Can a UK seller charge to inspect faulty goods?
A UK seller must bear necessary costs of a statutory repair or replacement. A separately agreed paid assessment is different, so an inspection fee is not automatically valid or invalid. Ask which route applies and agree testing and any conditional charge in writing. Factory records can help clarify the fault through Cambridge China Bridge.
Identify the purchase and the claim
This guide concerns China-made goods bought from a UK seller for personal use at home. A consumer is an individual buying wholly or mainly outside their trade or profession. If you bought stock or equipment for your business, use our business faulty-goods guide. A household product does not automatically make its purchase a consumer transaction.
Find the seller named on your order and invoice. Write down the fault, when it appeared and the remedy you want. Our faulty furniture complaints guide covers identifying whom to approach. This guide adds what to ask when that seller demands payment before testing.
Separate statutory remedies from warranty services
Where you have the statutory right to repair or replacement, the seller must bear the necessary costs of carrying it out, including labour, materials and postage. Testing necessary to carry out that remedy should therefore be treated as part of those costs. This does not mean every independently commissioned diagnostic report is automatically reimbursable.
A warranty expiring does not by itself end statutory repair or replacement rights. A paid warranty visit or separately commissioned assessment may follow a different service route. Ask whether the seller is assessing your statutory claim, applying warranty terms or offering a separate paid service. A fee term cannot remove your implied goods rights.
Ask why testing is needed
Ask the seller to explain what remains disputed: whether the item fails, what caused the failure or whether the defect existed at delivery. Use our fault-at-delivery evidence guide to prepare questions for Trading Standards about who needs to prove the fault and how the remedy and timing may affect your claim. Do not assume that an older item either guarantees a free assessment or leaves you without a claim.
Send photographs, a fault video where safe, the delivery record and a description of normal use. For an intermittent problem, describe the conditions that trigger it. Ask whether the proposed test can reproduce those conditions and whether a desk review could resolve the issue before collection or dismantling.
Agree the testing and charges in writing
Before handing over the item, ask for the test scope, total charge including any VAT, payment timing and who pays collection and return costs. For a conditional fee, ask exactly what triggers it: no fault reproduced, accidental damage or a fault outside warranty cover. Ask whether an upfront payment will be refunded if the findings establish a statutory repair or replacement claim.
Use a written instruction such as: “I am asking you to assess my faulty-goods claim. Please explain any proposed charge and its basis before testing. I authorise only the agreed inspection; contact me before repairs, destructive testing or further costs.” Ask the seller to confirm the arrangement. Written agreement records the scope; an unfair consumer contract term is still not binding.
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Challenge a disputed no-fault-found charge
A test that did not reproduce your symptom does not, by itself, explain why it happened. Ask for the report, item identity, test conditions, observations and explanation linking the findings to the fee trigger. Compare these with your fault evidence and the agreed scope. Ask the seller to distinguish “not reproduced” from evidence of misuse or damage.
If you dispute the charge, reply in writing identifying whether you challenge the agreement, findings or treatment of your statutory claim. Ask for a written response and preserve the item before further testing. For buyers investigating a production cause, Cambridge China Bridge’s staff in China can help gather factory inspection and batch records to support the technical enquiry.
Frequently asked questions
Can a UK seller demand a diagnostic fee upfront?
Ask what the fee covers. Necessary costs of a statutory repair or replacement belong to the seller. A separate paid assessment needs its own clear scope and charging terms; do not assume every diagnostic must be free.
Can I still claim after the warranty expires?
Yes, expiry alone does not end statutory repair or replacement rights. Whether your claim succeeds depends on the fault and evidence. Ask the seller to assess the statutory claim separately from warranty cover.
Must I pay if the seller finds no fault?
Do not treat that label as conclusive. Ask for the agreed fee trigger and test report, including whether your symptom was reproduced. Challenge any mismatch in writing. An unfair consumer contract term is not binding.
What should I agree before an inspection?
Agree the tests, total charge, payment timing, conditional fee triggers, refund arrangements and collection costs. State that repairs, destructive testing and extra work need your further approval.