Consumer guarantees – a guide for consumers
Theservicedoesnotmeetthereasonableexpectationsforthattypeofserviceandtheproblem
cannotberectifiedwithinareasonabletimeForexampleacarpet-cleaningservicedamagesyour
carpetbyleavinglargewatermarks
Toutoldthesupplierthatyouwantedtheserviceforaspecificpurposewhichwasnotfulfilled
andtheproblemcouldnotbeeasilyrectifiedwithinareasonabletimeForexampleyoutellapay
TVcompanythatyouwanttowatchtheOlympicsYousignuptoa-monthcontractbutthe
Olympicsareoverbythetimetheserviceisinstalled
Youtoldthesupplierthatyouwantedaspecificresultyettheserviceandendresultfailedtomeet
yourspecificationsandcouldnotbeeasilyrectifiedwithinareasonabletimeForexampleyou
arrangeforcustom-madeblindstobeinstalledwhichwhenfittedaretoosmallItwilltakemonths
tore-fittheblinds
ThesupplyoftheservicehascreatedanunsafesituationForexampleanelectricianincorrectly
wireswallsocketsinyournewkitchenwhichmakestheelectricaloutletsunsafe
Thereisalsoamajorfailuretocomplywithaconsumerguaranteewhentherearemultipleminor
problemswiththeserviceandyouwouldnothaveengagedtheserviceifyouhadknownthenature
andextentoftheproblemstakenasawhole
Whenthereisamajorfailurewithaproductyoucanchooseto
returntheproductandaskforarefund
returntheproductandaskforanidenticalreplacementoroneofsimilarvalueifreasonablyavailable
keeptheproductandaskforcompensationforthedropinvaluecausedbytheproblem
Whenthereisamajorfailurewithaserviceyoucanchooseto
cancelthecontractandpayareasonableamountfortheworkdoneorseekarefundformoney
alreadypaid
keepthecontractandnegotiateareducedpriceforthedropinvalueoftheservice–thismaymean
askingforsomeofyourmoneybackifyouhavealreadypaid
Remedies explained
Refundsforgoods
ThesellercanoeryouarefundforaminorproblemIftheproblemismajoryouhavetheoptionto
choosearefundandthesellermustnotrefuseorinsistthatyouacceptacreditnoteexchangecard
orreplacement
Thesellermustalsoreturnanyotherformofpaymentyoumighthavemadesuchasatrade-inIfthisis
notpossible(ifforexampletheyhavesoldtheproductyoutradedin)theymustrefundyouthevalue
withanotherformofpayment
Replacement(orexchange)ofgoods
Ifyouareoeredareplacementforaminorproblemoryouchooseareplacementforamajor
problemthereplacementmustbeofthesametypeandsimilarvalueIfsuchareplacementisnot
reasonablyavailableyoumayneedtochoosearepairorarefund
Theconsumerguaranteesthatappliedtotheoriginalgoodswillapplytoanyreplacementgoods
Compensationforlossofvalueofgoods
Iftheproblemismajorandhasresultedinthegoodslosingsomevalueyoucanchoosetokeepthe
goodsandaskthesellerforapartialrefundYoumayneedtonegotiateareasonableamountwith
theseller