Your contract is with the shop, not the manufacturer
When you buy something from a shop, your legal contract is with the retailer. This is true even if the product has a manufacturer's warranty. Since your transaction is with the retailer, they are responsible for resolving issues with faulty goods.
Many retailers will try to redirect you to the manufacturer when problems arise. They might tell you the warranty means it is the manufacturer's job to sort things out. This is not correct. A manufacturer's warranty is an extra benefit on top of your legal rights. It does not replace your rights against the retailer or let the shop off the hook.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described. If they fall short of these standards, you have a claim against the business that sold them to you.

Find out your legal rights on a faulty product in less than a minute.
Try our Faulty Goods Rights Checker free, here on this site →What you can ask for when goods are faulty
Your legal rights when goods turn out to be faulty can vary depending on several factors, including how long ago you made the purchase and when the fault appeared.
- Within the first 30 days, you can usually reject the goods and get a full refund if they are faulty.
- After 30 days but within six months, the retailer must be given one chance to repair or replace the item. If that fails, you can then ask for a refund. The refund may be reduced to account for the use you have had from the product, depending on the circumstances.
- After six months, you can still make a claim, but you may need to show that the fault was present or developing when you bought the item. This can sometimes require expert evidence.
Note that these rights apply to goods bought from businesses. If you buy from a private seller or at a second hand shop, your rights may be more limited.
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
Dealing with a retailer who refuses to help
Some shops will insist the manufacturer should handle the complaint. If this happens, remind them in writing that your contract is with them, not the manufacturer, and that the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies to your purchase. Keep your receipt and any correspondence as evidence.
It's advisable to put your complaint in writing, whether by email or letter, to ensure there is a clear record of your concerns. Be specific about what has gone wrong and what you want them to do about it. Give the retailer a reasonable deadline to respond, usually 14 days.
If they still refuse to help, you have several options. You could contact the retailer's head office or customer services team, particularly if you bought from a branch of a larger chain. You might also use an alternative dispute resolution scheme if the retailer is a member of one. Many trade associations run these, such as the Furniture Ombudsman or the Motor Ombudsman.
You can report the issue to Citizens Advice, who can pass information to Trading Standards if there is a pattern of poor practice.
If other routes do not work, consider making a claim through the small claims court. For most consumer disputes, this is straightforward and does not usually require a solicitor. Court fees depend on the value of your claim. Check GOV.UK for current fee levels.
If you paid by credit card for an item costing over £100, you may also have a claim against your card provider under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Debit card payments may be covered by chargeback, though this is not a legal right and depends on your bank's policies.
When the manufacturer's warranty might help
A manufacturer's warranty can still be useful. It may offer benefits beyond your legal rights, such as free repairs for longer than six months or coverage for accidental damage. Some manufacturers will collect and return goods at no cost to you.
You can choose to use the warranty if it is quicker or more convenient, but this does not affect your legal rights against the retailer. If the manufacturer cannot resolve the problem, you can still go back to the shop and make a claim under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Keep records of any contact with both the retailer and the manufacturer. If a dispute ends up in court, clear evidence of what was said and when will strengthen your position.
Engineer rang this morning just as I was at my hospital appointment .I said il be back after 12pm he said OK il call after 12 .12.01pm he rang he was outside my home .I said sorry but the bus is late .he said he can hang on for 10 min if I'm not back I will have to call hid office to make new appointment .
I did now its for another weeks time .so now that will be nearly 4 weeks with out any working cooker .what are my rights
The dye from the blanket has bled I’ve sponged it off but I’m now worried about putting it back in case it does it again.
I’ve been in touch with the lady whom taught me to knit and she said I need to tell her what I want.
She’s been quite difficult and rude so I don’t not sure what to do.
I sent her photos of the stains and the blanket and now she wants to come and see for her self.
What do I do
Thanks
Where do I stand to take things further as it cost me thousands and I don’t feel I should have to pay to replace it,
I must add since we raised the issues they discontinued our carpet which apparently has a 10yr warranty
I Samsung sent an engineer the report got back saying I misuse the product by something getting caught in the door and water had got to the motor of the machine
I challenge the situation and said if there was clothes trapped in the washing machine door then this machine has a locking that it won’t allow me to press start button because it’s telling me the door isn’t closed properly
Samsung are not taking responsibility can you help please
You have up to six years to take a claim to the small claims court for faulty goods in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and five years in Scotland.
The top half of the freezer has stopped working and so has the digital display on the front of the door which shows the temperature, fast freeze etc. Curries told me to contact Samsung directly as they are not obliged to do anything. After contacting Samsung, an engineer has been arranged for 5 days time (earliest available appointment). This of course means that the entire contents of the freezer will not be fit for consumption.
Do Curries not have an obligation to replace an item if it’s within the 12 month guarantee. It was an expensive product at £750.00 and if it’s stopped working, surely it’s considered as not fit for purpose. Curries delivered it & installed it & it has never been moved since as my parents are pensioners. Also, it is self cleaning & therefore doesn’t need to be defrosted etc? Are you able to advise me further please.
Many thanks
After 6 months, it's up to you to prove the item was a faulty/not fit for purpose when you purchased it (an independent expert might be able to help)
If you want to use the manufacturer's guarantee, of course check the guarantee for details of whom to contact.
Thanks in advance
In mid March, I put the slats on the table and covered the table with one of Wyevale's durable outdoor table covers to protect it from the rain (although being aluminium it is guaranteed to be weatherproof anyway). Imagine my upset when I came out the other day to try out the parasol for the first time and found that one of the "arms" was forced behind another meaning the parasol will go up but won't stay steady in place and is unuseable...and to top that off, three of the slats were broken, which has basically rendered my entire dining set unuseable. I contacted Wyevale, who then contacted Hartmann under their product warranty, and my claim was rejected as they suggested I had misused the dining set and left the parasol out in the wind...aside from the fact I've always taken a parasol into my garage or shed when not in use for the last 15 years, I would like to know where I stand in terms of forcing Wyevale (seller) and/or Hartmann (manufacturer) to replace both the 3 broken slats (33%) and the faulty parasol? While I am aware of the 6 month rule beyond which time a consumer needs to be prove the items were faulty from the time of purchase (ie. manufactured faulty), surely it is also the seller and/or manufacturer's responsibility to prove beyond reasonable doubt that I have misused the dining set (which I absolutely have not) and it is impossible for them to do so, so surely my right to expect an outdoor dining set to remain in fully useable condition for at least 2-3 years, and definitely for under 1 year is reasonable, and therefore my claim must be accepted under warranty in full...all advice and feedback welcome as I know it's a grey area, but it feels like consumers still need more protection as retailers clearly bank on the fact that most consumers will not be as knowledgeable about commercial law as I am...
"In relation to electronics or mobile phones, please contact the relevant helpline below. If we are unable to resolve the issue over the phone, we would be pleased to offer you the following:
Within 30 days of receipt of the goods: Your choice of a repair, replacement or refund.
From 30 days after receipt of the goods until 12 months: We will arrange for a repair or replacement of the goods. If that’s not possible, we’ll offer you a refund.
For electrical items, we reserve the right to send out an engineer or technician to inspect the goods to confirm the fault before accepting the return."
On phoning Tesco they asked for a photograph of the screen and after a couple of days they decided that the screen had been accidentally damaged.
We offered to take the television to a Tesco extra for a visual assessment but Tesco would not accept this.
We informed Tesco of our rights according to the Consumer Rights Act 2015 but they will not budge.
They have suggested that we take the television to an accredited repair agent but we believe that they are in breach of the Act.
Thanks
In December 2017 received a call from the manufacturer of the chairs saying they had reached an arrangement with Trading Standards to supply the chairs if we paid them on receipt.Dubious but company appeared to have a good reputation so went ahead. Chairs not delivered on due date. Tried to cancel but got a sob story. Agreed a new date,chairs delivered and payment made of £2000. Within 2 weeks the chairs developed problems in the seats. They advised we were not sitting on them correctly. We advised that we wanted a refund under the Consumer Act. They advised that they weren't the retailer and weren't liable. We advised that they had become the retailer by taking the £2000. They insisted that liability was with the original company and they would repair the chairs which they admitted were faulty . We refused and insisted we wanted a refund. Basically an impasse was reached
What are my options?
I bought a golf trolley 11 months ago. It's got a two year warranty and has broken this afternoon. Do I chase the retailer or the manufacturer?
Had it fitted by a qualified electrician in May as I moved into a new house.
The rail over heated and melted the plastic supports that hold it to the wall and hold the rail in position-these supports are secured to the wall, go through the rungs in each corner and then have a cap to hold in place-all plastic.
This alone makes no sense that they are plastic!
I do not want a replacement as there is no way I am risking a fire as the rail was so hot I couldn't actually touch it even after just 10 minutes of it being on.
Also I cannot take that risk by having the same plastic supported rail-the company say all rails have plastic supports but I did agree as I have found one where the supports do not go through the rungs to support it.
Where do I stand with this?
It is still covered by the warranty. I have to take my washing to my sister's get it done. What can I do?
who has little interest in helping me. I am not going back to the UK for some time, please could you advise if the manufacturer has any responsibility?
but go there occasionally and pick up any goods I have previously ordered.
Repair or replacement isn't possible
Repair has been unsuccessful
Replacement is not possible and repair would take an unreasonably long amount of time
Repair or replacement would be significantly inconvenient
The cost of repair or replacement is disproportionate to the value of the product
The replacement product also turns out to be faulty
Thanks!
it states for hard floors, short or deep pile
had new carpet in January and have been noticing significant loops of the pile coming out whilst hovering the carpet , on the recommended setting.
I'm concerned that if I continue the carpet will be ruined. hoover was purchased from Argos and still in warranty. We made complaints but Vax won't agree its because of the hoover. Argos wont take it back as its not broken, in the meantime I'm without a hoover.
I wondered if anyone else is having similar problems, or have any advice we may fine useful
Thanks Tyson
This did not happen and no phone calls from them. Went back into store, where they still claimed it was not the retailers fault it was the manufacturers fault. They said they would chase it up for me and promised phone call day after. Still no call from anybody.
I am now at my wits end, with seemingly no where to turn.
Do I now have to threaten them with legal action ?
Contacted zanuzzi and they are sending someone in a weeks time to repair which is the minimum to be expected but this doesn't compensate me for my cooking plans being ruined on Xmas day, (the whole reason of buying a double oven).
Am I being unreasonable by expecting something like an extra years guarantee as compensation?
We contact the catalogue to find out when they had planned to do next when they told us that the man had fixed the bed and there was nothing they will do, the bed cost over £1700 and is not fit for purpose, what steps can we take to either get them to replace the bed or do a proper fix? or failing that get a refund.
The washing machine came with a two years manufacturers warranty plus a free extended warranty of three years. A total of five years.
I've been trying to get the machine fixed but both the retailer and Samsung claim that the fault is mine despite no engineer coming to see what us wrong.
Both the retailer and Samsung want me to pay to for a call out charge and the cost of the repair. Even thougb I'm still covered under the 24 months manufacturers warranty.
Rang Ao and they say they need to contact manufacturer and try and repair it. Engineer can't come for almost a week- means another day off work
As its brand new I would like a replacement delivered tomorrow - which is poss according to their website . They are refusing! They say it's been used so they will try and repair.
Where do I stand ?? I can't wait another week without a machine and I can't really take a day off work for an engineer to come out as I will lose money
I've checked with Argos, they said they can do exchange only not refund. Is this right?
I am not really after a refund, but they don't have stock, so why am I false to buy a different phone?
Any advice
The tray came with a 25yr guarantee.
Within 14 days the tray has begun 'de-laminating' and is almost unusable.
I have contacted the supplier who have informed me I have to fill in a form from the manufacturer waiving all rights and then they will send me a new one.
This is going to cost around £650 to replace with tile and screen removal and replacement, sundry items and labour.
The have said they will not cover the cost of these consequentials.
If the item is not fit for use 14 days into a 25yr guarantee surely they must be liable.
The manufacturer has told me I am not their customer, the supplier is their customer.
I am the suppliers customer and should claim from them.
I have written a formal letter requesting the costs of the consequentials and a replacement ray but they have refused.
Any comment or help appreciated.
In January 2016 we paid £1,900 for a three piece suite, which was delivered on 2nd February 2016. By July the colour had completely vanished from the back of my husband's CHAIR - behind his head.
The retailer says that the reason is that my husband takes pills for his blood pressure..indeed he had a TIA in February 2016.
I would like the chair replaced, but the retailer says its a manufacturing fault. As such the retailer sent a rep from a company called 'servico' to view the chair - and he too said it was from my husband's B.P. pills. So, even if the chair was 're-coloured and sealed' the problem fault would recur. This statement is from the retailer:-
"I I have spoken at length with Servico on your behalf with regard to the issue you have with the one area on the sofa. (sic)
The report, done by the independent representative who visited you, clearly states that the damage was caused by the chemical reaction from tablets taken by your husband which again was discussed with you and the Servico engineer. The technician is able to degrease and clean the area followed by a recolour and seal but this would be at your own expense as there was no manufacturing fault found on his visit."
Following a further complaint from me the retailer offered to pay for the degrease, clean and recolour...But since I too have been poorly, I have told the retailer that this will be on hold while I have treatment.....so only now in September, do I feel strong enough to sort out the injustice of our purchase.
Any feedback would be helpful?
Any advice would be gratefully received.
M
Thsnks
Thank you
Claire
The holes had got much worse by the time they where returned to nike who rejected the claim saying the holes where caused by some external force. I cant believe nike rejected the claim they had only been used for football and 5 weeks is really not acceptable.
The retailer dont want to help us and neither do nike. What can we do?
My lady and I have been building up tickets for the last year or so from Dave and busters to buy a PlayStation 4 system worth 115,000 tickets... We finally made it 5 days ago! The big big problem is when I took my system home to plug it in (Haven't even unwrapped the included game) the console keeps shutting off with No avail and is obviously faulty. When I called the manager to receive a working PlayStation he instructed me that I HAVE TO go through the manufacturer for help. Upon looking on the PlayStation website if I send this in they will replace it with a "Recalibrated" unit!! So not only did the thing cost me 1000$ at DnB but now my only option to receive a working system is to go through the 3 week process to end up reveiving one that is in NO WAY brand new! What rights do I have here? How can they not be responsible? Any help would truly mean the world. I live in Texas and can't imagine this is legal--
I now have to pay the plumber to remove it and replace with a new one.
Can I claim for the plumbers time.
Recently our fridge freezer has developed faults, when we rang IKEA we were told that we needed to contact Electrolux, the phone line was to Germany. I rang them 3 times never receiving the promised call back, eventually the German operator said there was nothing further she could. Naturally I contacted IKEA, they said that it was not their responsibility and that it was a problem for the manufacturer to resolve. IKEA promised to ring me back to clarify the position but of course they haven't. What should be my next course of action?
Where a product needs installing such as a burglar alarm or CCTV camera system and lets say the manufacturer gives a three year warranty does that warranty start when the installer buys it or when they fit it?
this crossed my mind as I figured it could mean that if I bought something with a 3 year warranty and the installer had bought it a month or more before fitting then it might mean you arent covered for the last few months of the period
Or would I as the first actual consumer to own the device have a warranty that starts based on the invoice I am given by the installer, or would it start with the invoice the installer gets when they bought it even though theyre not actually a consumer
I luckily havent had an issue like this, but it crossed my mind when I bought a shower recently but that came with a manufacturers on site warranty. But as I am planning to buy both a burglar alarm and CCTV system in the next few months I thought I would ask before hand to try and avoid any potential pitfalls before they happen
Thank you in advance
Mike
they were a present for my adult son.
He has worn them six times this winter and they are falling apart.
I phoned a contact number for Riverside, (mobile) to explain and was told the following:-
1. Their warranty didn't last that long.
2. They do not trade with the GR company any more.
3. They were a one off purchase which is why they were on sale at a "cheap" price. They were not advertised as "seconds " or any thing like that.
4. I should contact the manufacturer and maybe I can find them on line. (I did and they are in America).
I felt dissatisfied and on reflexion thought, "this doesn't add up". Your thoughts would be appreciated.
By the way I did email the customer service department of the company in America but have had no reply.
I sent the plumbers invoice to Argos expecting to be paid as agreed, but found out 3 weeks later it had got lost in their system as I was given the incorrect address...Now the Argos correspondence dept. will not honour the agreement to pay in full and have finally offered £50!
What are my rights? and what should I do to cover the plumbers bill? Can I return the shower & get a full refund?
Treaddie
(1)Try your credit card company if you paid by card. They may be able to help.
(2) Check the terms of the warranty...who is the warranty provider? They should be the ones sorting this out.
(3) If the retailer has gone out of business, were they made bankrupt? If this was recent it might be worth contacting the administrators
(4) A small claim would only be useful if you have someone to claim against - but even then we don't think this is likely to be a successful option
(5) Can your insurance company help? It might just be possible to make a claim from your contents insurance, although you'd have to factor in any excess payments and how a claim might affect your future premiums.
I bought a mattress 8 months ago, the pocket springs have all started to fail now. The shop has gone out of business and I can't find any forwarding details of the proprietor. I know legally I still have a contract enforceable with the proprietor, though I can't enforce it as I can't find the proprietor. Instead I got in touch with the manufacturer who was helpful at first and was ready to make a warranty claim, until they discovered my contract of sale was not with them directly. The told me I should use the small claims court with the proprietor of the shop that has closed down. I'm lost as to what to do. Do I have any legal rights to claim on the 1 year manufacturers warranty direct with the manufacturer when my contract of sale was with a third party shop?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Pete
Please advice me as to what i need to do.
Thank you x
mattress is like a wave ,this is a replacement for a faulty mattress with same fault ,
now they refuse to replace this mattress as he says the supplier has gone into receivership,and that it is not his responsibility,this was bought in May this year
what can i do please
I bought a playstation 4 at Christmas for my partner from littlewoods and he never played on it until January which we found out the button on the pad was faulty, I asked littlewoods about this, which they told me to speak to Sony to see if they could fix it over the phone. Sony told me no they couldn't fix it then spoke to littlewoods with the reference and littlewoods are saying now that it's down to Sony to replace it as the pad is not covered under warranty. Any advice?
I had a shower replaced by a local plumber in October last year. Several times since Christmas, when the pull cord on off switch is switched on the shower will not switch on when the button is pressed on the unit itself but it has switched on after leaving for a few minutes.
This morning the pull cord light came on when pulled and when pressing the shower unit button it he shower won't switch on, and the pull cord went on on first press of the shower button and off on the second.
I rang the company who fitted the shower and they will only come out and check the unit if I will commit to paying call out costs if the fault is electric and not the shower unit. I feel that they have an obligation to check the part that they fitted free of charge. I am not expecting them to carry out any work if it is electrical I just want them to check that the shower isn't faulty. Can I insist that they come and check the item they fitted?
The black dye ran in to the white fabric and the dress was ruined.
The retailer wants nothing to do with the matter and told the customer and myself to deal with the manufacturers directly.
As I know this is not my fault, I have offered to send the dress for an independent analysis. The cost of which (£85) to be paid by the party at fault.
The retailer doesn't want to do this and says she will pay half the value of the dress to the customer if I do the same ! I am not prepared to do this as I am 100% positive that it is a manufacturing fault, as the colourfastness of the dye should have been tested at point of manufacture.
Please can you help as I am now in a catch 22 situation.
Thank you
I purchased a new Toyota Hilux with a Truckman Top 10mths ago. The top has developed a problem, who is my warranty with? Truckman or Main Dealer who supplied it??????
We were not advised of this potential defect by either manufacturer or dealer, despite them knowing that we had this floor on our vehicle.They did not recall.Dealer claims fault could have been identified and rectified earlier so they have no liability.We are left with an unsaleable vehicle.The vehicle is 4 an a half years old.
If the floor was faulty and of unsatisfactory quality at manufacture are we now responsible for its failure?
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