Faulty Goods Letter
Claims a refund, repair or replacement for something that is not right.
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On [date] I bought [item] from [where] for $ [amount].
[what is wrong with it]
Goods should be of satisfactory quality and fit for their purpose. Under the implied warranty of merchantability and my state consumer protection law, I am asking for a repair.
Please confirm within [days] days how you will resolve this and what you need from me. My contract is with you as the retailer, not with the manufacturer.
If I do not hear from you I will take this to the relevant ombudsman or consumer body, and to my card issuer where that route is open to me.
What is a Faulty Goods Letter?
A faulty goods letter tells a seller that something you bought is not as it should be, and says which remedy you want — repair, replacement or refund. It matters because consumer rights usually sit against the seller rather than the manufacturer, and they run from dates a written, dated letter fixes. Verbal complaints made at a counter or in a chat window are the ones that cannot be evidenced later when the claim actually has to be proved.
Consumers write them about appliances that stop working, cars with recurring faults, furniture delivered damaged, phones with screen defects, and building or repair work that has failed. Small businesses write them too, though the protections available to a business buyer are often narrower than those given to a consumer. The letter usually follows a rejected phone or chat complaint, and is addressed to the retailer that sold the item, the trader who carried out the work, or the finance provider where the purchase was made on credit.
Remedies and their timing are set by consumer law where you bought. The UK Consumer Rights Act gives a short right to reject, then repair or replacement, then a price reduction or final right to reject. The EU applies a conformity guarantee through national implementations. Australian Consumer Law distinguishes major from minor failures and gives the consumer the choice of remedy on major ones. India works through the Consumer Protection Act and its consumer commissions. The US relies on state warranty law alongside federal rules. Check the current period and remedy order for your country before naming a deadline.
The letter is not a warranty claim, though the two are constantly confused. A manufacturer's warranty is a separate promise, usually shorter and narrower than your rights against the seller, and using one does not replace the other. The letter does not by itself entitle you to compensation for inconvenience or consequential loss, which is a separate claim needing its own proof. And it does not cover damage you caused, ordinary wear, or a change of mind — for that, cancellation rights are the route, not a fault claim.
What to put in a Faulty Goods Letter
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Issued to (full name) | For example: James Whitfield |
| Home address | For example: 588 Kinnear Road |
| Issuing organisation | For example: Maple Grove Homeowners Association |
| Organisation address | For example: 1420 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
| What you bought | For example: Halbrook 55-inch television, model HB-55U |
| Where you bought it | For example: Barton Electricals, Kinnear Road branch |
| Date of purchase | Free text |
| Price paid | For example: 549.00 |
| Order or receipt number optional | For example: BE-2026-44718 |
| What is wrong with it | For example: The screen develops a vertical green line about twenty minutes after it is switched on.… |
| What you want | Free text |
| Response wanted within (days) | For example: 14 |
| Currency | Free text |
How to write a Faulty Goods Letter
Describe the fault, not your frustration
Say what the item does and when. ‘The freezer compartment holds minus four degrees rather than minus eighteen, measured on three consecutive days’ is something a seller can act on. ‘It is completely useless’ is not. State when the fault appeared, whether it is constant or intermittent, and what triggers it. Add photographs, a short video, or a repairer's note if you already have one.
Give the purchase details in full
Order or receipt number, purchase date, delivery date, model and serial number, price and payment method. Say if the purchase was on a credit card or a finance agreement, because that can open an additional route against the lender in some jurisdictions. If the item was a gift, say who bought it and when, since the rights against the seller usually sit with the buyer.
Name the remedy you want, and the basis
Ask for one thing: refund, replacement or repair. Say briefly why you are entitled to it under the consumer law where you bought — the goods were not of satisfactory quality, not as described, or not fit for a purpose you made known. Do not ask for all three at once; that invites the seller to pick the cheapest and treat your letter as an opening bid.
Set a date and say what happens next
Give a specific date for a response and for collection or repair, and say what you will do if it passes: the retailer's formal complaints process, then the relevant ombudsman, consumer commission or fair trading body, then a claim. Keep the item safe and available for inspection meanwhile, and do not have it repaired elsewhere before the seller has had its opportunity.
Send it to the retailer and keep everything
Address it to the seller's customer relations team or registered address rather than a branch manager's personal email, and send a copy by email. Keep the letter, the receipt, the photographs, the delivery note and every reply in one place. If this ends in a claim, the file is the case, and the most valuable item in it is the first dated letter describing the fault.
Common mistakes
- Complaining to the manufacturer instead of the seller, which burns weeks on a warranty route while the stronger rights against the retailer sit unused and the clock runs.
- Having the item repaired independently before giving the seller a chance to inspect it, which lets the seller argue the fault and its cause can no longer be established.
- Describing the problem as the item being rubbish rather than stating the measurable defect, so the seller replies asking for details and another fortnight disappears.
- Demanding a full refund months after purchase without checking the remedy order in your jurisdiction, where repair or replacement may properly come first.
- Losing the receipt and the order confirmation, leaving the purchase date — the fact every remedy period is measured from — impossible to prove.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to return faulty goods?
It depends on where you bought and what the fault is. Several regimes give a short initial period to reject outright, then a longer period during which repair or replacement is the primary remedy, and some presume a fault appearing early was present at delivery. Look up the current periods for your country, and write as soon as the fault appears rather than waiting to see if it settles.
Who is responsible, the shop or the manufacturer?
Your contract is with the seller, so the seller is normally the one to hold responsible for goods that are faulty, not as described or unfit for purpose. A manufacturer's warranty is an extra promise you may also use, but it does not replace your rights against the retailer. If the retailer redirects you to the manufacturer, say in writing that you are pursuing the seller.
Can I ask for a refund instead of a repair?
Sometimes. Several regimes give a short window in which you can reject and get your money back, and Australian Consumer Law lets the consumer choose the remedy where the failure is major. Outside those, the seller may be entitled to attempt a repair or replacement first. Check the remedy order that applies where you bought before insisting on a refund.
What if the seller will not respond?
Escalate in stages and keep the paper trail: the retailer's formal complaints process, then the relevant ombudsman, consumer commission, fair trading office or dispute scheme, then a small claims filing. If you paid by credit card or finance, check whether the lender shares liability where you are. Every stage will ask for your first dated letter, so keep it safe.
Do I need the original receipt?
Proof of purchase is what matters, and that can be a bank or card statement, an order confirmation email, a delivery note or a loyalty account record. Sellers ask for the receipt because it is easiest for them, but the requirement is to show you bought the item from them and when. Send whatever you have and say clearly what it is.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.