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All complaint guides

Retail purchases

Faulty goods or refund refused? Explain the problem clearly.

Record what you bought, what was promised, what went wrong and what the retailer has offered or refused.

Points you may wish to consider

Goods bought from a business should be in reasonable condition, do what they are meant to do and match their description.

What you can ask for may depend on when the fault appeared and whether a repair or replacement has already been tried.

Changing your mind is different from receiving something faulty or wrongly described.

Information that may help you explain your complaint

These are examples only. Other information may also be relevant.

  • Receipt or other proof of purchase
  • Product description or advertisement
  • Photographs or video of the fault
  • Delivery and repair records
  • Retailer messages and proposed resolution

Possible next steps

  1. Describe the fault without exaggeration.
  2. State when it first appeared.
  3. Record previous remedies or repair attempts.
  4. Ask for a specific outcome supported by the circumstances.

Important context

Rights can depend on timing, the nature of the fault and whether the purchase was from a trader, private seller or marketplace.