diff --git a/lib/createsend/createsend.py b/lib/createsend/createsend.py
index 6e749dd..b1156dd 100644
--- a/lib/createsend/createsend.py
+++ b/lib/createsend/createsend.py
@@ -229,9 +229,11 @@ def handle_response(self, status, data):
         elif status == 404:
             raise NotFound()
         elif status in range(400, 500):
-            raise ClientError()
+              json_data = json_to_py(data)
+              raise ClientError(f"Code: {json_data.Code} {json_data.Message}")
         elif status in range(500, 600):
-            raise ServerError()
+            json_data = json_to_py(data)
+            raise ServerError(f"Code: {json_data.Code} {json_data.Message}")
         return data
 
     def _get(self, path, params={}, username=None, password=None):
diff --git a/lib/createsend/utils.py b/lib/createsend/utils.py
index 7396916..6e0ec31 100644
--- a/lib/createsend/utils.py
+++ b/lib/createsend/utils.py
@@ -107,8 +107,9 @@ def connect(self):
             raise
 
 
-def json_to_py(j):
-    o = json.loads(j.decode('utf-8'))
+def json_to_py(o):
+    if isinstance(o,bytes):
+        o = json.loads(o.decode('utf-8'))
     if isinstance(o, dict):
         return dict_to_object(o)
     else:
diff --git a/test/fixtures/sample_client_error.json b/test/fixtures/sample_client_error.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7efdb88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/sample_client_error.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+  "Code": 418,
+  "Message": " I'm a teapot"
+}
diff --git a/test/fixtures/sample_server_error.json b/test/fixtures/sample_server_error.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..53b24e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/sample_server_error.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+  "Code": 500,
+  "Message": "Internal Server Error"
+}
diff --git a/test/test_createsend.py b/test/test_createsend.py
index 720e9fa..da0566d 100644
--- a/test/test_createsend.py
+++ b/test/test_createsend.py
@@ -147,11 +147,11 @@ def test_not_found_on_get(self):
         self.assertRaises(self.error_responses[404], self.cs.countries)
 
     def test_other_client_error_on_get(self):
-        self.cs.stub_request('countries.json', None, status=418)
+        self.cs.stub_request('countries.json', 'sample_client_error.json', status=418)
         self.assertRaises(self.error_responses[418], self.cs.countries)
 
     def test_server_error_on_get(self):
-        self.cs.stub_request('countries.json', None, status=500)
+        self.cs.stub_request('countries.json', 'sample_server_error.json', status=500)
         self.assertRaises(self.error_responses[500], self.cs.countries)
 
     def test_bad_request_on_post(self):
@@ -176,13 +176,13 @@ def test_not_found_on_post(self):
 
     def test_other_client_error_on_post(self):
         client = Client(self.cs.auth_details, "uhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuh")
-        client.stub_request('clients.json', None, status=418)
+        client.stub_request('clients.json', 'sample_client_error.json', status=418)
         self.assertRaises(self.error_responses[418], client.create, "Client Company Name",
                           "(GMT+10:00) Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney", "Australia")
 
     def test_server_error_on_post(self):
         client = Client(self.cs.auth_details, "uhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuh")
-        client.stub_request('clients.json', None, status=500)
+        client.stub_request('clients.json', 'sample_server_error.json', status=500)
         self.assertRaises(self.error_responses[500], client.create, "Client Company Name",
                           "(GMT+10:00) Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney", "Australia")
 
@@ -210,14 +210,14 @@ def test_not_found_on_put(self):
     def test_other_client_error_on_put(self):
         template = Template(self.cs.auth_details, "uhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuh")
         template.stub_request(
-            'templates/uhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuh.json', None, status=418)
+            'templates/uhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuh.json', 'sample_client_error.json', status=418)
         self.assertRaises(self.error_responses[418], template.update, "Template One Updated", "http://templates.org/index.html",
                           "http://templates.org/files.zip")
 
     def test_server_error_on_put(self):
         template = Template(self.cs.auth_details, "uhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuh")
         template.stub_request(
-            'templates/uhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuh.json', None, status=500)
+            'templates/uhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuh.json', 'sample_server_error.json', status=500)
         self.assertRaises(self.error_responses[500], template.update, "Template One Updated", "http://templates.org/index.html",
                           "http://templates.org/files.zip")
 
@@ -242,13 +242,13 @@ def test_not_found_on_delete(self):
     def test_other_client_error_on_delete(self):
         template = Template(self.cs.auth_details, "uhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuh")
         template.stub_request(
-            'templates/uhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuh.json', None, status=418)
+            'templates/uhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuh.json', 'sample_client_error.json', status=418)
         self.assertRaises(self.error_responses[418], template.delete)
 
     def test_server_error_on_delete(self):
         template = Template(self.cs.auth_details, "uhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuh")
         template.stub_request(
-            'templates/uhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuh.json', None, status=500)
+            'templates/uhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuhiuh.json', 'sample_server_error.json', status=500)
         self.assertRaises(self.error_responses[500], template.delete)