Court ruling Consumer 2 June 2026 4 min read

Court confirms digital subscriptions fall under Consumer Rights Act 2015

A County Court ruling clarifies that streaming and software subscriptions are "digital content" under the Act, giving consumers the right to refunds for faulty service.

A County Court judgment handed down in May 2026 confirms that monthly streaming and software-as-a-service subscriptions qualify as "digital content" under Part 1, Chapter 3 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The court held that where a service is unavailable for a significant period — in this case 72 hours — the consumer has the right to a price reduction proportionate to the outage, even if the provider's terms claim otherwise.

The decision reinforces Which?'s consumer rights guidance that digital content must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described. Consumers who experienced outages during the relevant period can make a claim through the small claims track — court fees for claims up to £1,000 are currently £70, as set out on GOV.UK.

The judgment is published on BAILII. Citizens Advice has a step-by-step guide to problems with digital products.

Area Consumer

Type Court ruling

Published 2 June 2026

Status In force / published

What this means in practice

This court ruling affects Consumer matters in England & Wales. It is now published and applies. If this area of law is relevant to your situation, review any contracts, notices or deadlines that may be affected.

Read the official text

legislation.gov.uk Parliament.uk — Bills BAILII — Judgments GOV.UK UK Supreme Court EUR-Lex

Primary source

Consumer Rights Act 2015 — legislation.gov.uk

This item summarises a legal development for general information only. It is not legal advice. Always check the official text and, for your own situation, consult a qualified lawyer.

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