Which? helps consumers return over £3 million of faulty goods over Christmas

More than 1100 people have used a new Which? online tool to start the process of returning faulty products worth over £3 million for a refund, replacement or repair over the Christmas period.

Complaints range from a mobile app that didn’t work to a sports car (costing over £100,000) with faulty brakes. The tool has also been used to report an incomplete bunch of roses, a faulty hot tub, and even a horse with behavioural characteristics that were not as described.

In a quarter (23%) of cases, the tool was used to complain about a faulty technology product and one in 10 (10%) used it to report a defective home appliance.

The new Which? faulty goods tool helps you to understand your legal rights when something you have bought does not work or is not as described. The tool can be used to automatically generate a letter for the purchaser to send to the retailer requesting a refund, replacement or repair, where appropriate. More than 1100 people have already started the process to return over £3 million worth of faulty goods.

Under the Consumer Rights Act, all products must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. If you purchase a faulty product:

  • You have the right to reject and return your item and get a refund within 30 days of purchase.
  • You could ask the retailer to repair or replace your item within six months of purchase.
  • Your rights against the retailer can last for up to six years but the onus is on you to prove a fault was present at the time of purchase after the first six months.

Vickie Sheriff, Director of Campaigns and Communications, Which? said:

“If you’ve bought or been given a dud, it’s vital that you know your rights and act fast if something is not right. You can use our new faulty goods tool to help guide you through the process.”

In complicated circumstances, where it is unclear what the next steps should be, Which? Legal Services can offer professional legal advice.

Notes to editor

  • The new Which? faulty goods tool launched in December 2016 to help consumers claim a refund or replacement for faulty products.
  • Which? tracked usage of its faulty goods tool from 14 December 2016 and 2 January 2017. During this period, the tool was used 1178 times.
  • Figures taken from the usage of the faulty goods tool are affected by market share and volumes of sales.
  • For more information on consumer rights, visit http://www.which.co.uk/faultygoods

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