When Can I Return Something I’ve Bought Online?

Does an online shop have to give me my money back?

In many respects when you buy online you actually have better protections under consumer law than if you buy in person. This is because shoppers are protected by something called the Consumer Contracts Regulations – and in effect, you get more rights when you buy online as you’ve not physically seen the goods before buying them.

According to MoneySavingExpert, under this regulation you have a legal right  to cancel the order within 14 days after receiving it and you have a further 14 days to send most goods back for a full refund – even if there’s no fault with the product. After that it gets a little more complicated: if the item is faulty, you won’t be entitled to a refund, but you do continue to have some rights.

If you discover a fault up to six months after buying a product, then the retailer will need to prove that the fault wasn’t there when you bought it and should offer you a repair or replacement product, according to the consumer group Which?

After six months your rights will reduce – as the onus will be on you to prove it rather than the retailer. 

If you’re buying online from a company which is based outside the UK and the EU (where consumer rights are broadly in line with UK rules) things are less straightforward. According to Which? you’d need to look up consumer law in the country where the retailer is based if you have an issue because those rules will apply.

But I thought I could get a refund within a month anywhere?

The reality is that most shops actually offer consumers far more leeway than they are entitled to under the law. Most shops will allow you to refund or exchange items within 28 days because you don’t like them, they don’t fit, or you’ve changed your mind.

So it’s worth checking out a retailer’s returns policy before making a purchase or sending something back. But remember that they only need to adhere with the rules set out above.

Do I have to pay to send the product back?

Consumers are often expected to pay postage costs, as retailers aren’t expected to do this. But again, many retailers do offer free returns – just check the terms and conditions of the seller first and get proof of postage.