Seeking Refund Advice from John Lewis

ngc5195fly

Bought a Samsung Fold from John Lewis in July 2025. Screen along the fold has developed crackles/pops. I’ve sent photos/video, but they insist on repair/replacement or a loan phone. I’ve explained that being without the phone for 7–14 working days is highly inconvenient, and under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 I am well within my rights to request a refund. When I explained to the representative that being without a phone for this long would be highly inconvenient they said that this does not apply to John Lewis in this case.

Has anyone successfully refused a repair/replacement and obtained a full refund in a similar situation? Any advice appreciated!

Keep_pedalling

You might like to look more closely at what your rights actually are.

https://www.prestonredman.co.uk/site/news/consumer-rights-act-2015

Undervalued

ngc5195fly said:

Bought a Samsung Fold from John Lewis in July 2025. Screen along the fold has developed crackles/pops. I’ve sent photos/video, but they insist on repair/replacement or a loan phone. I’ve explained that being without the phone for 7–14 working days is highly inconvenient, and under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 I am well within my rights to request a refund. When I explained to the reprvsenratice that being without a phone for this long would be highly inconvenient they said this does not apply to John Lewis in this case.

Has anyone successfully refused a repair/replacement and obtained a full refund in a similar situation? Any advice appreciated!

Yes, you are within your rights to "request" a refund but JL are within their rights to only offer a repair. Being "highly inconvenient" doesn't change this. If the repair should fail then you would have a right to a refund but that could be reduced pro rata to reflect the length of use you have had from the phone.

MattMattMattUK

ngc5195fly said:

Undervalued said:

ngc5195fly said:

Bought a Samsung Fold from John Lewis in July 2025. Screen along the fold has developed crackles/pops. I’ve sent photos/video, but they insist on repair/replacement or a loan phone. I’ve explained that being without the phone for 7–14 working days is highly inconvenient, and under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 I am well within my rights to request a refund. When I explained to the reprvsenratice that being without a phone for this long would be highly inconvenient they said this does not apply to John Lewis in this case.

Has anyone successfully refused a repair/replacement and obtained a full refund in a similar situation? Any advice appreciated!

Yes, you are within your rights to "request" a refund but JL are within their rights to only offer a repair. Being "highly inconvenient" doesn't change this. If the repair should fail then you would have a right to a refund but that could be reduced pro rata to reflect the length of use you have had from the phone.

Thanks for your input. I understand what you’re saying about John Lewis’s guarantee, but it’s important to distinguish between a retailer’s guarantee and statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Because the fault appeared within six months of purchase, there’s a legal presumption that it was present at delivery. Under these rules, I am entitled to a refund, replacement, or repair, and I am not obligated to accept a repair if it is impractical or would cause significant disruption to my daily life.

In this case, a repair would leave me without my primary phone for essential tasks like banking, which is why I am requesting a refund rather than a repair.

So while JL may prefer a repair, legally they cannot override my statutory right to reject the faulty device and obtain a refund.

That is incorrect, after the first thirty days but before six months you do not have an immediate right to a refund, you have to give them one opportunity to repair or replace and it is their choice.

MattMattMattUK

ngc5195fly said:

Keep_pedalling said:

You might like to look more closely at what your rights actually are.

https://www.prestonredman.co.uk/site/news/consumer-rights-act-2015

Thanks for the link — actually, it backs up my case. The fault appeared within six months, so it’s presumed to have been there at delivery, and John Lewis would need to prove otherwise.

Even though the 30-day “right to reject” has passed, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 still gives me the right to a refund, replacement, or repair. I’m opting for a refund, because a repair isn’t practical for daily use and the fault could happen again.

So, while I get the point of the link, it supports my position legally.

No it does not, it specifically states you must give them one chance to repair.

flaneurs_lobster

Leaving aside your relationship with JL, is your phone registered with Samsung? Might have more success (where "success" = getting the screen protector replaced) by looking at a repair under the standard 2 year warranty. 

MattMattMattUK

ngc5195fly said:

MattMattMattUK said:

ngc5195fly said:

Keep_pedalling said:

You might like to look more closely at what your rights actually are.

https://www.prestonredman.co.uk/site/news/consumer-rights-act-2015

Thanks for the link — actually, it backs up my case. The fault appeared within six months, so it’s presumed to have been there at delivery, and John Lewis would need to prove otherwise.

Even though the 30-day “right to reject” has passed, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 still gives me the right to a refund, replacement, or repair. I’m opting for a refund, because a repair isn’t practical for daily use and the fault could happen again.

So, while I get the point of the link, it supports my position legally.

No it does not, it specifically states you must give them one chance to repair.

I get that a retailer can offer one repair or replacement within six months, but under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, I’m not obliged to accept a repair if it’s impractical. John Lewis have said a repair could take up to 28 working days, leaving me without my phone — which I use daily for essential tasks like banking — for nearly a month. That makes a repair impractical, so I am legally entitled to reject the device and request a refund.

The CRA does not mention "impractical" it states "within a reasonable timeframe". That is rarely tested in court, but when it has been a month has been deemed reasonable.

Still, if you want to spend months taking them to court, go for it.

ngc5195fly

MattMattMattUK said:

ngc5195fly said:

Keep_pedalling said:

You might like to look more closely at what your rights actually are.

https://www.prestonredman.co.uk/site/news/consumer-rights-act-2015

Thanks for the link — actually, it backs up my case. The fault appeared within six months, so it’s presumed to have been there at delivery, and John Lewis would need to prove otherwise.

Even though the 30-day “right to reject” has passed, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 still gives me the right to a refund, replacement, or repair. I’m opting for a refund, because a repair isn’t practical for daily use and the fault could happen again.

So, while I get the point of the link, it supports my position legally.

No it does not, it specifically states you must give them one chance to repair.

I would like to emphasise on the fact that I am not against the repair but I am against the fact that I could be without a phone for up to 28 days which to me seems unreasonable and enough of a reason to reject the repair. 

sheramber

Up to 28.  Days does not mean it will take 28 days so you cannot prove the time taken  is unreasonable until it happens. 

flaneurs_lobster

ngc5195fly said:

MattMattMattUK said:

ngc5195fly said:

Keep_pedalling said:

You might like to look more closely at what your rights actually are.

https://www.prestonredman.co.uk/site/news/consumer-rights-act-2015

Thanks for the link — actually, it backs up my case. The fault appeared within six months, so it’s presumed to have been there at delivery, and John Lewis would need to prove otherwise.

Even though the 30-day “right to reject” has passed, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 still gives me the right to a refund, replacement, or repair. I’m opting for a refund, because a repair isn’t practical for daily use and the fault could happen again.

So, while I get the point of the link, it supports my position legally.

No it does not, it specifically states you must give them one chance to repair.

I get that a retailer can offer one repair or replacement within six months, but under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, I’m not obliged to accept a repair if it’s impractical. John Lewis have said a repair could take up to 28 working days, leaving me without my phone — which I use daily for essential tasks like banking — for nearly a month. That makes a repair impractical, so I am legally entitled to reject the device and request a refund.

Don't think it's impractical if they've offered you a loaner for the duration of the repair.

ngc5195fly

sheramber said:

Up to 28.  Days does not mean it will take 28 days so you cannot prove the time taken  is unreasonable until it happens. 

sheramber said:

Up to 28.  Days does not mean it will take 28 days so you cannot prove the time taken  is unreasonable until it happens. 

sheramber said:

Up to 28.  Days does not mean it will take 28 days so you cannot prove the time taken  is unreasonable until it happens. 

That’s true in theory, but the law doesn’t require me to wait for it to become unreasonable in practice. The retailer has already stated that the repair can take up to 28 working days — that’s their own timescale — and I’m entitled to decide whether that’s practical for me.

Given that this is my primary phone used daily for banking, work, and authentication, being without it for potentially four weeks is clearly impractical. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, I can therefore refuse the repair on that basis and request a refund instead.