What this tool does

The Faulty Goods Rights Checker gives you a quick read on where you stand when something you have bought has gone wrong. You answer a handful of questions about the item and when you bought it, and it tells you what the Consumer Rights Act 2015 says you are entitled to, whether that is a refund, a repair, or a replacement.

It is there to save you digging through pages of legal text or sitting on hold to a helpline when all you want is a straight answer.

When to use it

Use it if you have bought something from a UK shop or online retailer and it is broken, develops a fault soon after, does not match the description, or is not fit for the purpose you bought it for. That could be anything from a kettle that stopped working after a month to a sofa that arrived the wrong colour, or a laptop with a screen fault that the shop is refusing to refund.

It is aimed at consumers buying from traders. It is not the right tool for private sales between individuals, business to business purchases, or problems with services rather than goods. If you bought from a seller based outside the UK, your rights may differ and the answers here may not apply.

How it works

You work through a short set of questions covering what you bought, how long ago, how you paid, and what has gone wrong. At the end you get a plain English summary of your rights under the Consumer Rights Act, the remedy you can ask the retailer for, and practical next steps including how to word your complaint. It takes under a minute, it is free, and your answers are not stored or shared.