UK shoppers lose out on billions of pounds every year, not because retailers have the final say, but because most people have no idea how strong their legal rights actually are. Whether it is a kettle that dies after six weeks, a sofa that never arrived or a holiday that looked nothing like the photos, there is usually a clear route to getting your money back. This guide covers the consumer rights that actually work in the UK in 2026, including the Consumer Rights Act, the 14-day cooling-off rule, Section 75 and chargeback, plus the exact words to use when a shop tries to fob you off.
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 – your legal foundation
Every purchase you make from a UK trader, in store, online or by phone, is covered by the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The law says goods and services must pass three simple tests:
- Satisfactory quality – the item should be free from defects and finished to a reasonable standard for its price.
- As described – it must match the label, the online photos or what the salesperson told you.
- Fit for purpose – it should do the job the seller promised, so a coat sold as waterproof has to keep the rain out.
If what you bought fails any of these tests, you are entitled to a remedy. Crucially, your contract is with the seller, not the manufacturer. So if the TV you bought from Currys stops working after a month, it is Currys that owes you the refund, not the brand that made it. Ignore anyone who tells you to deal with the manufacturer, because under UK consumer law that is not how it works.
Faulty goods – the 30-day rule that gets you a full refund
Within 30 days: reject it and get every penny back
If goods turn out to be faulty, you have a short-term right to reject them for a full refund within 30 days of taking ownership. The refund must include the delivery charge you paid, and the retailer cannot insist on a credit note or gift voucher instead.
After 30 days: repair or replacement
Once the 30-day window passes, the retailer gets one chance to repair or replace the item. If the repair fails or the replacement is faulty too, you can then claim a refund. Between 30 days and six months the law assumes the fault was present from the start unless the seller can prove otherwise, which puts you in a strong position.
After six months: partial refund
Six months on, any refund can be reduced for the use you have had, so a washing machine that cost £400 and dies after a year might get back £200 or so rather than the full amount. Stores such as John Lewis and Amazon often run goodwill policies that go beyond the legal minimum, but knowing the legal baseline stops you accepting less than you are owed.
Online shopping – your 14-day cooling-off period
Buy something online, by phone or by mail order and the Consumer Contracts Regulations give you 14 days to cancel from the day the goods arrive, for any reason at all. The retailer must then refund you within 14 days of receiving the item back, including the basic delivery cost but not premium delivery upgrades. You get a further 14 days to send the item back.
A few things sit outside the cooling-off rules, so there is no automatic right to cancel for:
- perishable goods such as fresh food from Iceland or your Sainsbury’s online grocery order
- personalised or made-to-order items
- sealed hygiene and cosmetic products where the seal has been broken, such as items from Boots
- tickets for events with a fixed date
Remember these exemptions only apply to change-of-mind cancellations. If the item is actually faulty, your Consumer Rights Act protections apply in full no matter what the returns policy says.
Section 75 – the credit card refund superpower
Paying by credit card unlocks one of the strongest protections in UK consumer law. Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, the card company is jointly liable with the retailer for any breach of contract or misrepresentation on purchases between £100 and £30,000. In practice that means:
- if the shop refuses to help, you can claim the full amount from the card provider instead
- it works even if the retailer has gone bust or simply vanished
- it covers faulty goods, cancelled orders, items that never arrived and services that were never delivered
The key detail is that the item must cost at least £100 and some of it must go on the credit card, with a £100 card deposit being the safe position. Pay the full balance in cash and the protection may not apply. Claims are made in writing to the card provider, which must investigate and cannot simply send you back to the retailer.
Chargeback – for debit cards and small purchases
Section 75 does not apply to debit cards, which is where chargeback comes in. It is not a legal right but a scheme run by Visa, Mastercard and Maestro that lets your bank pull the money back from the retailer’s bank. Use it when:
- you paid by debit card
- the purchase was under £100 or over £30,000 on a credit card
- goods never arrived or the trader disappeared
Claims normally have to be raised within 120 days of you becoming aware of the problem, so act quickly. Ask your bank for a chargeback specifically, because some staff will try to log a standard dispute instead. Have your order confirmation, photos of any fault and copies of your emails ready.
Refunds for holidays, flights and events
Travel has its own rulebook. If you booked a package holiday, the Package Travel Regulations entitle you to a full refund within 14 days if the operator cancels, and ATOL protection covers flight-inclusive packages so you do not lose your money if the company collapses. For cancelled flights, UK passengers keep most of the old EU compensation rights: a cancelled flight means a full refund or rerouting, plus compensation from £220 upwards when you were warned at short notice.
For cancelled concerts and events, the ticket seller must refund the ticket price and the booking fee. Check whether insurance add-ons were optional, and if the reseller stalls, a chargeback tends to focus minds very quickly.
Food and groceries – the rules at the till
Grocery refunds are refreshingly simple. If food you bought from Tesco, Asda or M&S is off, damaged or missing, you are entitled to a full refund, and you do not strictly need the receipt if you can show the card transaction. Online supermarkets refund missing or substituted items as standard, but you usually have to flag them yourself in the app within the stated window.
What to say when a shop says no
Most refund battles are won with calm, specific wording. Work through this sequence:
- Within 30 days of buying faulty goods, say: “Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 this item is not of satisfactory quality, and I am exercising my short-term right to reject it.” That is the phrase that forces a full refund.
- If they send you to the manufacturer, say: “My contract is with you as the seller, and under the Consumer Rights Act the remedy is your responsibility.”
- If the store still refuses and you paid by credit card, say: “I am making a Section 75 claim,” and write to the card provider directly.
- Whatever the stage, ask: “Please confirm your refusal in writing.” Shops backtrack quickly when they have to put a no on paper.
Still no luck? Report the trader to the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133, which passes cases to Trading Standards. For deadlocked disputes over goods or services, ask whether the retailer belongs to an alternative dispute resolution scheme, where an independent ombudsman reviews the case. As a last resort, claims under £10,000 can go through the small claims track of the county court, which is cheap and can be started online.
The 60-second refund checklist
- Act fast – the 30-day full refund window is the strongest right you have
- Keep everything – order confirmations, photos of the fault and every email
- Go to the seller first, the card provider second
- Pay by credit card for anything costing £100 or more where you can
- Put every complaint in writing so there is a paper trail
- Escalate to Citizens Advice, ADR or the small claims court instead of giving up
Knowing your consumer rights turns a brush-off into a refund. Retailers count on shoppers not knowing the difference between a store policy and the law: a returns policy can be more generous, but it can never give you less than your statutory rights. For more ways to cut everyday costs, see our guides on saving money on Amazon UK and earning bank switching bonuses, or our tips on cutting mobile phone bills.
