Understanding Your Consumer Rights on UK Junction

If you bought from a business seller

If the seller was acting in the course of a business or trade (for example, a shop, trader, or someone regularly selling professionally rather than as a private individual), your purchase is protected by the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Under this Act, goods must be:

If goods don't meet these standards, you may be entitled to a repair, replacement, price reduction, or refund, depending on how long you've had the item and whether you've already accepted it. If you bought from a business seller entirely online without meeting them first, you may also have a 14-day cancellation right under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, subject to the exceptions in those regulations.

• As described — matching the listing's description, photos, and any information given to you before you bought.
• Of satisfactory quality — fit for the purpose goods of that kind are normally used for, and free from significant faults, taking into account the price and any description given.
• Fit for purpose — including any particular purpose you told the seller about before buying.

If you bought from a private individual

Most sales on UK Junction are between private individuals, not businesses. Private sales are not covered by the Consumer Rights Act 2015 in the same way. A private seller's legal obligation is narrower: the item must match its description and the seller must have the legal right to sell it. A private seller is not required to guarantee the item's quality or fitness for purpose in the way a business must, and the 14-day cancellation right does not apply to private sales.

This is standard across all UK classifieds and marketplace platforms, not something specific to UK Junction, it reflects the difference in law between consumer contracts and private sales.

How to tell which applies

Check the listing and any messages with the seller. If they describe themselves as a business, shop, or trader, or if the scale and pattern of their selling suggests a business (regular, high-volume, or professional-looking listings), business protections are more likely to apply. If you're unsure, ask the seller directly before buying, and keep the answer in your UK Junction messages as a record.

If something goes wrong

1. Contact the seller first. Most issues are resolved directly, explain the problem and what you'd like (repair, replacement, refund).

2. Keep your evidence. Screenshots of the listing, your messages, and proof of payment all help if you need to take things further.

3. If the seller doesn't resolve it and they're a business, you can pursue your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 directly with them. Citizens Advice (citizensadvice.org.uk) has free guidance on how to do this.

4. If you believe the seller has broken UK Junction's rules (for example, a misleading listing, fraud, or refusal to engage at all), report the listing or user so our Trust & Safety team can review it. This is separate from your legal rights against the seller and doesn't replace them.

UK Junction is not able to act as a legal advisor, mediate individual purchase disputes, or guarantee a refund on your behalf for a transaction between users, since we're not a party to it. Our role is to provide reporting and moderation tools, and to remove sellers or listings that breach our rules.

Note

This page provides general information, not legal advice. If you need advice about a specific situation, contact Citizens Advice or a qualified solicitor.