Now, if you download music or buy ebooks, you can claim a replacement if the purchased digital content fails to work. The statutory rights covering cars and white goods will to be extended to apps and music downloads in a single piece of legislation.

The new British Consumer Rights Act will grant online shoppers the clear right to a repair or replacement when downloaded or streamed content like apps, music, movies or games is faulty. The new law clarifies rules on refunds, repairs or replacements and sets a 30-day timeframe to get a full refund.

The British spend about £90bn on goods and services every month, but in 2014 they faced more than 18m problems and were left over £4bn out of pocket. The Consumer Rights Act was previously unclear regarding digital content, and didn’t cover the growing demand for streamed and downloaded content. The statistics said that shoppers spent almost £3bn on downloaded music, video and games in 2014 – up 18% from 2013.

So, now, if you buy online anything from napkins to vehicle, you have 30 days to reject a faulty item and demand a full refund. The law clarified previously vague rules on the length of this period. After it expires, retailers have one opportunity to repair or replace a faulty product. If they don’t succeed in this, the consumer can then claim a refund or a price reduction. This term does not apply to digital purchases, but the sellers have one opportunity to repair or replace any goods, which is up to the consumer. The consumers will be able to return the faulty digital content for an immediate refund if it was inside a physical item (on a CD, for instance, or embedded in a digital camera).

As for in-app purchases (most often in games), retailers would have to provide a remedy if those didn’t appear in the game.

The new law would make it easier for UK shoppers to challenge hidden fees and charges, so the companies won’t be able to enforce terms in case they are deemed to be unfair, even if written in plain language. In addition, certified dispute resolution providers are set up as a quicker and cheaper alternative to legal actions.

According to the UK government, the new legislation will also simplify the law for businesses, as those won’t have to waste time worrying about unclear and unwieldy regulations.