Consumer Rights
These are the rights a buyer has when goods are supplied within the Velocity Interoperability Network. They apply to anything bought from a trader, whether in a shop or at a distance, and whether the goods are new or second-hand. They cannot be signed away: a term in a contract that purports to remove them has no effect, however clearly it is written.
Rights against a trader are separate from the safety rules. A product may comply with every rule and still be faulty; a product may be recalled and still have been of satisfactory quality when it was sold. Both sets of questions can arise from the same purchase, and the Consumer Protection Office deals with both.
These rights apply to goods supplied on or after 6 September 2026
The seven rights.
- Goods must be of satisfactory quality
- Goods must be free from defects, safe, durable for a period reasonable for goods of their kind and price, and fit for the purposes for which such goods are ordinarily supplied. A fault the trader pointed out before the sale, and a fault caused by the buyer's own misuse, are not breaches of this right.
- Goods must match their description
- Goods must correspond with the description under which they were sold, with any sample or model shown, and with anything the trader said about them that the buyer relied upon. A photograph or an advertisement forms part of the description.
- Goods must be fit for a purpose made known to the trader
- Where a buyer tells the trader what the goods are wanted for, and relies on the trader's judgement, the goods must be fit for that purpose even if it is not the purpose such goods ordinarily serve.
- The trader must have the right to sell the goods
- The buyer takes clear title. Goods that turn out to be subject to a charge, a hire agreement or another person's ownership may be rejected in full and at any time.
- Goods must be delivered within the agreed period
- Where no period is agreed, goods must be delivered within thirty days. If the trader misses the agreed period, the buyer may set a further reasonable period and, if that also passes, cancel the order and recover the price.
- The price shown is the price payable
- The price displayed to the consumer must include every compulsory charge. A charge added at the point of payment that was not shown when the price was displayed is not payable, and any part of it that has been paid is recoverable.
- A recalled product may always be returned
- Where a product is entered on the recall register, the trader must accept its return and refund the price paid, whether or not the buyer has a receipt, provided the product can be identified as one covered by the recall.
What you may ask for, and when. The remedy available depends on how long the goods have been in your hands. The periods run from the day of delivery, not the day of order.
| Period since delivery | Remedy available | Who must show what |
|---|---|---|
| Within 30 days of delivery | Reject the goods and recover the whole price | The trader may not insist on repairing or replacing first |
| From 30 days to 6 months | Repair or replacement, at the buyer's choice | A fault appearing in this period is presumed to have been present at delivery unless the trader shows otherwise |
| From 6 months to 2 years | Repair or replacement; a price reduction or rejection if repair fails | The buyer shows the fault was present at delivery |
| From 2 to 6 years | A price reduction, or rejection where the goods are unusable | The buyer shows the fault was present at delivery; the period ends six years after delivery |
A refund must be made by the means by which payment was made, within fourteen days of the goods being returned or of the trader accepting that they need not be. A trader may not require the buyer to accept a credit note, and may not charge for the return of goods that were faulty or misdescribed when they were delivered.
Where goods are bought at a distance, the buyer may in addition cancel within fourteen days of delivery without giving a reason, and recover the price and the cost of standard delivery. This right does not apply to goods made to the buyer's specification, to goods that spoil quickly, or to sealed goods unsealed after delivery where health or hygiene prevents their resale.
Seeking a remedy. The steps below are the ones the Office will expect to see followed before it registers a complaint.
Step 1: Stop using the goods and keep them safe
Continued use of visibly faulty goods can reduce what you are entitled to, and can be dangerous where the fault is one of safety. Keep the packaging and any instructions if you still have them.
Step 2: Write to the trader
State what you bought, when, for how much, what is wrong with it and which remedy you want. Ask for a reply within fourteen days. Keep a copy of what you send.
Step 3: Allow one attempt at repair or replacement where the period requires it
Outside the first thirty days, a trader may repair or replace before refunding. One attempt is enough: if the repair does not put the fault right, you may reject the goods or ask for a reduction in the price.
Step 4: Set a final period in writing
If the trader does not reply or does not act, write again and set a final period of fourteen days, saying what you will do if it passes.
Step 5: Bring the matter to the Office
Where the final period passes without a remedy, write to the Office with the correspondence. The Office will register the complaint and put it to the trader.
The procedure the Office then follows, and the timescales it works to, are set out under Making a Complaint. If the goods are unsafe rather than merely faulty, see Product Safety and check the recall register before writing. Questions about these rights may be sent to contact@consumer.gov.vin.