What is a letter before action?

A letter before action (LBA) is a formal notice sent before starting court proceedings. It sets out your claim, the legal basis (e.g. Consumer Rights Act 2015, Housing Act 1988), the remedy you seek, and a deadline to respond — typically 14 days. Civil Procedure Rules require this step before most court claims, and courts take a dim view of parties who skip it.

Can I write my own legal letter?

Yes. You do not need a solicitor to write a legal letter. What matters is citing the correct legislation, stating your claim with precise dates and amounts, and giving a clear deadline. A well-drafted letter citing the right Act and section often resolves disputes without court proceedings — and costs nothing extra to send.

Does a legal letter actually work?

In many cases, yes. Most businesses, landlords, and employers respond when they receive a formally worded letter that cites specific legislation and mentions court or tribunal proceedings as the next step. It signals you know your rights and are prepared to escalate — which is often enough to get a resolution.

What UK legislation covers consumer complaints and refunds?

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is the primary law. Section 9 requires goods to be of satisfactory quality; section 20 gives you the right to a full refund within 30 days if goods are faulty. For services, section 49 requires reasonable care and skill. For distance/online purchases, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give you a 14-day cooling-off period.

26 August 2026

Bought a Faulty Product? Your 30-Day Right to Reject and Get a Full Refund (UK)

You bought something and it turned out faulty — a phone that keeps dying, a washing machine that floods the kitchen, a sofa whose frame cracks within weeks. You go back to the shop and get one of the usual brush-offs: "Your warranty's expired." "You'll have to contact the manufacturer." "No refunds on sale items." Here is the part retailers rarely volunteer: most of that is wrong. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you a tiered set of rights against the shop that sold it to you — starting with a 30-day right to a full refund — and they sit on top of any warranty, not underneath it. Here is exactly how each one works.

General information for consumers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland who bought goods from a business. Not legal advice. Current as at August 2026 — always check the current position before you act.

This guide is about faulty physical goods — electronics, appliances, furniture, white goods, clothing and the like — bought from a trader (a shop or business, in store or online). A botched job by a builder or tradesperson follows the Act's separate rules for services, and a faulty used car from a dealer has its own quirks (see our dedicated guides on those). And a purchase from a private individual — Facebook Marketplace, a private eBay seller — is different again; that is covered at the end.

The Three Things Every Product Must Be

The Consumer Rights Act builds three promises into the contract automatically. If the goods break any of them, they are "faulty" in law and your remedies below kick in:

Of satisfactory quality (section 9). Judged by what a reasonable person would expect given the description, the price and the circumstances. Crucially, this expressly includes durability, freedom from minor defects, appearance and finish, and safety — not just "does it switch on." A £900 fridge that packs up after 14 months can fail the durability test even though it plainly worked at first.
Fit for a particular purpose (section 10). If you told the trader what you needed it for and relied on their judgement, it has to be reasonably fit for that purpose — even if that is not what the item is normally used for.
As described (section 11). It must match the description, the photos, the model number or the sample you were shown — including goods you picked off a shelf.

There is one carve-out: you cannot claim on a fault that was specifically pointed out to you before you bought, or one that an examination you actually made should have revealed (section 9(4)).

Your Strongest Card: The 30-Day Right to Reject

For the first 30 days after you take ownership, if the goods are faulty you have a short-term right to reject them and demand a full refund — no repair, no replacement, no store credit unless you want it (sections 20 and 22). This is the cleanest, strongest remedy you have, and it is worth using quickly.

The 30 days run from the last of: ownership passing to you, delivery, and (where relevant) installation being completed.
The refund must be paid without undue delay and within 14 days of the trader accepting you are entitled to it.
There is no deduction for use in this window — you get the whole amount back.
Perishable goods are the exception: the window is however long the goods could reasonably be expected to last.

Agreeing to a Repair Does Not Burn Your 30 Days

A common worry: "If I let them try to fix it, do I lose my right to reject?" No. If you request or agree to a repair or replacement, the 30-day clock pauses while you wait, and restarts when you get the goods back — and you are guaranteed at least 7 more days to reject if they are still faulty (section 22(6)–(8)). So you can give the shop a chance to put it right without giving up your strongest remedy.

After 30 Days: Repair or Replacement — Your Choice, Not Theirs

Once the 30 days are up (or if you would rather not reject), you move to the second tier: the right to a repair or a replacement (section 23). The trader must do it at their own cost — postage, labour, parts — within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to you.

The Myth: "We Decide Whether You Get a Repair or a Replacement"

You will often be told the retailer chooses the remedy. That is wrong. Under section 23 you choose whether to ask for a repair or a replacement. The only limit is that you cannot insist on one that is impossible or disproportionately costly compared with the other — for example, demanding a brand-new replacement over a cheap, quick fix that fully solves the problem. Beyond that narrow test, the choice is yours.

One Failed Repair, and You Can Reject: The Final Right to Reject

Here is the rule traders least like to mention. If the trader's one attempt at a repair or a replacement fails to fix the problem, you do not have to keep giving them "another go." You gain the final right to reject — a refund — or, if you prefer to keep the item, a price reduction (section 24). It is one attempt at whichever remedy you chose, not one repair and one replacement.

Can They Dock Your Refund for "Use"?

On a final rejection the trader can, in principle, reduce the refund to reflect the use you had — but not within the first six months for ordinary goods. In that window an ordinary product (a laptop, a dishwasher, a bed) gets a full refund with no deduction. (Motor vehicles are the one statutory exception, which is why used cars are covered separately.) After six months, a reasonable deduction for use is allowed.

The Six-Month Rule That Puts the Burden on Them

This is the single most powerful — and most overlooked — protection in the Act. If a fault shows up within six months of delivery, the law presumes it was there from the start, and it is for the trader to prove otherwise (section 19(14)). You do not have to prove the product was defective when you bought it; they have to prove it was not.

After the six months, the burden flips the other way: you have to show the fault was present or developing at the point of sale, which in practice can mean paying for an independent engineer's or expert's report. That is the moment these claims get materially harder — so if something has gone wrong, it pays to act inside the six-month window.

The Myths That Cost People a Refund

Front-line staff repeat several lines that simply are not the law. Do not be turned away by any of these:

"Your warranty's expired." A manufacturer's warranty or guarantee is a separate, voluntary bonus that runs alongside your statutory rights — it never replaces them. Your Consumer Rights Act claim against the retailer can outlive the warranty entirely.
"Take it up with the manufacturer." Your contract — and therefore your claim — is with the retailer who sold it to you, whoever made it. They cannot pass you up the chain.
"No refunds on sale items." Faulty is faulty. Sale, clearance and reduced items are covered in full; a lower price only affects what counts as "satisfactory" where the item was discounted because of a disclosed flaw. Second-hand goods bought from a trader are covered too, judged against their age and price. Blanket "no refunds" signs have no legal effect on faulty goods.
"The Consumer Rights Act gives you a six-year guarantee." No. The six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (five in Scotland) is simply the time limit for taking a claim to court — not a promise that goods will last six years, and not an extra warranty. Your actual remedies run on the much shorter 30-day and six-month timetables above.

Private Sales Are a Different World

If you bought from a private individual rather than a business — a private seller on Marketplace, an individual's classified ad — the Consumer Rights Act does not apply. There is no satisfactory-quality or fit-for-purpose protection; "sold as seen" carries real weight. But one thing survives: the goods must still be as described. A private seller who actively misrepresents what they are selling (not merely stays quiet about a flaw) can still be on the hook. Note too that buying at a public auction you could attend in person can take you outside the usual consumer protections — check before you bid.

If the Retailer Still Refuses

If the shop digs in, you have escalation routes beyond the counter:

Section 75 — if you paid by credit card for a single item costing over £100 and up to £30,000, your card provider is jointly liable and you can claim from them directly.
Chargeback — if you paid by debit card, or the item was under £100, ask your bank to reverse the payment (a scheme process, typically within about 120 days).
A letter before action, then the small claims track — a firm, dated written demand setting out your statutory rights and a deadline resolves most disputes without ever reaching court.

The written demand is where it usually turns. A clear letter that names the exact rights — 30-day rejection, repair or replacement, final right to reject, the six-month presumption — and sets a deadline tells the retailer you know precisely where you stand.

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Sources: Consumer Rights Act 2015, ss.9–11, 19, 20, 22, 23 and 24 (legislation.gov.uk); Limitation Act 1980 and, for Scotland, the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973; Section 75 Consumer Credit Act 1974. Consumer guidance from Citizens Advice and Which?. Scotland and Northern Ireland limitation periods differ from England and Wales. Current as at August 2026 — always check the current version before acting.