UK Consumer Rights Act 2015 & Refunds Guide 2026

A practical 2026 guide to UK consumer rights covering faulty goods, the 30-day short-term right to reject, 14-day cancellation rights for qualifying distance and off-premises contracts, digital content, services, refunds and subscription protections.

Comprehensive Executive Summary

This guide summarises selected consumer rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 and related current UK consumer-protection law. It is an informational guide based on official sources and is not an official government publication or legal opinion.

Primary Authority

Consumer rights depend on the type of contract, product or service and the applicable UK rules.

Statutory Timeframes

Refund, cancellation, repair and replacement rights have different statutory time periods and conditions.

UK Consumer Rights: Key Rules

Situation	Main Legal Rule	Important Qualification
Faulty Goods	30-day short-term right to reject	Applies where goods do not conform to the contract; exceptions and later-tier remedies apply.
Repair / Replacement	Generally available after the short-term rejection period	Must be provided within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience.
Distance / Off-Premises Contracts	Usually 14 calendar days to cancel	Consumer Contracts Regulations exceptions apply.
Digital Content	Rights to repair/replacement and, in relevant circumstances, price reduction	Separate rules apply from physical goods refunds.
Services	Reasonable care and skill; repeat performance or price reduction may apply	Depends on the type of service and contractual terms.

How UK Consumer Refund and Remedy Rules Work

UK consumer rights depend on what was purchased, who supplied it, how the contract was made and whether the problem is a fault, a change of mind or a failure to provide the contractually required service or digital content. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 mainly governs conformity and remedies for goods, digital content and services, while the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 provide cancellation rights for qualifying distance and off-premises contracts.

Faulty goods: the 30-day short-term right to reject

Goods supplied by a trader must generally be of satisfactory quality, fit for a particular purpose where applicable, and as described. If they do not conform to the contract, the consumer generally has a short-term right to reject them within 30 days and receive a refund. This is a legal remedy for faulty or non-conforming goods, not a general 30-day change-of-mind return policy for shop purchases.

After 30 days: repair, replacement and later remedies

Once the short-term rejection period has passed, repair or replacement is generally the first tier remedy. A trader must carry it out within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience. If repair or replacement is impossible, disproportionate, unsuccessful or not completed properly, further remedies such as a price reduction or final rejection can become available subject to the statutory conditions.

Six-month presumption

Where a fault is discovered within six months of delivery, the law generally operates with a presumption that the lack of conformity was present at the time of delivery, subject to exceptions. After six months, the evidential position changes and the consumer may need to establish that the relevant defect existed when the goods were supplied.

14-day cancellation rights

The 14-day cooling-off right is a separate concept. For qualifying distance and off-premises contracts, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 generally give the consumer 14 calendar days to cancel without giving a reason. The period and refund mechanics differ between goods, services and digital content, and statutory exceptions can remove the cancellation right for particular contracts.

Digital content

Digital content has its own Consumer Rights Act protections. Faulty digital content can give rise to repair or replacement rights and, where those remedies are unavailable or ineffective, a price reduction that can in appropriate circumstances amount to a full refund. The 14-day cancellation regime can also be affected where digital content is supplied immediately after the consumer expressly agrees to immediate performance and acknowledges the consequences for cancellation rights.

Services

Consumer services must generally be provided with reasonable care and skill and in accordance with certain pre-contract information that forms part of the contract. Where the service does not comply, repeat performance can be required in appropriate circumstances; otherwise a price reduction may be available.

Refund timing and exclusions

Refund rights depend on the legal route being used. A change-of-mind cancellation under the Consumer Contracts Regulations is different from a faulty-goods refund under the Consumer Rights Act. There are also exceptions for certain personalised, perishable, sealed-hygiene and other specified goods and contracts. Consumers should therefore identify the legal basis of the return before assuming that a trader must provide an unconditional refund.

UK-wide differences

The principal consumer-protection legislation applies across the UK, but some procedural and limitation details differ by nation. For example, the general limitation period for enforcing goods rights is six years in England and Wales and five years in Scotland. The correct remedy can also depend on the precise contract and jurisdiction.

Frequently Asked Questions (6 FAQs)

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, qualifying goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. If goods do not conform to the contract, consumers generally have a short-term right to reject them within 30 days and obtain a refund. There are exceptions and special rules for certain goods and circumstances, so the 30-day period should not be treated as a universal refund period for every purchase.

The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 generally give consumers a 14-calendar-day cancellation period for qualifying distance and off-premises contracts, without having to give a reason. The rules apply to more than just ordinary online shopping and contain exceptions, including certain personalised or customised goods, perishables, some sealed goods and other specified contracts. The cancellation period and refund rules also differ according to whether the contract is for goods, services or digital content.

After the short-term right to reject has passed, the consumer will generally have a right to a repair or replacement where the goods do not conform to the contract. If repair or replacement is impossible, disproportionate, not carried out within a reasonable time or causes significant inconvenience, further remedies can include a price reduction or final rejection subject to the statutory conditions. Faults appearing within the first six months are generally subject to a presumption that the fault was present at delivery, subject to exceptions.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 provides specific protections for consumer digital content, including requirements that it be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. Where digital content does not conform to the contract, the consumer can generally require repair or replacement. If that remedy is impossible or is not provided within a reasonable time or without significant inconvenience, a price reduction may be available and can in some circumstances amount to a full refund.

Consumer services must generally be provided with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time where no time has been agreed, and in accordance with information that has become a contractual term. Where the service does not comply, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 generally provides a right to repeat performance or, where repeat performance is not possible or is not completed within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience, an appropriate price reduction.

The main Consumer Rights Act 2015 consumer protections and Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 cancellation framework extend across the UK, but some wider legal and procedural details differ between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. For example, the general limitation period for enforcing rights relating to goods is six years in England and Wales and five years in Scotland. Consumers should check the law applicable to the nation and type of contract involved.

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