Rights Apply to Goods?.

Something gone wrong?

Know your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and put it in writing.

The 30-Day Short-Term Right to Reject

You normally have 30 days from delivery to exercise the Short-Term Right to Reject.

This allows you to reject faulty goods and receive a full refund.

The 30 days usually begin when:

  • The goods are delivered, and
  • You take ownership or possession.

If installation is part of the contract, the 30-day period may start after installation is completed.

Repairs Pause the 30-Day Clock

If you request a Repair or Replacement within the first 30 days, the time limit pauses while you wait.

If the goods are still faulty after repair or replacement, you will have:

  • At least 7 days to reject the goods, or
  • The remainder of the original 30-day period, whichever is longer.

The 6-Month Rule

If goods turn out not to conform to the contract (for example, they’re faulty) within six months of delivery, the law generally assumes they didn’t conform on the day they were delivered. This is known as the “six-month presumption” (section 19(14) of the Consumer Rights Act).

Which remedies it applies to: the presumption applies when you ask for a repair or replacement, a price reduction or the final right to reject. It does not apply to the 30-day short-term right to reject. If you use that right and the trader disputes the fault, the normal rule applies and you may need to show that the goods didn’t conform to the contract.

Exceptions: even within six months, the presumption doesn’t apply if:

  • the trader shows that the goods did conform to the contract when they were delivered, or
  • applying it would be incompatible with the nature of the goods (for example, perishable items that aren’t expected to last) or with the kind of fault (for example, damage that clearly happened after delivery).

So where the presumption applies, it’s for the trader to prove the goods were fine on delivery or that an exception applies, rather than for you to prove they were faulty from the start.

What Happens After Six Months?

After six months, the presumption no longer applies.

You may still have rights, but if the trader disputes it you may need to show that the fault was present when the goods were delivered.

Your remedies may include:

How Long Do Rights Last Overall?

In England and Wales, you can usually bring a claim for breach of contract within six years of delivery (five years in Scotland).

This does not mean goods must last six years. It means you have that long to bring a legal claim if there has been a breach.

Partial Rejection and Instalments

Time limits also apply where you are exercising Partial Rejection or dealing with instalment deliveries.

Which remedy is available depends on when the fault appeared and whether repair has already been attempted.

If the Trader Disputes the Fault

If the trader argues that the goods were not faulty at delivery, what you need depends on the remedy you’re using:

  • Short-term right to reject (first 30 days): the six-month presumption doesn’t apply, so gather evidence that the goods don’t conform, such as photos or videos of the fault, the product description or advert, and your receipt and delivery date.
  • Repair, replacement, price reduction or final rejection, with the fault appearing within six months: point to the six-month presumption. Ask the trader for any evidence that the goods conformed on delivery, or that an exception applies.
  • Fault appearing after six months: you may need evidence that the fault was there from the start, for example an independent report.
  • In every case: keep records of the fault, any reports and all correspondence.

If the dispute continues, you may need to:

Key Point

The first 30 days give you the strongest right to reject, but the six-month presumption doesn’t apply to it. For repair, replacement, price reduction or final rejection, a fault that appears within six months is generally assumed to have been present at delivery, unless the trader proves otherwise or an exception applies. After six months, you may need to prove it.