Consumer Rights Act 2015: Goods, Services & Digital Content

At a glance

• Four areas covered: goods, digital content and services each carry their own implied statutory rights, and Part 2 of the Act separately polices unfair contract terms.
• Goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described — sections 9–11 of the Act.
• 30-day short-term right to reject faulty goods (ss.20 & 22): a full refund, with no obligation to accept a repair first.
• After 30 days, the trader gets one opportunity to repair or replace the goods (s.23) before you can ask for a price reduction or exercise the final right to reject (s.24).
• Digital content — apps, downloads, games, streaming and software — must meet the same satisfactory-quality standard, and you may be entitled to a repair or compensation if it damages your device (ss.34–47).
• Services must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time and for a reasonable price if none was agreed (ss.49, 51 & 52); if not, you can require repeat performance or a price reduction (ss.55 & 56).
• Unfair terms are not binding on you. A trader cannot use small print to remove your statutory rights (Part 2, ss.61–76).
• Time limit: claims for breach of contract, including most claims under the Act, are generally subject to a six-year limitation period in England and Wales (Limitation Act 1980, s.5).

What the Act covers

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 governs contracts between a trader — a business acting for purposes relating to its trade — and a consumer, meaning you, acting as a private individual rather than in a business capacity. It does not apply to contracts between two private individuals, and it does not apply to employment contracts.

The Act consolidated and updated several older pieces of consumer legislation into a single statute, bringing goods, services and — for the first time — digital content under one framework, alongside the rules on unfair contract terms that used to sit in separate regulations.

A key principle runs through the whole Act: your statutory rights cannot be signed away. A trader cannot rely on a contract term, a sign, or a notice to remove or reduce the rights described below — any attempt to do so is dealt with under the unfair terms provisions covered later in this guide.

Goods: quality, description and fitness for purpose

Every contract to supply goods is treated as including a term that the goods are of satisfactory quality — meeting the standard a reasonable person would consider satisfactory, taking into account the price, any description given, and all the other relevant circumstances, including public statements made in advertising (s.9). Satisfactory quality covers fitness for the goods' usual purposes, appearance and finish, freedom from minor defects, safety, and durability.

Goods must also match their description (s.11) — including any online listing, packaging, or label. Separately, if you told the trader why you needed the item and relied on their advice, the goods should be fit for that particular purpose too.

None of this applies to a fault specifically drawn to your attention before you bought the item, or one that a reasonable examination would have revealed if you inspected the goods first.

If goods are faulty: the three-tier remedy ladder

The Act sets out a structured sequence of remedies rather than leaving it to negotiation.

1. The 30-day short-term right to reject

If goods are faulty, not as described, or unfit for purpose, you can reject them and claim a full refund within 30 days of ownership or possession passing to you, delivery, and (where relevant) the trader completing any installation (s.22). You do not have to give the trader a chance to repair or replace the goods first. If you ask for a repair or replacement instead, the 30-day clock pauses while you wait, then resumes with at least 7 days left once that process ends.

2. Repair or replacement

Once the 30-day window has passed — or if you choose this route first — you can ask the trader to repair or replace the goods (s.23). The trader must do this within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to you, and must bear the cost, including labour, materials and postage. The trader can decline a specific remedy only if it's impossible or disproportionately expensive compared with the alternative.

3. Price reduction or the final right to reject

If a repair or replacement doesn't fix the problem, can't be offered, or isn't completed properly within a reasonable time, you can require a price reduction or exercise the final right to reject (s.24) — but not both. Any refund on final rejection can be reduced to reflect the use you've had of the goods, except that no deduction is allowed if you reject within the first six months, unless the goods are a motor vehicle.

Digital content: apps, downloads, games and software

Digital content — software, apps, e-books, games, and music or video downloads — must meet the same satisfactory-quality standard as physical goods: fitness for its usual purposes, freedom from minor defects, safety and durability, judged against its description and price (s.34). This was one of the first UK provisions to give digital products their own statutory quality standard.

If digital content supplied under a contract damages your device, or damages other digital content belonging to you, and that damage wouldn't have happened had the trader exercised reasonable care and skill, you can require the trader to either repair the damage or compensate you for it (s.46). The trader must act within a reasonable time, without significant inconvenience, and at no cost to you.

Services: reasonable care, skill, price and time

Every contract to supply a service is treated as including a term that the trader will perform it with reasonable care and skill (s.49). Where no price was agreed, you're only required to pay a reasonable price (s.51); where no timeframe was agreed, the trader must complete the service within a reasonable time (s.52) — both questions of fact judged against the circumstances.

If a service falls short of these standards, your primary remedy is to require repeat performance — the trader completing or correcting the work, within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to you, at no extra cost (s.55). If repeat performance is impossible, or the trader fails to do it properly, you can instead require a price reduction, which can be the full price where appropriate (s.56).

Unfair contract terms

Part 2 of the Act (ss.61–76) applies a general fairness test to consumer contracts and consumer notices. A term is unfair if, contrary to the requirement of good faith, it causes a significant imbalance in the parties' rights and obligations to the consumer's detriment (s.62). An unfair term simply isn't binding on you — though you can still choose to rely on it if it happens to suit you.

Terms that describe the main subject matter of the contract, or that set the price, are generally excluded from this fairness test — but only if they are transparent and prominent: written in plain, intelligible language, legible, and brought to your attention clearly enough that an average consumer would notice them (s.64). More broadly, every written term must be expressed in plain and intelligible language and be legible (s.68).

The Act's Schedule 2 sets out examples of terms that are likely to be considered unfair, covering things like excessive cancellation charges and terms that let a trader change the contract unilaterally without a valid reason. Whether a specific term is actually unfair still depends on the circumstances of your contract, so this is an area where it's worth getting a second opinion before assuming a clause does or doesn't bind you.

How long you have to bring a claim

In England and Wales, an action founded on simple contract — which covers most claims under the Consumer Rights Act — must generally be brought within six years of the date the cause of action accrued (Limitation Act 1980, s.5). This is a long-stop for starting court proceedings, not a guarantee that goods or services will last that long; the older a fault, the harder it typically is to show it existed at the point of sale rather than arising from ordinary wear and tear. A shorter period generally applies in Scotland under separate legislation.

What to do if something goes wrong

1. Work out which part of the Act applies. Is this a problem with goods, a service, digital content, or a term buried in the contract? The remedy — and the section of the Act you're relying on — differs for each.
2. Contact the trader you bought from, not the manufacturer. Your contract is with the seller. Put your complaint in writing, describe the problem, say when you noticed it, and state what remedy you want under the Act.
3. Know where you are on the remedy ladder. For goods, check whether you're still within the 30-day window, or have moved into the repair/replacement or price-reduction stage. Keep a record of every communication and any repair attempts.
4. Escalate to alternative dispute resolution if the trader won't cooperate. Many sectors have an approved ADR scheme or ombudsman that can resolve a dispute without going to court — see our guide on alternative dispute resolution for how this works.
5. Consider the small claims track as a last resort. For lower-value disputes, the County Court's small claims track is designed to be usable without legal representation. Send a clear letter before action first, and check gov.uk for current court fees before filing.

Getting help

This guide sets out the framework, but every dispute turns on its own facts — what was said at the point of sale, when a fault appeared, and how the trader has responded so far. If you're unsure which remedy applies or how to word a letter before action, GOV.UK signposts free consumer guidance through Citizens Advice, or you can talk through your specific situation with an experienced adviser.

This guide provides general information about consumer rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 in England and Wales. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for advice tailored to your specific circumstances. The law described was accurate as at July 2026 and is subject to change — always check GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk for the most current position.

Last reviewed: July 2026 by a non-practising solicitor · Next review due: July 2027 or on legislative change.