If you discover that you have bought faulty goods, act quickly to return the goods and get your money back. Do not delay longer than is reasonably necessary. With food you are entitled to some delay, since it is not until you come to eat it that you will discover that it is faulty.
Do not consume food from containers that are obviously faulty or try to mend any object that is defective.
You have the right to claim compensation for up to 6 years from the date of purchase of the faulty goods.
If the defect can be fixed, the trader must foot the repair bill. You can have the object repaired anywhere and you are not obliged to hand it back to the manufacturer for repair.
If goods cannot be repaired you can ask the trader for a partial refund, which should be the difference between the value of the defective goods and the amount you originally paid for it.
If you have the right to have your money refunded, you have the right to insist on receiving it in cash.
If you accept a credit note as a refund you can only spend it in the same shop that issued it.
Contact your local trading standards office or Citizens Advice Bureau if you have no satisfaction claiming a refund.
Mail order purchases
If you have not received the goods nor a reply-paid postcard and offer of a refund within 28 days of sending your money, notify the advertising department of the newspaper or magazine in which the advertisement appeared. They will investigate the advertiser. If it was a 'display' advertisement, the publisher can arrange for a refund.
Lodge your claim for a refund within three months of the date of the advertisement appearing in a daily or weekly newspaper. If it appeared in any other publication, put in your claim within 2 months of sending the money. You will need proof of payment and of when it was made, to whom and for what.
You are entitled to get your money back if the goods bear no relation to the description in the advertisement.
If the quality of the object makes it unsuitable for its purpose, you have the right to demand a replacement or a refund.
You are entitled to receive your money back in full if you send back the goods undamaged within 7 days of receiving them. Try to keep the packaging intact.
