Our Refunds & Returns policy:
Consumer rights when buying products and services
Rights when consumer guarantees aren’t met
Consumers are entitled to a solution of a repair, replacement or refund if a product or service they buy doesn’t meet one of the basic rights. These basic rights are known as consumer guarantees.
The solutions are collectively referred to as remedies. What remedy the consumer is entitled to generally depends on:
- what was bought (whether the problem is with a product or a service)
- the seriousness of the problem (whether the problem is major or minor).
In some situations, the consumer gets to choose the remedy they prefer.
We have the right to assess the product or service before we provide a remedy.
Occasions when consumers aren’t entitled to a repair, replacement or refund
Consumers are not entitled to a repair, replacement or refund under the consumer guarantees if:
- they got what they asked for but simply changed their mind, found the product cheaper somewhere else, or decided they didn’t like the purchase or had no use for it. However, if a business has a ‘change of mind’ policy, they must follow it.
- the problem with the product was caused by the consumer misusing it
- they knew of or were made aware of the problem with the product before they bought it (but they may be entitled to a repair, replacement or refund for a different problem with the product that wasn’t made clear to them before they bought it)
- asked for a service to be done in a certain way against the advice of the business
- the problem with a service was caused by the actions of someone other than the business.
Minor problem with a product or service
Available solutions
When a product or service has a minor problem, the business must fix the problem or repair the product for free.
The business does not have to offer a replacement or refund for a minor problem, although it can choose to do this.
When repairing electronic products, like mobile phones, computers and music players, consumers can lose their stored data. Businesses may also use refurbished products or parts when repairing products. Businesses have to warn consumers about both of these things by giving them a repair notice.
Major problem with a service
What makes a service problem major
A service has a major problem when it:
- creates an unsafe situation
- has either one serious problem or several smaller problems that would stop someone buying the service if they knew about them beforehand
- can’t be used for its normal purpose, or for a specific purpose that the consumer told the seller about, or doesn’t achieve a specific result that the consumer told the seller about, and can’t easily be fixed within a reasonable time.
Available solutions
When a service has a major problem, a consumer can choose to:
- cancel the contract and get a refund. This may not be a full refund, as the consumer needs to pay a reasonable amount for any work done so far and as expected, or
- keep the contract, but pay a lower price that takes the problem into account.
If the consumer has already paid upfront, they have the right to get some money back. How much money will depend on whether some or all of the services provided did not have problems, or whether they were provided at all.
