Consumer Rights and Returns

Looking for something else? See our guide on how to complain to a retailer or faulty and dangerous products.

Your statutory rights to return goods come from two separate laws:

Consumer Rights Act 2015 — faulty goods: If goods are not of satisfactory quality, not fit for purpose, or not as described at the time of purchase, you have the right to:

• A full refund if you return within 30 days (the short-term right to reject)
• A repair or replacement after 30 days but within 6 months (one attempt allowed)
• A full or partial refund if repair/replacement fails or is not completed within a reasonable time

Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 — online purchases: For goods bought online, over the phone, or on the doorstep, you have 14 days from delivery to cancel the order for any reason and receive a full refund. You then have a further 14 days to return the goods.

Retailers often have their own returns policies offering more than the law requires — for example, 28 or 30 day returns for any reason in-store. These are voluntary and separate from your statutory rights. When a retailer's policy conflicts with your statutory rights, the law prevails.

Retailers cannot:

• Refuse a refund for faulty goods within 30 days
• Insist on a repair or replacement instead of a refund in the first 30 days
• Offer store credit instead of a cash refund without your agreement
• Blame the manufacturer rather than offering you a remedy — your contract is with the retailer
• Require you to use the manufacturer's guarantee instead of exercising your statutory rights

When returning goods, follow these steps:

• Return to the point of purchase with your proof of purchase
• State clearly that the goods are faulty (or that you are exercising your 14-day cancellation right for online orders)
• Reference the Consumer Rights Act 2015 or Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 if the retailer disputes your right
• If refused, ask to speak with a manager and follow up in writing

For online returns, the seller must refund you within 14 days of receiving the returned goods (or proof you sent them). For faulty goods returns, the refund should be prompt — typically within 14 days.

If the retailer still refuses, consider a chargeback claim through your card provider or a small claims court claim.

When a retailer refuses to honour your statutory rights, several escalation routes are available — some faster and cheaper than others. This section explains the most effective routes and how to use them.

Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974: If you bought goods costing between £100 and £30,000 on a credit card, Section 75 makes your credit card issuer jointly and severally liable with the retailer for any breach of contract or misrepresentation. This means you can claim directly against your credit card company if the retailer refuses your refund or has gone out of business. Section 75 is particularly valuable for goods bought from overseas retailers, where direct enforcement against the retailer may be impractical. Submit your claim in writing to your credit card issuer, enclosing your evidence of the fault, your attempts to resolve it with the retailer, and proof of purchase.

Chargeback for debit and credit card payments: Chargeback is a voluntary scheme operated by card schemes (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) that allows your bank to reverse a card payment where goods were not as described, not delivered, or where the merchant has breached the contract. Unlike Section 75, chargeback is not a statutory right — it is scheme rules — but banks routinely process chargeback claims for consumer disputes. Submit chargeback claims promptly: most schemes have a 120-day time limit from the date of payment (or from the expected delivery date for non-delivered goods). Contact your bank's disputes team.

ADR schemes for retail disputes: Some retailers belong to approved consumer ADR schemes. Check the retailer's website or Terms and Conditions for details of any scheme they belong to. The Retail Ombudsman (now part of the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman) handles complaints about some retail members. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) maintains a list of approved ADR providers at tradingstandardsapproved.co.uk.

The Equality Act 2010 and retail returns: Retailers are service providers under the Equality Act 2010 and must not treat customers worse because of a protected characteristic. If you believe a retailer refused your return, offered you worse terms, or provided a worse service because of your race, disability, religion, age, sex, or another protected characteristic, this is actionable under the Act. Raise the Equality Act argument in your formal complaint and escalate to Trading Standards (via Citizens Advice) — they can investigate discriminatory trading practices. In serious cases, a county court claim for discrimination in the provision of goods and services is available. The Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) provides free initial advice.