Buying goods complaints letter (pack)

Compatible region(s): Scotland Northern Ireland England Wales

This pack provides you with a large range of document templates for dealing with a problem with goods you have purchased. It provides templates for requesting a refund, a replacement, or compensation in the event of goods being unfit for purpose, damaged during delivery, faulty or poorly repaired. See the individual information associated with each document in this pack for a full description of their use, and the circumstances under which each is most appropriate.

Document service

Price: Free
  • Draft your document instantly by answering a series of easy-to-answer questions
  • Helpful explanation and guidance notes
  • Store, manage, track and print your document online

Included in this service:

Demand a refund for goods purchased with a credit card (Guidance Notes)
Use this letter to seek a refund from your credit card company for goods costing between £100 and £30,000 that you purchased, or part purchased, that were not delivered or were faulty, not as described, or not fit for their purpose. It can be used for items purchased from outside of the UK. For goods purchased on or after 1 October 2015 which are either faulty, not as described or not fit for their purpose, you will have an automatic right to cancel the contract and obtain a refund if no more than 30 days have passed since you bought the goods. Otherwise you will have to wait until you have given the seller at least one opportunity to repair or replace the goods before claiming a refund. For goods purchased on or after 1 October 2015 that have not been delivered, you will have to wait for 30 days from the date of purchase for delivery if the contract does not contain a specific delivery date. Depending on whether you agreed with the seller that the time for delivery was essential before buying the goods, you may have to give the seller another chance to deliver the goods but extending the time for delivery. If the goods were purchased on or after 1 October 2015 you must have notified the seller that you want a refund before sending this letter. This document is suitable for consumers (not businesses) in the UK only.
Letter requesting refund for goods not properly repaired (Guidance Notes)
You can use this letter to ask for a refund if you've been left with a faulty item after the seller has tried to repair or replace it.

This letter is suitable for requests about goods bought within the last 6 years. You can also use it in relation to digital content (e.g. a digital movie file), but only to ask for a price reduction (not a refund) and only if you bought it after 1 October 2015. You cannot use it about a motor vehicle.

This letter is only suitable for consumers (not businesses) making purchases from sellers based in the UK.
Reject a seller's denial of responsibility for faulty goods (Guidance Notes)
You can use this letter when a seller doesn't accept responsibility for a faulty item and tries to instead blame a manufacturer or developer. If you bought the item after 1 October 2015, you're entitled to a repair, replacement, or - if you ask for it within 30 days - a refund.

This letter is suitable for requests in relation to goods, but not services. You can also use it in relation to digital content (e.g. a digital movie file), but only to ask for a repair or replacement (not a refund) and only if you bought it after 1 October 2015. Do not use it if you bought the item more than 6 years ago.

Before using this letter, you need to have already complained to the seller. This letter is only suitable for consumers (not businesses) making purchases from sellers based in the UK.
Request a refund for goods not delivered on time (Guidance Notes)

Use this letter to ask for a refund from a seller where the seller has failed to deliver goods you purchased within the timeframe expected. This could mean not delivering by a specific date as set in your contract or where, there is no specific delivery date, not delivering within 30 days. In some circumstances you must give the seller more time to deliver the goods, and you can use this letter to make a final demand for delivery.

Note that this letter is not sutiable if you bought the goods without any face-to-face contact with the seller (e.g. ordering online or from a postal catalogue), or if you have purchased intangible digital content, such as an app.

This document is suitable for goods purchased by a consumer (not a business) in the UK.

Request a refund for goods not fit for their purpose (Guidance Notes)
You can use this letter to ask for a refund or replacement if you bought something that isn't fit for its intended purpose. You can use it if you told the seller about your intended use for the item, or if a written description mentioned its suitability. If you bought after 1 October 2015, you're entitled to a refund if you ask for it within 30 days; after that, you can use this letter to ask for a replacement.

This letter is suitable for requests in relation to goods, but not services. You can also use it in relation to digital content (e.g. a digital movie file), but only to ask for a replacement (not a refund) and only if you bought it after 1 October 2015.

Note that if you bought remotely (e.g. via the internet or a catalogue) and fewer than 14 days have passed since you received the item, you have an automatic right to a refund. If this applies to you, don't use this letter.

This letter is only suitable for consumers (not businesses) making purchases from sellers based in the UK.
Request a refund for goods not matching their description (Guidance Notes)
You can use this letter to ask for a refund or replacement if you bought something that didn't live up to its description. The description might have come through labelling, packaging, brochures, advertising or discussions with sales staff. If you bought after 1 October 2015, you're entitled to a refund if you ask for it within 30 days; after that, you can use this letter to ask for a replacement.

This letter is suitable for requests in relation to goods, but not services. You can also use it in relation to digital content (e.g. a digital movie file), but only to ask for a replacement (not a refund) and only if you bought it after 1 October 2015.

Note that if you bought remotely (e.g. via the internet or a catalogue) and fewer than 14 days have passed since you received the item, you have an automatic right to a refund. If this applies to you, don't use this letter.

This letter is only suitable for consumers (not businesses) making purchases from sellers based in the UK.
Request a refund, replacement or repair for faulty goods (Guidance Notes)
You can use this letter to complain about the poor quality of something you've bought. If you bought the item after 1 October 2015, you can use this letter to demand a refund if you ask for it within 30 days and can prove there is a fault. After that, you can use it to ask for a refund or replacement up until 6 months after purchase.

This letter is suitable for requests in relation to goods, but not services. You can also use it in relation to digital content (e.g. a digital movie file), but only to ask for a repair or replacement (not a refund) and only if you bought it after 1 October 2015.

Note that if you bought remotely (e.g. via the internet or a catalogue) and fewer than 14 days have passed since you received the item, you have an automatic right to a refund. If this applies to you, don't use this letter.

This letter is only suitable for consumers (not businesses) making purchases from sellers based in the UK.
Request compensation for damage caused by faulty goods (Guidance Notes)
You can use this letter to ask for compensation from the seller when a faulty item causes damage to your possessions or property. You can ask for the cost of repairing the damage or, if that's impossible or uneconomical, the cost of replacing it.

Depending on the circumstances, the letter will also ask for a refund, repair or replacement of the faulty item.

This letter is suitable for requests in relation to goods, but not services. You can also use it in relation to digital content (e.g. a digital movie file), but only if you bought it after 1 October 2015.

This letter is only suitable for consumers (not businesses) making purchases from sellers based in the UK.

Our use of cookies

We use necessary cookies to make our site work. We would also like to set some optional cookies. We won't set these optional cookies unless you enable them. Please choose whether this site may use optional cookies by selecting 'On' or 'Off' for each category below. Using this tool will set a cookie on your device to remember your preferences.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, see our Cookie notice.

Necessary cookies

Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

Functionality cookies

We'd like to set cookies to provide you with a better customer experience. For more information on these cookies, please see our cookie notice.