Complain about something you bought

If something you buy is faulty, does not arrive in time or is not what you expected, the Consumer Guarantees Act gives you the right to claim a refund, repair or replacement.

Your rights

The Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) applies to products and services that you buy from businesses for your personal use.

When the CGA does not apply — Consumer Protection

Products

Products are things you can buy and own, such as furniture, clothing or appliances (kettles, toasters). This includes second-hand goods and gifts.

The product must:

  • be safe
  • be an acceptable quality
  • be fit for its purpose
  • match its description or sample.

If a faulty product has caused damage, for example, your washing machine breaks and floods your laundry — you can ask the retailer to pay for the damage.

Faulty and unsafe products — Consumer Protection

Use the Consumer Rights Finder tool to work out whether you’re covered and what the process is if you cannot get the retailer to fix the issue.

Check your rights with products — Consumer Protection

Services

Services are things people do for you, such as hair cuts, fixing your car or household plumbing.

Services must be done to a professional standard. All materials and parts must do what they’re meant to and not break.

The work must be:

  • carried out with reasonable care and skill
  • fit for the purpose you told the provider or that they agreed to
  • carried out within a reasonable timeframe, if no timeframe was agreed
  • charged for at a reasonable price when the price is not set in advance.

Use the Consumer Rights Finder tool to work out whether you’re covered and find out the process to fix the issue.

Check your rights with a service provider — Consumer Protection

Delivery guarantee

The delivery service must use reasonable care and skill. You have rights under the CGA for:

  • lost or damaged deliveries
  • late delivery when a timeframe was agreed
  • an unreasonable delay when no timeframe has been agreed
  • intentional damage.

If your product does not arrive on time or is damaged during delivery, contact the retailer who organised the delivery rather than the delivery service.

Delivery issues — Consumer Protection

How to complain

Consumer Protection NZ has a step-by-step process to guide you through making a complaint to a business.

How to complain — Consumer Protection

Contact the retailer or service provider

First, contact the retailer or service provider to give them a chance to fix the issue.

Explain what the issue is and what you would like done about it — a refund, repair or replacement.

Keep any:

  • receipts
  • messages or letters
  • notes of your contact with the retailer or service provider.

Contacting the business with a complaint — Consumer Protection

If the retailer refuses to help

Contact the manufacturer to fix the issue if the retailer does not respond to you.

Check if the retailer belongs to a dispute resolution scheme. You may be able to use the scheme to get your issue fixed.

If you and the business still cannot reach an agreement you can look at other options to resolve the dispute, such as mediation or the Disputes Tribunal.

Get a final decision on a complaint — Consumer Protection

Get more help

You can get free advice from:

Utility links and page information

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