The shop refused my refund. What are my rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act in New Zealand?

Last updated 18 May 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.

Every New Zealander has had this conversation at least once. You bought something, it broke or did not work properly, you took it back to the shop, and someone behind the counter told you that you were not entitled to a refund because the warranty had expired, or you did not have the receipt, or you should have read the terms and conditions, or you should be talking to the manufacturer instead. Most of those answers are wrong, and the law that says they are wrong is one of the strongest consumer protection regimes in the world.

This guide walks through your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 in New Zealand in 2026, what shops and businesses are actually required to do when something goes wrong, the difference between minor and major faults (and why it matters), and what to do when the shop refuses to play ball. It also covers the Disputes Tribunal, which had its claim limit doubled to $60,000 on 24 January 2026, and is the single most powerful tool ordinary consumers have for forcing businesses to honour their obligations.

This is general information, not legal advice. Every claim ties back to the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and recent Disputes Tribunal decisions.

The starting point, what the CGA actually says

The Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 (CGA) is a statute that sets out a series of guarantees that automatically apply whenever a business sells goods or services to a consumer in New Zealand. You do not have to ask for them. You do not have to negotiate them into the contract. They apply by operation of law to almost every retail transaction.

There are five core guarantees for goods, and three for services. Get to know them, because they are the foundation of every refund argument you will ever need to make.

For goods (sections 5-12 of the Act):

• Acceptable quality (section 7). Goods must be fit for the purposes goods of that type are normally used for, acceptable in appearance and finish, free from defects, safe, and durable. The test is what a reasonable consumer would expect, considering the nature of the goods, the price, and any representations made about them.
• Fit for any particular purpose (section 8). If you told the seller you wanted the goods for a specific purpose (or the seller knew or should have known the purpose), they must be fit for that purpose. If you tell a paint shop you want paint for an outdoor deck and they sell you indoor paint, the paint is not fit for the purpose you specified.
• Match the description (section 9). Goods must match how they were described, in advertising, on packaging, by the salesperson, or in the contract. A washing machine described as “8 kg capacity” must actually wash 8 kg loads.
• Match the sample or demonstration model (section 10). If you bought based on a sample or demo, the goods must match.
• Reasonable price (section 11). If the price was not agreed in advance, you only have to pay a reasonable price.

For services (sections 28-32 of the Act):

• Reasonable care and skill (section 28). The service provider must carry out the service with the care and skill of a competent professional in their field.
• Fit for any particular purpose (section 29). Like goods, services must be fit for any purpose the consumer made known.
• Completed within a reasonable time (section 30). If no time is agreed, the service must be done within a reasonable timeframe.

If any of these guarantees is breached, the consumer has remedies. The remedy depends on whether the problem is minor or major, and whether it can be fixed.

The minor vs major fault distinction, the single most important concept

The CGA splits problems into two categories, and it matters enormously which one you are in.

A minor fault is one that can be fixed within a reasonable time. The classic example is a button falling off a new shirt, or a small mark on a fridge door that can be polished out.

A major fault (called a “failure of a substantial character” in section 21 of the Act) is one that:

• A reasonable consumer would not have bought the goods if they had known about it, or
• The goods are significantly different from how they were described, sampled, or demonstrated, or
• The goods are substantially unfit for purpose and cannot be remedied within a reasonable time, or
• The goods are unsafe

The reason this distinction is so important is that for a minor fault, the seller chooses the remedy. They can repair, replace, or refund, their pick. For a major fault, you choose. You can reject the goods and demand a refund, or accept a replacement, or keep the goods and claim compensation for the reduction in value.

In practice, this means the threshold question in every CGA dispute is: is this a major fault or a minor fault? If it is major, the consumer is in the driver’s seat. If it is minor, the seller is.

Working examples:

• New $2,000 TV stops working after six months: major fault (you would not have bought it knowing it would fail). You can demand a refund.
• New $2,000 TV has a slightly loose remote button: minor fault. The shop can elect to fix the remote rather than refund.
• New car has a faulty radio: minor fault. Seller can repair.
• New car has a faulty engine that the dealer cannot fix within a reasonable time: major fault. You can reject and demand refund.
• $200 boots leak after one rainy day: major fault (boots are supposed to be waterproof). Refund.
• $200 boots have minor wear on the heel stitching after six months: depending on context, could be acceptable wear, or a minor fault, or unfit for purpose. The Disputes Tribunal would consider what a reasonable consumer would expect.

The seller cannot tell you “it’s a minor fault” just to avoid giving you a refund. If you say it is a major fault, and they say it is minor, that is a dispute. If it cannot be resolved, the Disputes Tribunal decides.

The guarantee of durability, the most underused right

This is the guarantee shops most often try to talk customers out of, and it is the one most consumers do not know they have.

Section 7(1)(e) of the CGA says that goods must be “as durable as a reasonable consumer would regard as acceptable having regard to the nature of the goods, the price… and any statements made about the goods on any packaging or label on the goods.”

There is no fixed time limit on this guarantee in the Act. The “twelve month manufacturer’s warranty” is not the cut-off for your rights. It is the cut-off for the manufacturer’s separate, voluntary, additional promise. The CGA’s durability guarantee operates entirely separately and lasts for however long a reasonable consumer would expect the goods to last.

The classic Disputes Tribunal example is the TV that fails just outside the 12-month warranty. A $3,000 TV that fails at 13 or 14 months has clearly not been “as durable as a reasonable consumer would regard as acceptable.” Multiple Disputes Tribunal decisions have ordered full refunds in exactly that scenario. The shop’s standard line, “your warranty expired”, is legally wrong.

How long is “reasonable” durability? It depends on the goods, the price, and what was said at the time of sale.

• A $50 kettle: maybe 2 to 3 years
• A $500 kettle: maybe 5 years
• A $3,000 TV: probably 5 to 7 years
• A $50,000 car: probably 10 or more years for major mechanical components
• A $5 plastic dish brush: probably 6 months

The Disputes Tribunal applies this test in a common-sense way. The question is what would a reasonable consumer have expected, knowing what was paid and what was promised.

The shop is who you deal with, not the manufacturer

This is the second thing shops most often try to deflect on. They tell you “you need to talk to [the manufacturer]” and refuse to deal with the problem.

Wrong. The CGA places primary responsibility on the supplier, the business that sold you the goods. That is the shop. If the stitching comes apart on your new shoes, you take them back to the shop where you bought them, not to the factory in Vietnam. The shop has to sort it out.

The supplier may have a separate right to recover from the manufacturer behind the scenes. That is the supplier’s problem, not yours. From your perspective, you bought from the shop, the shop is responsible.

The same applies online. If you buy online from a New Zealand business, that business is the supplier and is responsible under the CGA. If you buy from an overseas business with no New Zealand presence, the CGA may not apply, and your remedies will depend on the platform’s policies and consumer protection law in the seller’s country.

What if I do not have the receipt

Another common deflection. Shops sometimes insist on the original receipt as a condition of any return.

The receipt is useful evidence that you bought the goods from that shop, but it is not legally required to bring a CGA claim. Any reasonable proof of purchase will do, a bank statement showing the transaction, an email confirmation for an online order, a loyalty card record, a photograph of the receipt, or even a statement from someone who was with you when you bought it.

If the shop has its own records (most do, for warranty or stock control purposes), they can verify the purchase from their end. A bank or credit card statement showing a payment to the shop on the relevant date is usually sufficient.

What is not covered

A few things sit outside the CGA, or are limited in how it applies.

Goods bought from private sellers (not in trade). The CGA only applies when the seller is in trade. If you buy a second-hand fridge from someone on Trade Me who is not a business, the CGA does not apply. Your remedies in that case are under contract law and the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017.

Goods bought for business or commercial purposes. The CGA applies to goods bought for “personal, domestic or household use.” A business buying machinery to use in its business does not get the same protection. There is an exception: if the business specifically buys consumer-grade goods normally used domestically, the CGA can still apply.

Goods bought at auction or by tender. Section 41 has specific provisions for these.

Damage you caused. If you misused the goods, used them in an unreasonable way, or failed to follow clear instructions, the supplier is not liable. A recent Disputes Tribunal case involved a customer claiming $693 for chair fabric wear where the chairs had been repeatedly pushed into a stone table. The Tribunal held that this was unreasonable use and the supplier was not responsible.

“As is, where is” sales. A seller can sell goods on the basis that they are not covered by the CGA’s quality or fitness guarantees, but only in limited circumstances and with clear disclosure. The “as is” label has to be a genuine and prominent statement, and the buyer must accept it knowingly. Most retail sales cannot be made “as is.”

Wear and tear from normal use. The guarantees do not require goods to last forever. Reasonable wear and tear after extended use is not a defect.

Contracting out, when is it allowed

The general rule is that the CGA cannot be contracted out of for ordinary consumer purchases. Any term in the contract that purports to exclude or limit the consumer’s rights under the Act is void.

There is one main exception. If both parties are in trade (the buyer is a business) and they agree in writing that the CGA does not apply, they can contract out. This is what business-to-business contracts often do.

For consumer-to-business sales, no. The shop cannot put “no refunds” on a sign and have that override the CGA. The shop cannot put “all sales final” in the receipt and have that override the CGA. The shop cannot tell you “you have to read the terms and conditions, which exclude refunds” and have that override the CGA. None of those statements are legally effective against the CGA’s protections.

If a business misleads you about your rights under the CGA, that is itself a breach of the Fair Trading Act 1986 and you can complain to the Commerce Commission on 0800 943 600.

The remedies, what you can actually get

When the supplier is in breach of a guarantee, the CGA provides specific remedies.

For a minor fault:

• The supplier can choose to repair the goods, replace them with goods of the same type, or refund the purchase price
• Whichever the supplier chooses, it must be done within a reasonable time and at no charge
• If the supplier does not deal with it within a reasonable time, you can have it fixed elsewhere and recover the cost from the supplier, or reject the goods

For a major fault (failure of substantial character):

• You can reject the goods and choose between a full refund or a replacement of the same type and similar value
• Alternatively, you can keep the goods and claim compensation for the drop in value
• The refund must be in cash or a reversal of the original payment method, not store credit or vouchers (the supplier cannot satisfy the obligation by making you buy something else)

Consequential loss (section 18(4)). On top of the basic remedy, you can claim for “any reasonably foreseeable extra loss” caused by the breach. The classic example is laundry costs while your faulty washing machine is being repaired, or the cost of hiring a replacement vehicle while your faulty car is in the workshop, or the food that spoiled when your faulty fridge stopped working.

Repair and recover costs. If the supplier refuses to fix the goods, or fails to do so within a reasonable time, you can take the goods elsewhere for repair and recover the reasonable cost from the original supplier (section 18(2)(b)).

For services (section 32):

• Cancel the service contract, pay only for satisfactory work already done, and get someone else to finish
• Have the work corrected elsewhere and recover the cost from the original provider
• Claim for the drop in value caused by the defective service

The step-by-step process for getting your refund

Here is the practical sequence that works.

Step one. Identify the breach. Which guarantee has been broken? Is it acceptable quality, durability, fit for purpose, match description, or one of the service guarantees? Be specific. “It doesn’t work” is not a CGA argument. “The goods are not of acceptable quality under section 7 because they fail to function as expected for goods of this type” is.

Step two. Identify whether it is a major or minor fault. This determines who chooses the remedy.

Step three. Decide what you want. Refund, replacement, repair, or compensation? For a minor fault, the seller chooses, but you can state your preference. For a major fault, you choose.

Step four. Approach the shop politely and firmly. Most CGA disputes are resolved at this stage if the consumer knows their rights. Bring the goods, the receipt or proof of purchase, and a clear statement of the breach and the remedy you want.

A useful script. “This [item] has [specific fault]. Under the Consumer Guarantees Act, goods must be [acceptable quality / fit for purpose / durable]. This is a [major / minor] fault. I am seeking a [refund / replacement / repair].”

Step five. Escalate within the business if necessary. Ask for the manager. Then the regional or area manager. Then head office or the corporate customer service team. Many issues are resolved at this level once you go above the first counter staff.

Step six. Put it in writing. If verbal contact does not work, follow up with a letter or email. State the facts, the breach of the CGA, the remedy you want, and a deadline (10 working days is usually reasonable). Keep a copy. The written record matters for any subsequent action.

A template:

> Dear [Manager], > On [date] I purchased [item] from [shop] for $[amount]. Within [time period], the goods have developed the following fault: [describe specifically]. > Under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, goods must be of acceptable quality and as durable as a reasonable consumer would expect. This is a [major / minor] fault, and the goods do not meet the acceptable quality guarantee under section 7 of the Act. > I am seeking [refund / replacement / repair] within [10 working days]. If this is not resolved by [date], I will lodge a claim with the Disputes Tribunal under the Consumer Guarantees Act. > Yours faithfully, [Name]

Step seven. Lodge a Disputes Tribunal claim. If the shop refuses, this is the enforcement mechanism. Cost is modest, no lawyers, hearing within about 6 weeks.

The Disputes Tribunal, the consumer’s most powerful tool

The Disputes Tribunal is a specialist body that hears civil disputes up to $60,000 in value. It is part of the District Court system but operates much more informally. There are no lawyers, no judges, and the procedure is designed for ordinary people to use without representation.

Recent change. On 24 January 2026, the financial jurisdiction of the Tribunal was increased from $30,000 to $60,000 under the Disputes Tribunal Amendment Act 2025. This was the first increase in over a decade and dramatically expands what consumers can claim. For most CGA disputes, the new limit is more than enough.

Filing fees:

• Claims up to $2,000: $59.74
• Claims from $2,001 to $5,000: $114.69
• Claims from $5,001 to $30,000: $234.65
• Claims from $30,001 to $60,000: $468 (new tier introduced with the jurisdiction increase)

You can file online through the Disputes Tribunal website or in person at any District Court. The form is straightforward. You set out the parties, the facts, and what you are claiming.

Service. Once filed, the Tribunal serves the claim on the other party (the shop). They have 14 days to respond.

The hearing. Held at the local District Court, in a private hearing room (not open court). Lawyers are not allowed. The hearing is run by a Referee whose job is to investigate the facts and reach a decision on the merits. Hearings typically last one to two hours. The atmosphere is informal but the decision is binding.

Preparation. Bring your evidence. Receipts, photos, correspondence with the shop, repair quotes, witness statements if relevant. Prepare a short written summary of the facts and what you are seeking. Be specific about which CGA guarantee was breached. Have a clear timeline.

The Referee asks questions of both sides, examines the evidence, and either gives a decision on the day or reserves it for a written decision within a few weeks.

Decisions are binding and enforceable. If the shop is ordered to pay you a refund and they do not, you can enforce the decision through the District Court as if it were a court order.

Appeals are limited. You can only appeal a Disputes Tribunal decision on the grounds that the Referee ran the matter in a way that was procedurally unfair, and that the unfairness affected the result. You cannot appeal just because you disagree with the decision. This is by design, the Tribunal is meant to be quick and final.

Real Disputes Tribunal cases that consumers won

Recent decisions show the kind of disputes that succeed.

A couple’s hardwood outdoor furniture began deteriorating three years after purchase despite occasional outdoor wood treatment. The store offered 50% credit, citing the expired two-year warranty. The Tribunal held that under the “fit for purpose” guarantee, the furniture should have lasted longer, and ordered a full refund.

A customer had over $1,500 of dental work that did not resolve their pain. A second dentist fixed the problem. The Tribunal held that the original dentist had breached the reasonable care and skill guarantee for services, and ordered a full refund.

A customer paid $1,000 for a purebred Rottweiler puppy that developed a genetic disease at four months. The breeder refused to help, saying the dog should have been vet-checked within two days of purchase. The Tribunal held the breeder liable under the CGA’s acceptable quality guarantee and ordered the breeder to pay for the dog’s reduction in value plus ongoing treatment costs.

A $2,999 TV failed just outside the 12-month manufacturer’s warranty. The store said “not our problem.” The Tribunal ordered a full refund plus $150 for the customer’s repair inspection fee, on the basis that a $2,999 TV should last much longer than 12 months.

These are not unusual cases. The Tribunal hears thousands of CGA disputes a year, and the pattern is consistent. Where the consumer has a genuine breach, evidence to back it up, and has tried to resolve it with the shop first, the Tribunal typically rules for the consumer.

When the shop has gone out of business

This is the worst-case scenario. If the shop has gone into liquidation, your CGA claim against the shop is essentially worthless, you become an unsecured creditor at the back of the queue.

But you may still have options:

Credit card chargebacks. If you paid by credit card and the goods were faulty or not as described, your credit card provider may be able to reverse the transaction (a chargeback). Time limits apply, typically 120 days from purchase or from when the problem became apparent. Contact your bank as soon as you know there is a problem.

The manufacturer’s warranty. If the manufacturer is still trading, you may be able to claim under the manufacturer’s separate warranty. This is different from the CGA but can provide a parallel remedy.

Trade-specific schemes. Some industries have dispute resolution schemes (the Banking Ombudsman, the Telecommunications Dispute Resolution scheme, the Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman). These survive the collapse of individual businesses.

Builders and tradespeople. The Building Act 2004 has specific protections, and licensed building practitioners are required to be members of a dispute resolution scheme.

Online shopping and overseas purchases

The CGA applies to purchases from any business that “supplies in New Zealand,” which generally includes:

• Any New Zealand-based online retailer
• Any overseas retailer that has a New Zealand presence (a NZ office, a .co.nz website specifically targeting NZ consumers, NZ-dollar pricing as the default)

The CGA may not apply to:

• Purchases directly from overseas retailers with no NZ presence (you bought a sweater on a US-based website that ships internationally)
• Purchases from individual sellers on platforms like eBay, even if the platform is NZ-based, where the seller is not in trade

In practice, your protections for direct overseas purchases are usually:

• The platform’s own consumer protection policies (Amazon, AliExpress, etc. have varying protections)
• Credit card chargebacks
• Consumer protection law in the seller’s country (rarely worth pursuing)

For Trade Me, the platform is NZ-based but the protections depend on whether the seller is a registered business (in which case CGA applies) or an individual (where the CGA generally does not).

What if the goods are faulty but I have used them for a while

The CGA does not require you to return goods immediately. You have a “reasonable time” to discover a fault and to bring a claim. What counts as reasonable depends on the nature of the goods and the fault.

If you bought a coat in summer and discover in autumn that the waterproofing does not work, the time between purchase and the discovery of the fault is not a bar to claim. You discovered the fault the first time you actually used the coat for its waterproof purpose.

If you used the goods and contributed to the wear or damage during that time, the Tribunal might reduce your remedy to account for the use you got out of them. But the use itself does not extinguish the right.

Where the supplier has previously attempted repair and the repair failed, you generally have a renewed right to reject the goods, multiple failed repairs is itself evidence of a major fault.

Free help when you need it

You do not have to figure this out alone.

• Consumer Protection (a government website) has a complaint guide and template letters
• The Commerce Commission on 0800 943 600 takes complaints about misleading conduct by businesses
• Consumer NZ has detailed guides on specific products and the CGA (paid membership for the full advice line)
• Citizens Advice Bureau provides free general guidance on consumer rights
• Community Law Centres provide free initial legal advice
• The Disputes Tribunal website has a step-by-step guide to filing a claim

For most consumer disputes, you do not need a lawyer. The Disputes Tribunal is specifically designed for ordinary people to use without representation, and lawyers are not allowed in hearings.

The takeaway

Consumer rights in New Zealand are stronger than most New Zealanders realise. The Consumer Guarantees Act is a serious piece of legislation that automatically applies to almost every retail transaction, and it cannot be signed away or excluded by shop policy. The standard shop tactics, “your warranty has expired”, “go to the manufacturer”, “no receipt, no refund”, “it’s not a major fault”, “you should have read the terms”, are usually legally wrong.

The pattern that works:

• Know which guarantee was breached and whether the fault is major or minor
• Speak to the shop politely, firmly, and with specific reference to the CGA
• Escalate within the business if necessary
• Put it in writing with a deadline
• Lodge a Disputes Tribunal claim if the shop refuses

The Disputes Tribunal is the enforcement mechanism that makes the CGA work. With the limit raised to $60,000 from 24 January 2026, almost every consumer dispute that ordinary New Zealanders face can be resolved through this forum, quickly, cheaply, and without lawyers. Hearings are typically within six weeks of filing. The Referees apply natural justice and a common-sense reading of the law. Decisions are binding and enforceable.

The single most important piece of advice. Do not pay for a “fix” or buy a replacement somewhere else before you have given the original shop a proper chance to honour their CGA obligations. Once you have remedied the fault elsewhere, you may have given up your strongest claim against the original supplier. Put the problem to them first, in writing, with the specific breach and the deadline, and then go to the Tribunal if they refuse.

The CGA is one of the things New Zealand quietly does well. It just takes a bit of knowledge to make it work for you.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Consumer Guarantees Act in New Zealand

The Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 is the statute that sets out the legal guarantees consumers automatically get when buying goods or services from a business in New Zealand. It covers acceptable quality, fit for purpose, match the description, durability, and reasonable price for goods. For services it covers reasonable care and skill, fitness for purpose, and completion within a reasonable time. The guarantees apply by operation of law and cannot be contracted out of for consumer purchases.

Can a shop refuse to refund me in New Zealand

Not for a CGA breach. A shop cannot refuse to honour the Consumer Guarantees Act, regardless of what its signs, receipts, or terms and conditions say. The Act overrides shop policy. If the goods have a major fault you can demand a refund. For a minor fault the shop can choose repair, replace or refund, but cannot just refuse to do anything. “No refunds” signs do not override the CGA.

What is the difference between a major fault and a minor fault under the CGA

A major fault (called a failure of substantial character in section 21) is one a reasonable consumer would not have bought knowing about, makes the goods significantly different from how they were described, makes them substantially unfit for purpose and unable to be remedied within a reasonable time, or makes them unsafe. A minor fault is anything else that can be fixed within a reasonable time. For a major fault, the consumer chooses the remedy. For a minor fault, the seller does.

Does the manufacturer’s warranty replace my Consumer Guarantees Act rights

No. The manufacturer’s 12-month warranty is the manufacturer’s separate, voluntary, additional promise. It does not replace or limit your CGA rights against the shop. The CGA’s durability guarantee has no fixed time limit and applies for as long as a reasonable consumer would expect the goods to last. The Disputes Tribunal has repeatedly ordered full refunds where goods have failed shortly after the manufacturer’s warranty expired.

Do I need the receipt to get a refund in New Zealand

No. The receipt is useful evidence but is not legally required. Any reasonable proof of purchase will do, a bank or credit card statement, an email order confirmation, a loyalty card record, or a photo of the receipt. The shop’s own records can also verify the purchase. Refusing a refund because you do not have the original receipt is not a valid reason under the CGA.

Can a shop say “no refunds” on a sign in New Zealand

A shop can put any sign up it likes, but a “no refunds” sign does not override the Consumer Guarantees Act. Any term that purports to exclude or limit a consumer’s CGA rights is void for ordinary consumer sales. A business that tells you the sign overrides the law is also breaching the Fair Trading Act 1986, which is a matter for the Commerce Commission.

How long are goods supposed to last under the CGA

There is no fixed time limit. The durability guarantee under section 7(1)(e) says goods must be as durable as a reasonable consumer would regard as acceptable given the nature of the goods, the price, and any statements made about them. A $3,000 TV is expected to last much longer than a $50 kettle. The Disputes Tribunal applies this in a common-sense way and routinely orders refunds for expensive goods that fail well within their reasonable life.

What is the Disputes Tribunal and how do I file a claim in New Zealand

The Disputes Tribunal is the consumer’s enforcement mechanism for the CGA. It hears civil claims up to $60,000 (since 24 January 2026), with no lawyers, an informal hearing, and a binding decision usually within six weeks of filing. Filing fees range from $59.74 to $468 depending on the claim size. You can file online at disputestribunal.govt.nz or in person at any District Court. The form is straightforward and the process is designed for ordinary people without representation.

Can I claim against an overseas online retailer under the CGA

Only if the overseas retailer has a New Zealand presence (a NZ office, a .co.nz site specifically targeting NZ consumers, NZ-dollar default pricing). For direct purchases from overseas retailers with no NZ presence, the CGA may not apply. Your remedies in that case are usually the platform’s own consumer policies (Amazon, AliExpress, etc.) and credit card chargebacks.

Does the Consumer Guarantees Act apply to second-hand goods in New Zealand

Yes, if the seller is in trade (a second-hand dealer, an op shop run as a business, a car yard). The guarantees apply but are calibrated to the lower price and condition. A 10-year-old car sold for $3,000 is not held to the same standard as a new $30,000 car. The CGA does not apply to private second-hand sales (between individuals not in trade), such as most listings between private people on Trade Me.

What can I claim if my faulty fridge spoils all my food in New Zealand

Both the cost of the faulty fridge (under the basic CGA remedy) and the food that spoiled (as consequential loss under section 18(4) of the Act). Consequential loss is any reasonably foreseeable extra loss caused by the breach. The classic examples are spoiled food from a faulty fridge, laundry costs while a faulty washing machine is being repaired, and replacement vehicle hire while a faulty car is in the workshop.

What is the new $60,000 Disputes Tribunal limit and when did it change

The Disputes Tribunal limit doubled from $30,000 to $60,000 on 24 January 2026, under the Disputes Tribunal Amendment Act 2025. It was the first increase in more than a decade. A new fee tier of $468 applies to claims between $30,001 and $60,000. For most ordinary consumer disputes, the new limit is more than enough.

Have you successfully forced a shop to honour the Consumer Guarantees Act, or won a refund at the Disputes Tribunal? Tell us how in the comments below.