Online Shopping Rights UK: Refunds & 14-Day Returns

Overview

Online shopping rights are the legal protections that apply whenever you buy goods, digital content or services from a trader over the internet, by phone, or through any other distance-selling channel. Because you cannot physically inspect what you are buying before parting with your money, Parliament has given distance shoppers extra safeguards on top of the general consumer rules that apply in shops.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 covers the quality and description of whatever you purchase, goods must be of satisfactory quality, as described, and fit for purpose. The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 bolt on additional rights that are specific to buying at a distance, most notably a right to change your mind within 14 days for most purchases.

There are also rules on how much information a seller must give you upfront, who pays for return postage, and how quickly you should be refunded. These rights apply whether you bought from a UK-based retailer or a foreign seller targeting UK customers, though enforcement against overseas sellers can be harder in practice.

Key steps

1. Check what the seller told you before you bought. Traders must give clear pre-contract information including the total price, delivery costs, contact details, and your cancellation rights. If key information was missing or misleading, that may strengthen any complaint you bring and, in some cases, extends the window you have to cancel.
2. Act quickly if the goods are faulty. You have a short-term right to reject faulty goods within 30 days of delivery and claim a full refund. After 30 days but within six months, the seller usually gets one attempt to repair or replace before you can insist on a refund, so flag problems as soon as you spot them.
3. Use your 14-day cancellation right for a change of mind. For most online purchases you can cancel within 14 days of receiving the item, no reason required. Notify the seller in writing (email is fine), then return the goods within a further 14 days. Some items are excluded, such as personalised goods, sealed hygiene products once opened, and perishables.
4. Keep evidence of everything. Screenshots of the listing, order confirmations, delivery notes, photographs of damage, and all written correspondence with the seller. If a dispute escalates to your card provider, an ombudsman or the small claims court, contemporaneous records carry serious weight.
5. Escalate if the seller will not play ball. Start with the retailer's complaints process, then consider a Section 75 claim through your credit card provider for purchases over a certain threshold, or a chargeback through your debit card. Alternative Dispute Resolution schemes and, as a last resort, the small claims track in the County Court are also options.

Common questions