 The
Consumer Rights Act 2015 will set out clear, updated rights for consumers
buying goods, services and, for the first time, digital content.
The main
changes include:
- a
right to a full refund if goods are faulty
within 30 days of purchase
- a
right to a repair or replacement if goods are faulty 30 days after
purchase
- a
right to a full refund if goods have been repaired or replaced within six
months of purchase, and the repair/replacement is also faulty. A deduction
can be made for use 6 months after purchase, and there will always be a
reduction for a use if a motor vehicle is involved
- a right to request that substandard services are redone,
and a price reduction if the repeat performance is not carried out or is
also unsatisfactory
- new consumer rights when buying films, games, music downloads and e-books
online
- consumers
will be able to challenge contract terms that are unclear, unfair or hidden.
In brief, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 says goods bought in a shop must
be as described, fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality.
If they are not then:
- Up to 30
Days – If the item is faulty, you can get a refund.
- Up to 6
Months – If the faulty item cannot be repaired or replaced, then you are
entitled to a full refund in most cases.
- Up to 6
years – If the item can be expected to last up to six years you may be entitled
to a repair or replacement, or if that doesn’t work, some money back.
Remember, when buying in a shop you DON'T have a legal
right to a refund or replacement just because you change your mind. BUT… some stores may offer something via their
returns policy.
However, for goods or services bought
at home, The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 does give you:
- Up to 14 days after receiving the goods,
the right to change your mind allowing you to cancel and get a full refund in
most cases.
For services paid for at home the Consumer Rights Act 2015 also says:
- Work has
to be carried out with reasonable care and skill and if it isn’t, then you are
entitled to have the service carried out again, or get some money back if it
can’t be fixed;
- if a
price hasn't been agreed upfront, what you are asked to pay must be reasonable;
- if no
time has been agreed to perform the service upfront, it must be carried out
within a reasonable time.
For the
first time digital products and content
are now included in legislation, and these must be as
described, fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality.
If the
digital content you have bought is faulty, you are entitled to a repair or
replacement.
If the
faulty cannot be fixed within a reasonable time, or without causing you
significant inconvenience, you can get some, or all of your money back.
If you
can show the fault has damaged your device and the supplier has not used reasonable
care and skill, you may be entitled to a repair or compensation.
For
example, if whilst installing new software this causes a fault on a system, the
seller is liable for the damage it does. This can be extended to sat-nav
updates or smartphone apps.
It’s important to remember the old laws – like the Sale of Goods Act –
will still apply to contracts made before October 2015.
More information on how the Consumer Rights Act will affect purchases
from 1 October can be found on the Citizens Advice consumer pages.
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