Your rights when goods go wrong

It is for anyone thinking about, planning or making a move to Spain. You will learn what you can demand when goods are faulty or you change your mind, and what is only shop policy.

Start with "Legal guarantee (garantía legal): repair, replacement or refund". It explains how long your rights last, what remedies you can ask for and who has to prove what. The other pages build on it.

Key rules

• Guarantee length: New goods bought from a business in Spain are covered by the legal guarantee for three years from delivery.
• Proof of fault: A fault that appears within two years of delivery of new goods is presumed to have been there at delivery, so the seller must prove otherwise.
• Repair guarantee: A repair carries its own guarantee of three months from delivery of the repaired item.
• Who to claim from: You claim under the legal guarantee from the seller, not the manufacturer.
• Duration: New goods are covered for three years from the day they are delivered to you.
• Change of mind: Spain gives you no general right to return goods bought in a shop just because you changed your mind.

Your rights when goods go wrong: the whole process, step by step

From purchase to repair or refund

• Check whether you have a right to return, or only a shop's goodwill (Returning something to a Spanish shop when you changed your mind): at the till or straight after buying in a physical shop; the 14-day withdrawal right applies only to online and other distance purchases

• Decide if a warranty add-on is worth it (Manufacturer warranty (garantía comercial) and extended warranties: do you need them?): before you pay; a voluntary warranty never replaces your legal guarantee

• Claim from the seller if goods turn out faulty (Legal guarantee (garantía legal): repair, replacement or refund): within three years of delivery; a fault in the first two years is presumed to have been there at delivery

• Ask for repair or replacement first, then a price reduction or refund if that fails (Legal guarantee (garantía legal): repair, replacement or refund): after you report the fault; move on if the fix is impossible, not done in a reasonable time, or the fault returns

• Get a written quote before any repair work (Getting a faulty appliance repaired (servicio técnico) and spare parts): before the repairer starts; the final invoice cannot exceed the quote you accepted without your approval

• Use the repair guarantee if the same problem comes back (Getting a faulty appliance repaired (servicio técnico) and spare parts): within three months of getting the repaired item back

• Ask about spare parts for older durable goods (Getting a faulty appliance repaired (servicio técnico) and spare parts): for at least ten years after the product stops being made, for durable goods; some appliances have their own period

• Claim for faulty apps, games or streaming services (Your rights when apps, games or smart devices stop working): throughout the supply period for ongoing services; two years from delivery for one-off supplies. Updates, including security updates, are owed for as long as you can reasonably expect

Documents you may need

• Deposit receipt — Getting a faulty appliance repaired (servicio técnico) and spare parts

• Invoice — Getting a faulty appliance repaired (servicio técnico) and spare parts

• Written quote — Getting a faulty appliance repaired (servicio técnico) and spare parts

Your rights when goods go wrong: questions that cross several articles

Can I return something I bought in a shop if I just changed my mind?

No, Spanish law gives you no right to return a shop purchase because you changed your mind. Any return is the shop's own voluntary policy, unless the goods are faulty. Read the articles on returning something to a Spanish shop and on the legal guarantee.

Does a manufacturer warranty replace my legal guarantee?

No, a manufacturer warranty is voluntary and extra, and it never reduces your legal guarantee. If the warranty terms are worse than the advertising, the advertised terms apply. Read the articles on the manufacturer warranty and on the legal guarantee.

Who do I claim from if my appliance is faulty, the seller or the manufacturer?

You claim from the seller under the legal guarantee, not from the manufacturer. A manufacturer's own warranty, if there is one, binds the manufacturer on its own terms.

Do the same time limits apply to apps and smart devices as to ordinary goods?

No, digital products follow their own periods. Services supplied over time are covered throughout the supply, one-off digital supplies for two years from delivery, and updates are owed for the time you can reasonably expect. Read the articles on digital products and on the legal guarantee.

Does the repair guarantee extend my original guarantee?

No, a repair has its own three-month guarantee that runs separately from the legal guarantee on the original item. If the repair is made under the legal guarantee, that guarantee is extended by the time the item was unavailable. Read the articles on repairs and on the legal guarantee.