On the 1 October, the main provisions of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 came into force.  This new legislation represents an extensive overhaul of consumer law in the UK and a simplification of key consumer protection rights.

Previously, consumer legislation was spread across many different laws and regulations something which many consumers found confusing and difficult to understand. The aim of the new legislation was to simplify the existing framework and to introduce new measures and rights to protect consumers in areas such as: goods, services and digital content.

Key points in the new legislation include:

• Right to a refund for faulty goods purchased from a UK based seller up to 30 days after the date of purchase.
• For faulty goods which were bought more than 30 days earlier, a consumer can still request that the goods are repaired or replaced.
• Goods purchased by a consumer must be “fit for purpose” and of a “satisfactory quality”.
• Delivery of goods should be made within 30 days.
• Certain digital downloads such as e-books or music are also covered by the new legislation. Retailers could be under an obligation to provide a repair or replacement if a download does not work properly.
• Where digital download causes damage to devices, a consumer may have a right to request that the damage is repaired or compensation is paid.
• In contracts for the supply of services, a trader must carry out those services with “reasonable care and skill”, failing which a consumer can ask for the services to be supplied again or a price reduction.