Does a repair extend my rejection deadline?
For a consumer purchase, agreeing to repair pauses the rejection clock from the request or agreement day through the day you receive the goods back. If they still do not conform, use the later of the original deadline extended by that wait or 7 days after it ends. Keep the dated messages and delivery proof together. Discuss factory records with Cambridge China Bridge.
Check whether this is a consumer purchase
This calculation concerns a consumer entitled to short-term rejection. A consumer is an individual buying wholly or mainly outside their trade, business, craft or profession. Buying China-made stock for resale from a UK seller is a business purchase: use our business faulty-goods guide. If you sell to consumers, use this calculation for their complaints and keep your supplier claim separate.
Establish the original deadline
The usual period is 30 days, starting on the day after ownership or relevant possession has transferred, delivery has happened and, where required by the contract, the seller has notified the consumer that installation or other enabling action is complete. Goods reasonably expected to perish sooner have a shorter period.
Keep the order terms, delivery confirmation and any installation notification. Write down the applicable original expiry date before adjusting it for repair. Do not use factory dispatch or arrival at your business warehouse as the consumer delivery date.
Record the whole waiting period
If the consumer requests or agrees to repair during the rejection period, the clock stops for the waiting period. That period includes the day of the request or agreement and the day the consumer receives the goods back. Record both dates, including both endpoint days in the waiting-period total. Collection, workshop arrival and repair completion are useful records, but they are not the statutory endpoints.
| Entry | What to keep |
|---|---|
| Original expiry | Delivery, ownership and any required installation records |
| Waiting period begins | Dated repair request or agreement and the seller's reply |
| Collection and repair | Collection receipt, repair job sheet and correspondence |
| Waiting period ends | Proof of actual receipt by the consumer |
| Condition on return | Photographs, test observations and the reported remaining fault |
Compare the deadlines if the goods still fail
Add the full waiting period to the original expiry date. Separately calculate the date 7 days after the waiting period ends. If the returned goods still do not conform to the contract, the short-term rejection deadline is the later of those dates. Repair does not start a fresh 30-day period.
Put both candidate dates and the later deadline in the complaint file. Inspect the returned goods promptly and record what still fails against the agreed requirements. The deadline calculation does not establish the fault: our fault-at-delivery evidence guide explains that separate issue.
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Send the calculation with the complaint
Send the seller the original expiry date, repair request or agreement date, actual receipt date, waiting-period total and resulting deadline. Attach the supporting messages and delivery record. If you want to reject goods that still fail, say so clearly and keep proof of sending.
If the seller disputes the dates, identify the disputed entry and ask for its supporting record. Keep factory repair findings alongside the chronology without replacing the consumer receipt evidence. Cambridge China Bridge's staff in China can help gather factory records. For unresolved complaints, see our UK seller dispute guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does agreeing to repair restart the 30 days?
No. It pauses the applicable period. If the returned goods still do not conform, use the later of the original expiry extended by the waiting period or 7 days after that period ends.
Does the waiting period start when the seller collects?
It starts with the day you request or agree to repair. Keep that message separately from the collection receipt.
Does the waiting period end when repair is finished?
It ends with the day you receive the goods supplied in response to the repair request or agreement. Keep actual receipt evidence, rather than relying on the workshop completion date.
Does this deadline apply to stock bought for resale?
This consumer calculation does not apply to your business stock purchase. Check the contract and use the business faulty-goods guide; keep any consumer complaint separate from your supplier claim.