The Consumer Rights Act 2015 for online sellers: what it means for refunds and chargebacks

A customer says your product is not as described, and you say it was fine. The answer sits in a few sections of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 that most online sellers have never read. Here is what they say.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets the minimum standards for goods you sell to UK consumers online: they must be of satisfactory quality, fit for a stated purpose and as described. If they are not, the customer can reject them within 30 days or ask for a repair or replacement, and you must refund within 14 days of a rejection.

This guide is for you if:

• You sell physical goods online to UK consumers and have never been sure what the law makes you do when something goes wrong.
• You have had a "product unacceptable" dispute and wondered whether the customer had a legal right or was simply being difficult.
• You want your returns and refund wording to match the law, and your evidence to show you followed it.

Last updated: 9 October 2026. Written by the ChargeFix team.

The 30-second answer (TL;DR)

• The Consumer Rights Act 2015 says goods must be of satisfactory quality (section 9), fit for a particular purpose the customer told you about (section 10) and as described (section 11).
• If goods fail those tests, the customer has a short-term right to reject within 30 days (section 22), a right to repair or replacement (section 23), and later rights to a price reduction or a final right to reject (section 24).
• If a fault appears within six months of delivery, section 19 presumes it was there on delivery, unless you can show otherwise.
• On a valid rejection you must refund within 14 days, using the original payment method, and meet reasonable return costs (section 20).
• Risk stays with you until the goods reach the customer or someone they identified (section 29), and the default delivery time is 30 days (section 28).
• None of this is a shield against a chargeback. It tells you which side of a dispute the law favours, so you can refund early where the customer is right and fight where they are not.

What does the Consumer Rights Act 2015 mean for online sellers?

It means you cannot sell something that does not do what a reasonable buyer expects and then rely on your terms to avoid the consequences. For goods sold by a trader to a consumer, Chapter 2 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets out minimum standards and a ladder of remedies. You can ignore them, but they will not ignore you, because customers, banks and reviewers all use them as the yardstick.

The Act sits on top of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, which cover distance selling, including the 14 day cancellation right for online orders. The two do different jobs. The Regulations let a customer cancel an online order, within a window, without giving a reason. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives a customer remedies when the goods are wrong. A customer who simply changes their mind uses the Regulations. A customer whose item is faulty uses the Act. Often they have both, and the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is the one that decides faulty goods.

Question	Which law answers it	Short answer
Can the customer cancel an online order without a reason?	Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013	Yes, within the cancellation period, subject to exceptions
Is the item faulty or not as described?	Consumer Rights Act 2015	The customer has remedies, starting with rejection or repair
How long do you have to refund?	Both	14 days, using the original payment method
Who bears the risk in transit?	Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 29	You, until the goods reach the customer or a person they identified
What is the default delivery time?	Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 28	30 days, unless agreed otherwise

This guide is general information, not legal advice. I read the text of the Act and the Regulations as published on legislation.gov.uk, but I am not a lawyer and I have not covered every provision, such as the Act's rules on digital content, services or unfair terms. If a case is large or unusual, take advice.

What does satisfactory quality mean under the Consumer Rights Act 2015?

Three implied terms apply to almost every sale of goods to a consumer. They are written into the contract whether or not your terms mention them, and your terms generally cannot take them away.

Satisfactory quality (section 9). Goods must meet the standard a reasonable person would consider satisfactory, taking into account the description, the price and other relevant circumstances. The Act lists aspects that can matter: fitness for the purposes goods of that kind are usually supplied for, appearance and finish, freedom from minor defects, safety and durability. Defects you drew to the customer's attention before the contract, or that an examination should have revealed, are not counted against you. Public statements about the goods, for example in advertising or on labelling, can count too.

Fit for a particular purpose (section 10). If the customer tells you they want the goods for a specific purpose, the goods must be reasonably fit for it. This does not apply if the customer did not rely, or could not reasonably rely, on your skill or judgement.

As described (section 11). Goods must match their description. If they were sold by sample and by description, matching the sample is not enough on its own. Information you gave before the contract about the main characteristics of the goods is treated as a term of the contract.

Standard	What it asks	Typical online example	What helps you
Satisfactory quality	Would a reasonable person accept it, given the price?	A kettle that leaks on first use	Quality checks, accurate price positioning
Fit for a stated purpose	Does it do what the customer said they needed?	A buyer says "for outdoor use" and it rusts	A record of what the customer asked and what you answered
As described	Does it match the listing?	Photo shows leather, item is vinyl	Accurate listings, saved copies of the listing

For disputes, "as described" is where most sellers lose. Customers compare what arrives with what they saw. If your listing changed after the sale, or you cannot show what it said that day, you cannot prove it was accurate. That is why saving a copy of the listing matters, which our guide to the evidence to save at fulfilment covers in detail.

What are the right to reject, repair or replacement and price reduction rights?

The Act sets a ladder. The customer does not choose freely at every step. The sequence is designed so that, in the first weeks, rejecting the goods is easy, and after that repair or replacement comes first.

Step 1: short-term right to reject (section 22). The customer can reject faulty goods and get a refund. The right generally lasts 30 days from the first day on which ownership or possession has passed to the consumer, the goods have been delivered and any required installation has been notified. Perishable goods have shorter periods. Asking for a repair or replacement pauses the clock.

Step 2: repair or replacement (section 23). After the short-term right, or instead of using it, the customer can require you to repair or replace the goods. You must do it within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to the customer, and you bear the costs. You do not have to if it is impossible or disproportionate compared with the other remedy. You should normally be given a reasonable chance to fix the problem before the customer rejects the goods.

Step 3: price reduction or final right to reject (section 24). The customer can ask for a reasonable price reduction, and a price reduction is often the fairest outcome for a minor fault. The final right to reject arises in limited cases, for example where a repair or replacement has already failed, where the customer cannot require either, or where you fail to repair within a reasonable time. A deduction for use can apply on final rejection, but not during the first six months, with exceptions such as motor vehicles.

The six months presumption (section 19). If goods fail to conform within six months of delivery, they are presumed to have been non-conforming on the day of delivery. The presumption does not apply if you show the goods conformed on that day, or if it is incompatible with the nature of the goods. In practice this shifts the burden: after a fault shows up in the first six months, you generally need to prove that it was not there on day one.

Time since delivery	Typical customer position	What it means for you
Days 1 to 30	Can reject faulty goods for a refund	A refund on a valid rejection is hard to resist
After 30 days, within 6 months	Can require repair or replacement; fault presumed present on delivery	You must fix or replace, and prove otherwise if you disagree
After 6 months	Can still require repair or replacement; must generally prove the fault was there on delivery	The presumption no longer helps the customer

I read these rules from the Act as enacted on legislation.gov.uk. Amendments may have changed details, and I have not checked, so confirm the current text if an exact period matters in a real case.

Who pays return costs under the right to reject?

Section 20 says the customer must clearly tell you they are rejecting the goods. That can be an email or a message. It does not need to use the word "reject", but it must be clear. Once they do, you must refund within 14 days, using the original payment method and without charging a fee, and you must meet the reasonable return costs. The 14 days run from the day you agree the customer is entitled to reject, or, if you do not agree, from when you receive the goods back or the customer provides evidence they have sent them. I summarise this from the text I read, so check the exact wording if a deadline matters.

How does the Act connect to chargebacks?

A chargeback is not a legal remedy under the Act. It is a card payment dispute process. But the two meet in the same place: a customer who believes the goods are faulty, and who wants the money back.

In Shopify's dispute reasons, the Act's standards map most closely to product unacceptable, and its refund rules map to credit not processed. For product unacceptable, Shopify's guidance is to contact the customer; if you resolve it, ask them to drop the chargeback and include evidence of their agreement. If the customer did not try to return the product before the chargeback, or you sent a replacement, include that evidence. Regardless of resolution, Shopify lists fulfilment date and time, billing information, shipping and tracking information, and descriptions or pictures showing the product was as described.

Put that beside the Act, and you can see what a good response needs to show:

Dispute question	Act provision	Evidence that answers it
Was the product as described?	Section 11	Listing copy and photos as they were on the order date
Was it of satisfactory quality?	Section 9	Photos, quality checks, batch records
Did the customer tell you their purpose?	Section 10	Messages from before the order
Did the customer try to return it or ask for repair?	Sections 20 to 24	Message thread, return records
Was a refund due, and was it paid in time?	Section 20	Refund confirmation with date and amount
Was the product delivered to them?	Sections 28 and 29	Tracking, delivery scan, signature or photo

The practical lesson is that the Consumer Rights Act 2015 favours the customer in the early weeks and when the fault is clear. If a customer rejects an item within 30 days and your records show it had a real defect, a refund is the lowest-cost response. Our guide to chargeback vs refund shows the cash sums, and the right outcome is usually to refund and protect your chargeback rate.

If the customer is wrong, for example the item is exactly as described and they simply do not like it, the Consumer Rights Act does not require a refund outside the cancellation rules. In that case a strong, evidenced response is worth making.

How does the six months presumption work in practice?

Take a customer who buys a £60 kettle that starts leaking in week five. They tell you promptly. The short-term right to reject has ended, so they are in the repair or replacement stage. Because the fault appeared within six months, it is presumed to have been there on delivery. You can disagree, but you would need to show that the kettle conformed on the day it arrived, for example by pointing to damage the customer caused. Without that, the practical answer is to repair or replace.

Illustration: three timelines for the same £60 kettle. The refund figures are what each route costs you. Return postage is assumed at £4.20 each way and the unit cost at £22. Amounts are illustrative.

Fault appears	Likely remedy	Your cost	If you refuse and lose a chargeback
Day 12	Customer rejects; refund within 14 days	£60 refund + £4.20 return = £64.20 (you get the kettle back)	£60 + £10 fee = £70, and no kettle
Day 35	Repair or replacement	£22 unit + £4.20 postage = £26.20	£70, and the customer may also use other remedies
Month 8	Customer must generally show the fault was there on delivery	Depends on evidence	£70 if you lose; a good defence is possible

The first row shows why a prompt refund is cheaper than a dispute even after paying return postage. The second shows why replacement is cheaper than refunding in the later stage. The third shows when a defence is worth making. The key insight is that the law prices each stage differently, so the right move changes with the date.

What does the Consumer Rights Act 2015 mean for dropshippers and marketplace sellers?

If you sell to a UK consumer under your own brand, you are the trader, even if a supplier packs and posts the goods. The customer's contract is with you, so the Act's standards and remedies apply to you, not to your supplier. Legal guides I read on UK dropshipping say the same: the seller is liable to the customer, and any claim against the supplier is a separate matter that needs a written agreement. Our guide to dropshipping chargebacks in the UK covers how to build that agreement.

The practical effects are plain. A supplier's slow delivery is your breach of section 28. A supplier's poor-quality item is your breach of section 9. A listing copied from a supplier's catalogue with the wrong specification is your breach of section 11. You cannot tell the customer to take it up with the factory. What you can do is write the Act's standards into your supplier terms, so that a fault costs the supplier what it costs you.

For marketplace and platform selling, the position can depend on who is the trader in a particular sale, and I have not reviewed that for this guide. If you sell through a platform, read its terms and take advice on who counts as the seller.

What does the Consumer Rights Act 2015 say about delivery and risk?

Two sections matter for any online seller: when you must deliver, and who is responsible for the goods while they travel.

Delivery time (section 28). Unless you and the customer agree otherwise, you must deliver the goods without undue delay and in any event within 30 days of the contract. If you miss an agreed deadline where time was essential, or miss the 30 days after a request to deliver within a stated period, the customer can treat the contract as ended and you must reimburse all payments without undue delay, as I read the section. Whether a date was essential depends on what was said at the time of sale, which is why Christmas wording matters (see our guide to Christmas delivery cut-offs and chargebacks).

Risk (section 29). The goods remain at your risk until they come into the physical possession of the customer or a person they identified to take possession, other than the carrier. This is why a parcel that is lost in transit is generally your problem, as covered in our guide to lost in transit liability under UK law, and why safe place and neighbour delivery can shift the picture, covered in safe place or neighbour delivery.

Illustration: a missed delivery. A customer pays £75 on Monday 2 November 2026 for an item with no agreed delivery date. Thirty days later is Wednesday 2 December 2026. If the goods have not arrived by then, the customer can, after the steps the section describes, treat the contract as ended and ask for all payments back. A dispute filed in January for product not received would likely find the law on the customer's side. A £75 dispute lost costs £85 with the £10 fee. Dates and amounts are illustrative.

What can you not do in your terms under the Consumer Rights Act 2015?

The Act does not let you contract out of the core rights. Terms that try to take away a consumer's statutory rights, or that are unfair, are not binding on the customer. I have not reviewed the Act's unfair terms provisions in detail for this guide, so I cannot list every clause that would fail, but a few cases are plain from the quality provisions I did read.

• "All sales final" on a faulty item. A blanket no-refunds notice does not remove the customer's rights to reject, repair or replace faulty goods.
• "Goods sold as seen" to mean no description rights. Goods still have to match their description.
• "Customer pays all return postage" for a faulty item. Section 20 says you must meet reasonable costs of returning rejected goods. Which? also says terms making a customer pay for returns do not apply to faulty items.
• "Refunds within 60 days". If a customer validly rejects goods, you must refund within 14 days.

You can, of course, offer more than the law requires, such as a longer return window or free returns. What you cannot do is offer less and hope it holds.

POLICY CHECK AGAINST THE ACT
[ ] Does our policy say faulty goods can be rejected within 30 days?
[ ] Does it promise a refund within 14 days of a valid rejection?
[ ] Does it say we pay reasonable return costs for faulty goods?
[ ] Does it offer repair or replacement after that?
[ ] Does it avoid "all sales final" language for faulty goods?
[ ] Do our listings match what we send (as described)?
[ ] Is our delivery time stated, with the 30 day default in mind?
[ ] Is the policy visible at checkout and in the confirmation email?

What should you do under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 when a customer says the item is faulty?

Respond quickly, ask for evidence and decide early. The structure of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 rewards sellers who act within the first 30 days, because that is when rejection is simplest and a refund is the likely end point.

1. Reply within one working day. Acknowledge, apologise and ask what is wrong.
2. Ask for proof. A photo or short video is reasonable. Ask for the order number and date of delivery.
3. Decide the route. Within 30 days and a clear fault, offer a refund or a replacement. After that, repair or replacement is the usual first step.
4. Confirm in writing. State what you will do and by when.
5. Refund on time. If the customer has rejected, refund within 14 days using the original payment method, and meet reasonable return costs.
6. Save the thread. You may need it as evidence if a dispute follows.

Here is a short template for a clear fault:

Subject: Your order [number]

Hi [name],

I am sorry the [item] arrived faulty. Thank you for the photos.
As you are within 30 days, I can [refund £X to your original
payment method, and send a prepaid returns label / send a
replacement today]. Please reply to confirm which you prefer.
If you want a refund, I will process it within 14 days of
agreeing, and no later.

[Name]

If you disagree that the item is faulty, say so politely and give a reason: "I cannot see a defect in the photos, so I would like to look at the item. Could you return it using the label below?" Then keep to your word. A seller who refuses outright without looking invites a dispute, and in the first six months the presumption sits with the customer.

How do you defend a product unacceptable dispute using the Act?

Start by deciding whether to defend at all. If the customer rejected within 30 days and the fault is real, you are likely to lose, and a refund would have been cheaper. If the item is as described and the customer's real reason is a change of mind outside the cancellation window, the case is defensible.

Shopify's guidance for product unacceptable is a good outline. Contact the customer first. Include evidence that the customer did not try to return the product before the chargeback, or that you sent a replacement. And submit the fulfilment date and time, billing information, shipping and tracking information, and descriptions or pictures showing the product was as described.

Your evidence	What it answers
Listing copy and photos saved at the time of sale	The goods were as described (section 11)
Quality check or batch record	The goods were of satisfactory quality (section 9)
Delivery proof	The goods reached the customer (section 29)
Messages showing no complaint or return attempt	The customer did not use the remedies available
A replacement or repair offer	You tried to put it right (section 23)
Policy shown at checkout	The customer knew your return terms

Remember that the presumption under section 19 can undercut you when a fault appears in the first six months. If you cannot show that the goods conformed on delivery, a defence on pure argument is weak. Photos taken at dispatch, packing records and quality checks are what let you rebut the presumption.

What's different for UK merchants?

This section is general information, not legal advice. Everything in this guide is UK law, which is what makes it different from the US-centric advice that dominates chargeback articles. For UK stores, the other differences are the £10 chargeback fee on Shopify Payments, the 120 day claim window MoneyHelper describes and Section 75 for credit card purchases from £100 to £30,000.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies in the UK to contracts between traders and consumers. Details can differ in Northern Ireland and for particular goods or services, and I have not reviewed those differences. If you sell to consumers elsewhere, such as the EU, other rules apply that I have not covered.

Debit card buyers and credit card buyers both have routes to recover money: chargeback, and for credit cards in range, Section 75. MoneyHelper says Section 75 has no time limit while chargeback claims are typically within 120 days. A customer with a genuine Act-based complaint therefore has more than one way to be heard, and a refusal does not end the matter.

Your records should reflect that. MoneyHelper's 120 days is a sensible minimum for keeping order, listing and message records. For how long the law allows you to keep personal data, I have not verified ICO guidance, so take your own data protection advice.

How do you build a returns policy that matches the Consumer Rights Act 2015?

A good policy is short, honest and written from the customer's side. It says what they can do, how long they have and what you will do. It meets the floor set by the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and, where you can afford it, goes a little beyond.

RETURNS AND REFUNDS (sample structure)
Changed your mind: You can cancel within 14 days of receiving your
order. Tell us, then return the goods within 14 days. [Exceptions
apply, see below.] We refund within 14 days of receiving the goods
or your proof of postage, whichever is earlier.
Faulty or not as described: If your item is faulty, not as described
or not of satisfactory quality, tell us within 30 days and you can
return it for a full refund. After 30 days we will repair or
replace it. We pay reasonable return costs for faulty items.
Delivery: We aim to deliver within [x] working days and always
within 30 days.
Contact: [email], reply within [x] working days.

Link the policy from the product page, the cart, the checkout and the confirmation email, and save a dated copy each time it changes. A reviewer wants to see what the customer saw, and the Act wants to see that you did not try to take their rights away.

For exceptions to the cancellation right, such as made-to-order goods and sealed items, see our guide to cancellation exceptions for online sellers.

What are the most common mistakes with the Consumer Rights Act 2015?

1. Treating "no refunds" as a legal shield. It does not remove the right to reject faulty goods.
2. Mixing up cancellation and faults. The Regulations cover changes of mind. The Act covers faulty or misdescribed goods.
3. Arguing past 14 days. A valid rejection must be refunded within 14 days.
4. Ignoring the six month presumption. After a fault in that window, the burden shifts to you.
5. Not saving the listing. You cannot prove "as described" without the page as it was.
6. Charging for returns of faulty goods. You must meet reasonable return costs.
7. Hiding behind the carrier. Risk sits with you until the customer or their chosen person has the goods.
8. Assuming a win in a dispute settles the law. A chargeback decision is not a ruling on your legal duties.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Consumer Rights Act 2015 require of online sellers?

For goods sold to consumers, it requires that they are of satisfactory quality, fit for a particular purpose the customer told you about and as described. If they are not, the customer has remedies, starting with a short-term right to reject within 30 days and then repair or replacement. It also sets delivery and risk rules.

How long does a customer have to reject faulty goods?

The short-term right to reject generally lasts 30 days from when ownership or possession has passed, the goods have been delivered and any required installation has been notified, with shorter periods for perishables. Asking for repair or replacement pauses the clock. After that, repair, replacement or a price reduction apply.

How quickly must I refund a valid rejection?

Within 14 days, using the original payment method and without charging a fee, and you must meet reasonable costs of returning the goods. The 14 days run from when you agree the customer is entitled to reject, or from when you get the goods back or evidence they have been sent.

What is the six month rule?

If goods fail to conform within six months of delivery, they are presumed to have been faulty on delivery, unless you show they were not or the presumption does not fit the nature of the goods. So early faults generally put the burden on you to prove the item was fine when it left you.

Does the Act give customers a right to change their mind?

No. A change of mind falls under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, which give a cancellation right for distance sales, with exceptions. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 covers goods that are faulty, not as described or not of satisfactory quality. Customers can have rights under both.

Who is responsible if a parcel is lost in the post?

Section 29 says goods remain at your risk until they come into the physical possession of the customer or a person they identified, other than the carrier. So a lost parcel is generally your risk, though you can pursue the carrier separately. A customer's chosen safe place can change the analysis.

Can I refuse a refund because my terms say all sales are final?

For faulty goods, not safely. A blanket no-refund term does not remove the statutory right to reject, repair or replace. It may be a reasonable position for a customer who simply changed their mind outside your policy, subject to the cancellation rules. Take advice on your own wording.

How does the Consumer Rights Act 2015 affect chargebacks?

A chargeback is a card payment dispute, not a legal remedy, but the same facts decide both. If a customer has a clear legal right to a refund, fighting a chargeback is usually a poor bet. If the item was as described and the customer is outside their rights, a documented response can win.

What evidence shows the goods were as described?

A saved copy of the listing and photos from the order date, a quality check or batch record, delivery proof and the customer's messages. Shopify lists descriptions or pictures showing the product was as described among its product unacceptable evidence. Save them at fulfilment, because listings change afterwards.

Can ChargeFix help with product unacceptable disputes?

ChargeFix handles Shopify Payments disputes: it gathers proof from your store, drafts the response from verified facts. You review and file it, or let Auto mode handle them. It cannot recreate a listing you did not save, so keep dated copies, and it does not give legal advice about the Act.

Start free trial with ChargeFix

ChargeFix gathers the proof from your store, drafts the response from verified facts, on flat monthly pricing with no cut of what you win. You review and file it, or let Auto mode handle them. If you want your Consumer Rights Act 2015 obligations backed by evidence you can show a reviewer, start free trial and have your records ready before the next dispute.

Sources

• Consumer Rights Act 2015, Chapter 2, legislation.gov.uk
• Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 28, legislation.gov.uk
• Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 29, legislation.gov.uk
• Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 34, legislation.gov.uk
• Chargeback reasons, Shopify Help Center
• Responding to chargebacks and inquiries, Shopify Help Center
• I want to return something bought online, Which?
• How to sort a problem with a payment, MoneyHelper