When a repair goes wrong: what you are actually entitled to
The short answer
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a service must be provided with reasonable care and skill. That is statutory and no shop can sign it away. If a repair fails, raise it with the shop first, in writing if the conversation stalls, and the Small Claims Procedure exists if it cannot be resolved.
The right that matters most
A service bought in Ireland must be provided with reasonable care and skill. That is the standard, it comes from the Consumer Rights Act 2022, and it applies to a phone repair as much as to a plumber.
It cannot be signed away. A term on a docket, a sign on a wall or a line on a website that purports to remove it does not remove it, which is worth knowing when somebody points at small print.
Any warranty a shop offers is in addition to this, not instead of it. A 360-day warranty is a commercial promise on top of a statutory right.
What to do, in order
- Go back to the shop firstMost of this is resolved at a counter in ten minutes, and every process after this step assumes you tried.
- Be specific about what changedWhat worked before, what does not now, and when it started. That is far more useful than describing the phone as broken.
- Put it in writing if talking stallsAn email creates a record with a date on it. Keep it factual, say what you want to happen, and give a reasonable time to respond.
- Keep everythingThe receipt, the reference, the dates, and any messages. A clear timeline settles most disputes on its own.
- Get independent adviceThe CCPC publishes consumer guidance and runs a helpline. They are free and they are not connected to any shop.
- Small Claims if it comes to itThe District Court's Small Claims Procedure exists for consumer claims of this size and is designed to be used without a solicitor.
Separating a failed repair from a new fault
This is where most disputes actually live, and it is worth understanding rather than arguing about. A screen that fails on its own is a warranty matter. A screen that fails after the phone was dropped again is not.
The way to settle it is evidence on the device rather than assertion by either side. Fresh impact damage looks different from a panel that failed. A shop that shows you the difference is doing it properly; one that just says new damage without showing you is not.
It is also why a proper diagnostic tests everything before the repair. A device recorded as working end to end on the way out makes a later fault much easier to separate honestly.
If the shop has closed or will not engage
A repair paid for by card may be recoverable through your card provider. Chargeback rules vary and there are time limits, so ask early rather than after months of trying.
The CCPC cannot force a shop to pay you, and it can tell you where you stand and what the realistic options are, which is worth having before spending time on the rest.
The Small Claims Procedure is the practical route for a consumer claim of this size. It is deliberately accessible, it does not need a solicitor, and the fee is modest.
What we do at this end
Acknowledge a complaint the same working day and aim to give a full answer within five working days, and say so rather than leaving it open.
Tell you plainly when we think we got it wrong, and equally plainly when we do not, with the reason.
And publish where to go independently of us, which is on /complaints. A shop that only tells you about its own process is telling you half the story.
Common questions.
A service must be provided with reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2022. That is statutory and cannot be signed away by anything written on a docket or a website.
Ask them to show you on the device rather than tell you. Fresh impact damage looks different from a part that failed on its own. If you still disagree, put it in writing and get independent advice from the CCPC.
No. A term that purports to remove a statutory right does not remove it, whatever it says and wherever it is printed.
A District Court process for consumer claims of this size, designed to be used without a solicitor, with a modest fee. It is the practical route when a dispute cannot be resolved with the shop.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission publishes consumer guidance and runs a helpline. They have no connection to any repair shop and they will tell you straight.
Where this leads.
Next in rights and warranties.
Something actually broken? Bring it in.
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