I bought something faulty

Legal guarantee, returns for online purchases and how to complain when the seller does not fix it.

All paths

For those who prefer to read everything at once.

Ask for repair or replacement

Who to contact: DECO

What to do

  1. Tell the seller about the defect and ask for repair or replacement. The choice is yours unless it is impossible or disproportionate. Official source ↗
  2. The seller is liable for defects that appear within three years of delivery and, in the first two, they are presumed to have existed already. Official source ↗Official source ↗
  3. If repair or replacement does not work, you can ask for a price reduction or to cancel the contract. Official source ↗

What to prepare

  • Note the date you reported the defect: your rights expire two years after that notice. Official source ↗

Deadlines and timing

  • Repair or replacement should not exceed 30 days unless the complexity of the item justifies longer. Official source ↗
  • After a repair the item gets six more months of guarantee, up to four repairs. Official source ↗

Costs

More than two years: the burden of proof is yours

Who to contact: DECO

What to do

  1. The guarantee lasts three years from delivery, so you can still claim the defect. Official source ↗
  2. After the first two years, the consumer must prove the defect existed at delivery. Official source ↗
  3. For a used item, seller and buyer may have agreed to shorten the guarantee to 18 months. Check your contract. Official source ↗
  4. If the seller refuses, complain in the Complaints Book: an electronic complaint is as valid as a paper one. Official source ↗

Deadlines and timing

Recent online purchase: you can withdraw

Who to contact: Livro de Reclamações

What to do

  1. You can cancel the contract without giving a reason within 14 days. Official source ↗
  2. For goods, the period runs from the day you take possession of the product. Official source ↗
  3. If the product is faulty, the three-year guarantee also applies. Official source ↗

Deadlines and timing

Costs

  • Withdrawing should not cost you anything beyond what the law expressly provides. Official source ↗
Seller refuses: complain and use arbitration

Who to contact: Livro de Reclamações

What to do

  1. Complain in the Complaints Book, on paper in the shop or electronically at livroreclamacoes.pt. Both have the same validity. Official source ↗Official source ↗
  2. If there is no solution, ask a consumer dispute arbitration centre for mediation or arbitration. Official source ↗Official source ↗
  3. DECO also offers a form to ask for help with a complaint. Official source ↗

What to prepare

  • Ask for and keep the duplicate of a paper complaint: if you decline it, the business files it noting the refusal. Official source ↗

Deadlines and timing

  • For a paper complaint, the business must send the original to the competent authority within 15 working days. Official source ↗
  • While an out-of-court settlement attempt lasts, the expiry period for your rights is suspended. Official source ↗

Costs

See also

Last checked: 6 November 2026