Since 2003, consumers have had extra benefit from The Sale And Supply of Goods To Consumers Regulations.
When goods are faulty, if you return them within six months then it’s up to the shop to prove they weren’t faulty when you bought them. After this, the burden of proof shifts and it’s up to you to prove they were faulty when you bought them.
But that’s not all. There’s another piece of legislation called the Limitations Act (it’s the Prescription and Limitation Act in Scotland) that can help you out.
You have up to six years after you bought a good to complain
(In Scotland, it’s five years after you first realised there was a problem)
This comes in handy if you buy goods, but don’t use them for a few months or if something breaks after the six month rule and the fault was likely to have been there all along. Yet the longer it’s been and the less durable the item, the harder it’ll be to fight for a full refund. In such a case, you might have to accept a partial refund or credit note.http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/consumer-rights-refunds-exchange#goods