Can the seller insist on a repair when I want a replacement?
Only if a replacement is impossible or would be disproportionately expensive compared with a repair. Otherwise the choice between repair and replacement is yours.
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Faulty goods after 30 days: repair or replacement
After the first 30 days you lose the automatic right to a full refund. Instead you can ask the seller to repair or replace the goods. The choice is yours, unless your choice is impossible or would cost the seller disproportionately more than the other option.
Who chooses
You do. The seller can only refuse the remedy you pick if it is impossible, or if it would be disproportionate: for example, replacing an expensive machine when a simple repair would fix it for a fraction of the cost. If the seller refuses on that basis, it should offer the other remedy.
What the seller must do
The repair or replacement must be done within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to you. The seller must pay the costs involved, such as postage, collection, labour and parts. What counts as a reasonable time depends on the goods and what you need them for: a fridge or a car is more urgent than a spare lamp.
In the first six months, the seller has to prove it
If a fault shows up within six months of delivery, the law presumes it was there when you received the goods. It is up to the seller to prove otherwise, for example by showing the damage was accidental. After six months this reverses, and you need to show the fault was there from the start.
If the repair or replacement does not work
You only have to allow one repair or one replacement. If it fails, if repair and replacement are both impossible, or if the seller takes too long or causes you significant inconvenience, you can move on to a refund or a price reduction. See the final right to reject.
Quick answers
How many repair attempts do I have to allow?
One. If one repair or one replacement does not fix the problem, you can ask for a refund or a price reduction instead.
Can the shop tell me to contact the manufacturer?
Your contract is with the seller, so the seller has to deal with your claim. You can choose to use a manufacturer's warranty if it suits you, but the shop cannot make you.
Who pays for postage or collection?
The seller. It must bear the necessary costs of a repair or replacement, including sending the goods back and forth.
Official sources
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 23: repair or replacement
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 19: remedies and the six-month presumption
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 24: price reduction and final right to reject
- Citizens Advice: Consumer advice (England and Wales)
Check your own situation
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Open Be Consumer WiseBrowse all guidesReviewed 2026-09-23. General legal information about UK consumer rights, not legal advice.