The Consumer Rights Act 2015 comes into force today, with changes including a 30 day refund period.
From today consumers who buy faulty goods will be entitled to a full refund for up to 30 days after the purchase date.
Before today customers were only entitled to refunds for a “reasonable time”.
The Consumer Rights Act says that goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and meet the expectations of the consumer.
The updated rights will also help consumers and businesses to avoid disagreements. But when a problem does occur, changes have been made brought in to make disputes easier to settle. Alternative Dispute Resolution, for example through an Ombudsman, can offer a quicker and cheaper way of resolving disputes than going through the Courts.
The key changes to the Act include:
• A 30-day time period to return faulty goods and get a full refund
• Consumers having a clear right to demand that substandard services are redone or failing that receive a price reduction
• Businesses getting written notice for routine inspections by public enforcers, such as Trading Standards
• Changes to make it easier for consumers and small businesses to get compensation when a business is acting in a way which isn’t competitive
• Consumers being able to challenge terms and conditions which are not fair or are hidden in the small print
