You order something new, full of excitement. It arrives, looks great, and then—bam—it doesn’t work. Maybe it stops charging, arrives scratched, or falls apart after just a few uses. The frustration is real, but the good news is that you’re not powerless. Consumer law has your back, even if it doesn’t always feel that way in the moment.

Understanding your rights when you buy something that turns out to be faulty is key to getting a fair resolution. It’s not just about customer service—it’s about legal protection that exists to keep things fair between buyers and sellers.

What Counts as a “Faulty” Product?

A product is considered faulty if it doesn’t meet the standards you were promised when you bought it. That could mean it:

• Doesn’t work at all
• Breaks sooner than expected
• Doesn’t match its description
• Has missing parts or defects
• Poses a safety risk

It doesn’t need to be completely broken to qualify as faulty. Even if it kind of works, but not in the way it should—or in the way it was advertised—that could be enough.

For example, if you bought a waterproof watch and it fogs up in the rain, that’s not minor. It’s a breach of what you were told you were getting. The same goes for electronics that stop working after a week or furniture that arrives chipped or wobbly.

Your Legal Rights: The Basics

Consumer protection laws vary depending on where you live, but there are common themes in many countries. Most of them give you the right to:

• A repair
• A replacement
• A refund

These aren’t just nice gestures from good businesses—they’re obligations. Retailers and manufacturers are legally responsible for ensuring what they sell is of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described.

In many places, such as the UK or EU, these rights are baked into the law through acts like the Consumer Rights Act or directives that give buyers strong protections. In the U.S., similar protections exist through the Uniform Commercial Code and state-level consumer laws, though they vary a bit more.

One key rule: your contract is with the retailer, not the manufacturer. So even if the issue seems like a manufacturing defect, it’s the store or website that sold it to you that has to handle your complaint.

Repair, Replace, or Refund—How It Usually Works

If your product turns out to be faulty shortly after purchase, you’ll typically have the strongest claim for a full refund. Many countries offer a specific timeframe for this—often 30 days from the date of purchase or delivery. Within that window, you can usually reject the item and request your money back.

After that period, things change slightly. You might still be entitled to a refund, but the retailer could also choose to offer a repair or replacement first. If that fix doesn’t work, or if the replacement is faulty too, then you’re often back in refund territory.

What you can’t be forced into is accepting store credit or jumping through endless hoops. If the product failed through no fault of your own, and it’s within a reasonable time, the law expects the seller to put it right.

“Reasonable Time” and “Reasonable Use”

Two words that come up a lot in consumer law are reasonable time and reasonable use. They sound vague, and that’s because they leave room for interpretation.

• Reasonable time refers to how long you’ve had the product before the issue appeared. The law gives you more protection the sooner the problem shows up.
• Reasonable use looks at whether the fault is due to normal wear and tear or if the item was used in a way that voided its warranty.

For instance, if your blender stops working after six months of occasional use, that’s not reasonable. If it breaks after being used to crush bricks (don’t try that), it might not be covered.

What About Warranties and Guarantees?

Warranties and guarantees are nice, but they’re separate from your core consumer rights. That’s a big misconception. Even if your item is out of warranty, you might still be entitled to a remedy under the law.

A warranty is usually a promise from the manufacturer that the product will perform for a set time, and they’ll fix or replace it if it doesn’t. But if a product fails outside that warranty period and it’s clear it wasn’t fit for purpose, you might still be able to make a claim against the retailer.

In many places, laws require products to last a reasonable amount of time—even if that’s longer than the written warranty. For example, a washing machine should probably last more than a year, even if that’s all the manufacturer offered in terms of support.

Digital Products

Count Too

Physical goods aren’t the only things protected by consumer laws. In many countries, digital products—like apps, music, eBooks, and software—are covered too.

If you buy a digital product that doesn’t work, crashes your device, or doesn’t do what it said it would, you can often get a repair, replacement, or refund just like you would with physical items. Streaming services and game downloads are increasingly included in these protections, depending on local laws.

The rules around digital content are still evolving, but they’re catching up fast. It’s worth checking your specific rights in your country if you’re dealing with glitchy downloads or broken updates.

What You Need to Do

To make a claim, start by contacting the retailer. Provide:

• A clear explanation of the issue
• The date of purchase
• Any relevant photos or videos
• Your receipt or proof of payment

Be calm but firm. Stick to the facts. If you’re within your legal rights, most reputable businesses will act quickly. But if you hit resistance, remind them of your legal entitlement. If needed, mention specific laws or consumer protections in your country. Sometimes, just showing you know your rights makes all the difference.

If things still don’t go your way, you can escalate the complaint to a consumer protection agency, an ombudsman, or even consider small claims court—depending on the value and complexity of the situation.