Don't bin your faulty products – get a refund, repair or replacement

Which? helped consumers claim back more than £2m for faulty goods
Hannah Downes

One in five Which? members* had an issue with a defective product in the last two years and most of these problems were with either home appliances or tech products. 

If your phone glitches or your washing machine breaks down, you'd hope to get a quick refund, repair or replacement. But of those who contacted the retailer they bought the product from, a third were dissatisfied with how well the company handled their claim. 

Here, we look at the main difficulties people face with faulty goods complaints and explain how to get a quick refund, repair or replacement. 

Have a faulty product? Use our free tool to make a claim.

Repair times and refunds

Battling with customer service departments over repair times and refund amounts was a common problem.

One participant explained: 'The faulty product came with a seven-day repair promise. The first time it broke, it was more than two weeks before we got it back. It then broke again and we were promised an immediate write-off and [a voucher for a] replacement, but we still haven't received the voucher for it.'

Others disputed the amount they were owed after their products were written off.

One person said: ‘My TV stopped working within a year of buying it. They took it away and claimed that they couldn’t get parts for it. When I bought the TV there was a discount of £300 on it, but the replacement TV no longer had the discount.

'The retailer refused to replace the TV and have only offered the price I paid, meaning I’d be £300 out of pocket. I rejected their offer and they then claimed ownership of my TV that they took to repair. They haven't paid any money.’

Fobbed off to the manufacturer

While it's the retailer's responsibility to organise a repair, refund or replacement, some complained that they were fobbed off to manufacturers.

'On phoning, they directed me to the manufacturer, who subcontracted the repair,' explained one participant.

And those who did contact the manufacturer often found their customer care wasn't up to scratch.

A customer with a broken coffee machine said: 'The manufacturer's customer services failed to answer its dedicated contact phone number', while another survey respondent who dealt with the manufacturer, rather than the retailer, described their service as 'horrendous, patronising and expensive.'

'I binned the product'

Some people had so much hassle trying to resolve their faulty goods issue, that they gave up entirely.

Once customer said: 'I was asked to pay for shipping costs even though the product was within warranty period. I binned the product and bought a replacement from another supplier.'

Another participant with a faulty washing machine explained: 'When I rang the retailer, they told me the machine was under warranty and to ring the manufacturer, which I did.

'But I was then told by the manufacturer that the warranty had run out two years previously. In the end, we decided to replace the machine with a different brand. It was too much hassle.'

How to complain about a faulty product

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you can ask for a refund, repair or replacement for a product that isn't of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose or as described. 

If you notice the fault within 30 days of owning the product, you're entitled to a repair, refund or replacement from the retailer. 

If you notice it after 30 days and within six months, you can ask for a repair or replacement.

After six months, you'll have to prove the fault was present at the time you took ownership of it. You could do this by getting an independent inspection and report of the product, although you may have to foot the bill for doing so. You could also gather evidence of others complaining about the same fault -–take a look on social media or reviews.

We can help you make your complaint with our free faulty goods tool. Between 2022 and 2023, we helped 12,443 consumers claim back more than £2m using our tool.

One person who got their money back for a faulty cross trainer told us: 'After four engineer visits, they finally confirmed there was a production fault. At this point, with the help of a Which? drafted letter, I told the supplier I had lost confidence and wanted the machine collected at their expense and a full refund, which has now taken place.'

To make a complaint yourself, you should contact the retailer and explain what the fault is. You should also explain what you would like to happen (a refund, repair or replacement) and ask the retailer to confirm when it will arrange for the item to be collected or if it will reimburse you postage costs.

*Which? surveyed 1,035 members of the Which? Connect panel in April 2024.

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