Shoppers stuck with faulty electrical items urged to use their consumer rights.

Shoppers with faulty TVs, mobile phones and household appliances are being refused repairs and refunds leaving them stuck with items that don’t work, says Citizens Advice.

The survey carried out for Citizens Advice reveals that two thirds (66%) of people had a problem with a faulty electrical item in the last two years; however 1 in 4 people were initially turned away by retailers when they tried to get a repair, replacement or refund.

Today is National Consumer week, a national campaign to help shoppers understand their consumer rights as the Christmas shopping surge gets underway.

Just over half of people surveyed (53%) asked the retailer to provide a refund, replace the item or repair the product.

While the majority of people were offered a solution, 1 in 4 (28%) said the retailer either redirected them to the manufacturer or refused to help, despite it being their responsibility to do so.

The survey also shows that persistence pays off, with 61% of those who were initially turned down by the retailer eventually securing some form of redress.

Complaints made to the Citizens Advice consumer service show the problems people had trying to get the redress they were entitled to.

One woman bought her husband a new laptop for Christmas but when it arrived, the keyboard was broken.

Although it is the retailer’s responsibility to provide a solution, the retailer told her to go back to the manufacturer and she ended up wasting weeks going back and forth between the two trying to sort it out. She contacted Citizens Advice and armed with information on her rights managed to get a refund.

Another person bought a new mobile on a two year contract. After four months the mobile started to bend in the middle, but the retailer told the customer to approach the company who made the phone if they wanted to get it fixed.

With only half of shoppers seeking redress and a quarter reporting difficulties with the process, the findings suggest that both shoppers and retailers may not be aware of their rights and responsibilities around faulty electrical goods.

Electrical goods - what you need to know

Don’t put up with broken electrical goods - if an item breaks and it’s not your fault, you have a right to a free repair, replacement or refund depending when you bought it.

Use the Citizens Advice faulty goods tool to work out what you’re entitled to.

What to do when an item is faulty

Don’t attempt to fix it yourself - this could stop you getting redress because it will make it harder to prove you did not cause the fault. You may also risk injuring yourself.
Return it to the retailer - It’s the responsibility of the retailer to help you resolve the problem, not the manufacturer. They should cover the costs of returning the item - contact them first to check the best way to do this and to negotiate an option that’s most convenient for you.
Getting a repair, replacement or refund

Bought within the last 30 days - you can get a refund on a faulty product.
Bought within the last 6 months - you are entitled to have it repaired or replaced once. If the item still doesn’t work you should get a full refund.
Bought more than 6 months ago - you may still get a repair or replacement but you will only get a partial refund to reflect the use you’ve got out of the item. You’ll need to prove you didn’t cause the fault which may make it harder to get redress. These rights apply to items bought after 1st October 2015.
Repair doesn’t work? If you have one repair and it doesn’t succeed, you can ask for a full or partial refunding, depending on when the purchase was made.
Replaced with something different? The retailer should try to replace the item like-for-like. This may not always be possible, so if you’re offered something you don’t want you can ask for a refund.
What to do when an item is unsafe

Register your appliance - if something goes wrong with a particular model, registering your item makes it easier for the manufacturer to contact you to recall the product. Visit http://www.registermyappliance.org.uk/
Stop using it - and unplug it if applicable.
Inform Trading Standards - report it via the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06.
If it gets recalled, follow the manufacturer’s guidance - this could include not leaving the item unattended when in use. For peace of mind you may want to stop using it altogether.