Regulated by Trading Standards

How to complain to John Lewis

Retail is the one sector where you hold the strongest statutory rights and the weakest escalation route. The Consumer Rights Act gives you a hard 30-day right to reject faulty goods for a full refund, but there is no retail ombudsman, so if the shop says no your leverage is your card provider or the small claims court.

The rights that apply when you complain to John Lewis

John Lewis is a UK retailer, so the rules below are the ones that decide your complaint. Each is named, because a letter that cites the specific rule is handled by a different team to one that does not.

Goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for the purpose you made known, and as described. That is a statutory term of every consumer sale, and it cannot be excluded. Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 9, 10 and 11
For 30 days from delivery you can reject faulty goods outright and demand a full refund. You do not have to accept a repair or a credit note. Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 20 and 22
After 30 days the retailer gets one attempt at repair or replacement. If that fails, you can demand a price reduction or reject the goods for a refund, which may be reduced for use after the first six months. Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 23 and 24
A fault that appears within six months of delivery is presumed to have been there at delivery. The retailer has to prove otherwise. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 19(14)
Anything bought online, by phone or at your door can be cancelled within 14 days of delivery for any reason at all, and the refund must follow within 14 days of the goods coming back. Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013
Goods must be delivered within 30 days unless you agreed a different date, and the goods remain at the retailer’s risk until they are in your physical possession. Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 28 and 29

John Lewis complaints line: 0345 604 9049 — put the complaint in writing as well. A phone call leaves no record you can rely on later.

The deadlines that decide your claim

30 days — the short-term right to reject

The strongest right you have, and the shortest. Inside 30 days of delivery a faulty item can be handed back for a full cash refund with no argument about repairs.

14 days — the distance selling cancellation window

For anything bought at a distance you have 14 days from delivery to say you are cancelling, then a further 14 days to send it back. This is a right to change your mind and needs no fault at all.

6 months — the burden of proof flips

Inside six months the retailer proves the goods were fine. After six months you prove they were not, which usually means an independent report.

6 years — the outer limit

A claim for breach of the statutory terms can be brought for six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, five in Scotland. Retailers often imply the manufacturer warranty is the limit. It is not.

What to put in the letter to John Lewis

Complaints teams work from a script. The detail below is what moves a case off that script and onto the desk of someone who can authorise a remedy.

The order number, the delivery date and the date the fault appeared, because those three dates decide which remedy you get.
Which statutory right you are exercising, named. "I am exercising the short-term right to reject under section 20 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015" reads very differently to "the product is rubbish".
A photograph or video of the fault, and any independent report if you are past six months.
A deadline for the refund, normally 14 days, and a statement that you will pursue a chargeback or a section 75 claim and then a county court claim if it is not met.

If John Lewis says no, or says nothing

Escalate to chargeback, section 75 or the small claims court.

When you can go: There is no ombudsman for this sector, so once the company has given you its final answer the next step is your card provider or the county court.

How long you have: Chargeback is normally 120 days from the transaction or from when you expected delivery. A court claim is six years from the breach in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, five in Scotland.

What it costs: Chargeback and section 75 are free. A money claim under £300 costs £35 to issue online, rising with the value of the claim.

Whether it binds John Lewis: A county court judgment is binding and enforceable. A chargeback can be reversed by the merchant, a section 75 claim can be taken to the Financial Ombudsman if the card issuer refuses it.

Worth knowing before you start

There is no ombudsman for retail. Some retailers voluntarily join a scheme such as the Retail ADR service, and if yours does you should use it, but you cannot force a retailer into ADR. In practice the effective escalation is a chargeback through your card scheme, a section 75 claim against a credit card issuer for purchases over £100, or a claim in the county court.

Common questions

The shop says I have to take a repair, not a refund. Are they right?

Not if you are within 30 days of delivery. Section 20 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you a short-term right to reject faulty goods and receive a full refund, and the retailer cannot substitute a repair, a replacement or a credit note without your agreement. Past 30 days the retailer does get one attempt at repair or replacement first, and only if that fails do you get back to a refund or a price reduction.

They told me to contact the manufacturer. Do I have to?

No. Your contract is with the retailer that sold you the item, and the statutory rights in the Consumer Rights Act run against the retailer. A manufacturer warranty is an extra, voluntary promise sitting on top of that. You can use it if it is quicker, but the retailer cannot use it to get out of its own obligations. Say so in writing.

How does chargeback work and when should I use it?

Chargeback is a card scheme process, not a legal right, and it lets your bank claw a payment back from the retailer’s bank where goods never arrived, arrived faulty, or were not as described. It works for debit and credit cards, there is no minimum value, and the usual window is 120 days from the transaction or from when you expected delivery. Ask your bank for a chargeback in writing. For credit card purchases over £100, section 75 is stronger because it is a statutory right rather than a scheme rule.

Is the small claims court worth it for a few hundred pounds?

Often, yes. A money claim under £300 costs £35 to issue online and the small claims track does not normally award the other side’s legal costs against you, which removes the usual risk. Most retailers settle once a claim is issued. Send a letter before action first, giving 14 days, because the court expects it and it frequently resolves the matter on its own.

Where this comes from

Every rule on this page is drawn from primary legislation, a regulator, or an approved dispute resolution scheme. Check them yourself.

Paybacker is not a law firm and this is not legal advice. It is a summary of the published rules that apply to a retailer, so that you can put your own case properly. For a dispute of real value, or anything turning on facts unique to you, speak to a solicitor or Citizens Advice.

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