Guide

Handle consumer complaints about faulty goods

Step-by-step guidance for frontline and customer service staff handling faulty goods complaints under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Covers the 30-day right to reject, when to offer repair or replacement, and the final right to reject - with common staff mistakes to avoid.

Retail & Consumer Goods UK-wide

When a customer brings back a faulty product, what you say and do in the first few minutes determines whether you handle it correctly under law. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives consumers a structured set of rights - and your response must match where they are in that structure.

This guide is for frontline and customer service staff. It tells you exactly what to do at each stage of a faulty goods complaint, and flags the mistakes that most commonly lead to unlawful refusals.

These rights apply to consumer sales only - sales to individuals acting outside their trade or business. Business-to-business sales are covered by different rules.

Step 1: Establish when the goods were purchased and delivered

The first thing you need to know is when the 30-day clock started. This determines which remedy the consumer is entitled to.

The 30-day period runs from the latest of:

  • The date ownership transferred to the consumer (usually date of purchase)
  • The date the goods were delivered
  • The date installation was completed (if installation was part of the contract)

Ask to see the receipt or order confirmation. If the customer does not have it, check your own records. Do not refuse to look into a complaint simply because the customer cannot produce a receipt - you may have records of the transaction.

Important: If the consumer sent the goods back for repair or replacement, the 30-day clock paused while they were waiting. Time spent with you does not count against them.

Step 2: Is the complaint within 30 days of delivery?

If the customer is within the 30-day window, they have the short-term right to reject: a full refund with no deductions. You cannot insist on repairing the goods first. You cannot offer a replacement instead unless the customer agrees.

How to process a Tier 1 refund

  1. Confirm the fault (ask the customer to demonstrate it if possible, or inspect the item)
  2. Check the purchase date and delivery date to confirm you are within 30 days
  3. Issue a full refund via the original payment method
  4. Process the refund without undue delay - you have a maximum of 14 days
  5. Do not deduct anything for the consumer's use of the goods during this period

If the customer prefers a repair or replacement, you can offer that instead - but only if the customer agrees. Do not pressure them away from a refund.

Step 3: Is the complaint after 30 days but within 6 months?

Once the 30-day window has passed, the consumer moves into the Tier 2 right to repair or replacement. The consumer chooses which remedy they want. You cannot dictate that they must accept repair if they ask for a replacement, and vice versa - unless one option is impossible or disproportionately expensive.

How to handle a Tier 2 request

  1. Ask the consumer whether they want a repair or a replacement
  2. You may only override their choice if it is impossible (for example, the product is discontinued) or disproportionate in cost compared to the other option
  3. Arrange the repair or replacement at your cost - including any collection, postage, or labour
  4. Complete the work within a reasonable time and without causing the consumer significant inconvenience
  5. Give the consumer a realistic timescale at the point of agreeing the remedy

The 6-month presumption: If the fault appears within 6 months of delivery, you must assume the goods were faulty when sold - unless you can prove otherwise. You cannot simply tell the customer the fault must have been caused by misuse without evidence. If you genuinely believe misuse caused the fault, you may seek an independent assessment, but the burden of proof sits with you, not the consumer.

Step 4: Has repair or replacement failed?

If a repair or replacement has been attempted and failed - or if you refused to carry one out - the consumer can exercise the final right to reject or claim a price reduction.

How to handle a Tier 3 request

  1. Confirm that a prior repair or replacement was attempted and failed, or was refused
  2. Establish whether the goods have been held for more or less than 6 months from delivery
  3. If less than 6 months: issue a full refund with no deduction for use
  4. If more than 6 months: a reasonable deduction for use may apply (except for motor vehicles, which have their own rules)
  5. If the consumer prefers to keep the goods, offer an appropriate price reduction instead of a refund - this can be the full purchase price in some cases

Escalate to a manager if you are unsure how to calculate a reasonable deduction. Do not invent a deduction figure - if challenged, you will need to justify it.

Common mistakes - what NOT to do

  • Refusing a refund because "our policy is exchange only". Your shop policy cannot override the consumer's statutory rights. A consumer within 30 days is entitled to a full refund, regardless of what your returns notice says.
  • Insisting on a repair attempt before a refund within 30 days. Within the 30-day window, the consumer is entitled to reject the goods outright.
  • Demanding a receipt as the only acceptable proof of purchase. A bank statement, email confirmation, or delivery note is valid evidence of purchase.
  • Telling the consumer the fault "must have been caused by misuse" without evidence. Within the first 6 months, you bear the burden of proving the goods were not faulty at delivery.
  • Offering a credit note instead of a refund. A credit note is not a full refund. You can only offer a credit note if the consumer agrees.
  • Charging handling fees or restocking fees for faulty goods returns. You cannot charge the consumer for exercising their statutory rights.
  • Requiring original packaging for a statutory refund. The consumer's statutory rights do not depend on whether they kept the original packaging.

  1. Check the purchase and delivery date first

    Before deciding what remedy applies, confirm when the 30-day clock started. Use your records if the customer cannot produce a receipt.

  2. Apply the correct tier based on timeframe

    Within 30 days, offer a full refund. After 30 days, let the consumer choose repair or replacement. After a failed repair or replacement, offer final rejection or price reduction.

  3. Never override a refund request with a repair offer within 30 days

    The consumer has the right to a full refund within 30 days of delivery. You cannot make repair a condition of that refund.

  4. Let the consumer choose repair or replacement at Tier 2

    After 30 days, the consumer picks the remedy. You can only override their choice if it is genuinely impossible or disproportionate in cost.

  5. Bear all costs of repair or replacement

    Collection, postage, labour, and parts are your costs to carry. Do not ask the consumer to contribute to these.

  6. Do not cite misuse without evidence within 6 months

    In the first 6 months, the burden of proof is on you to show the goods were fault-free at delivery. Without evidence, you must provide a remedy.

  7. Process refunds within 14 days of agreeing them

    Once you confirm a refund is due, you have a maximum of 14 days to process it via the consumer's original payment method.

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