“Can I get a refund?” depends on why you are returning the item.
There is no single UK rule that gives a consumer a refund in every situation. The correct route depends on whether the goods are faulty, you bought at a distance and are cancelling, the trader promised a change-of-mind policy, or another contractual/statutory right applies.
This distinction matters because traders sometimes apply the wrong policy: a store may quote its voluntary returns window when the consumer is actually exercising a statutory right for faulty goods.
Not sure which route fits your problem? Use the Refund Helper → It asks only the questions that can change the remedy, then points you to the relevant law and deeper ConsumerWise guidance.
Key points
- Faulty goods and change-of-mind returns are different.
- Online/distance cancellation can apply even when nothing is wrong, subject to exceptions and handling rules.
- For faulty goods, the Consumer Rights Act remedy sequence matters.
- A trader may voluntarily offer better change-of-mind terms than the law requires.
Faulty goods
If goods do not meet statutory standards, the Consumer Rights Act determines the remedy. In the short-term rejection period, a full refund may be available. Later, repair/replacement and then a price reduction or final rejection can become relevant.
Changed your mind in a shop
For an ordinary in-store purchase that is not faulty, there is generally no universal statutory right to return merely because you changed your mind. The trader’s own returns policy may nevertheless create a contractual or voluntary right.
Changed your mind after buying online or at a distance
Many distance contracts carry a 14-day cancellation right under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, with important exceptions. The rules also govern return timing, refund timing and deductions for handling beyond what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of goods.
Start with the reason for the return: it changes the legal route.
A retailer’s “returns policy” is only one possible route to a refund. Before arguing about dates or receipts, identify why the item is going back. A consumer rejecting faulty or misdescribed goods is relying on statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. A consumer who simply changes their mind after an eligible online, telephone or mail-order purchase is normally relying on the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. A consumer changing their mind after an ordinary shop purchase is usually relying on the trader’s own voluntary policy instead.
That distinction is practical, not academic. A shop can set conditions for an enhanced change-of-mind policy, for example, 14 days, unused condition and original packaging, but it cannot use those conditions to take away a statutory remedy for goods that do not conform to the contract.
| Why are you returning it? | Likely basis | What matters first |
|---|---|---|
| Faulty, unsafe, not as described or not fit for purpose | Consumer Rights Act 2015 | When the problem appeared, whether the goods conformed at delivery and which statutory remedy is available. |
| Changed your mind after an eligible distance sale | Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 | Whether the contract is covered, when the cancellation period runs, any exception, and whether handling went beyond what is necessary. |
| Changed your mind after buying normally in a shop | Trader’s returns promise, if any | The actual wording of the trader’s voluntary policy. |
| Trader promised something specific and failed to provide it | Contract / Consumer Rights Act | What was agreed or represented and the loss/remedy flowing from the breach. |
Faulty goods: the 30-day rule is only the first stage.
For goods that fail the statutory standards, the Consumer Rights Act gives a structured sequence of remedies. The short-term right to reject normally lasts 30 days, beginning after ownership or possession, delivery and any required trader installation are complete. If you agree to a repair or replacement during that period, the clock pauses while you wait; if the returned or replacement goods still do not conform, you receive the remainder of the original period or at least seven days, whichever is longer.
After the short-term rejection period, repair or replacement is usually the first statutory remedy. The consumer can normally choose between them, but the trader can resist the chosen option if it is impossible or disproportionate compared with the alternative. The remedy must be provided within a reasonable time, without significant inconvenience and at the trader’s necessary cost.
If repair or replacement is impossible, is not provided within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience, or one repair or one replacement has failed to make the goods conform, the consumer can move to a price reduction or the final right to reject. A deduction for use is generally not made if final rejection occurs within the first six months, although motor vehicles are an important statutory exception.
Do not confuse six months with a six-month warranty.
For many goods disputes, a fault becoming apparent within six months is presumed to have existed at delivery unless the trader proves otherwise or that presumption is incompatible with the goods or fault. After six months, the evidential burden usually shifts towards the consumer. That is about proof: it does not mean all legal rights expire at six months.
If the retailer says this, check what right you are actually using.
| What you may be told | What to check |
|---|---|
| “Our returns policy is only 14 days.” | That may govern a voluntary change-of-mind return. It does not replace the statutory remedy sequence for faulty or misdescribed goods. |
| “The warranty has expired.” | A manufacturer or extended warranty is separate from the retailer’s statutory obligations. Expiry of the warranty does not by itself decide a Consumer Rights Act claim. |
| “You must contact the manufacturer.” | Your statutory contract claim is ordinarily against the trader that supplied the goods. A manufacturer guarantee can be an additional route, not a compulsory substitute. |
| “No receipt, no refund.” | The trader can require proof that you bought from it, but a till receipt is not necessarily the only possible proof; a bank statement, order confirmation or other evidence may establish the purchase. |
| “Sale items cannot be returned.” | Discounting does not remove statutory fault rights. The position is different if the specific defect was clearly brought to your attention before purchase and that is the problem now complained of. |
| “You opened the box.” | Opening packaging may matter to a distance-cancellation deduction or a specific statutory exception, but it does not automatically remove rights where the goods themselves are faulty. |
| “We only give store credit.” | Where the law requires a monetary refund, a trader cannot force a voucher instead merely because that is its policy. |
Distance cancellations have their own refund mechanics.
For many distance contracts for goods, you can cancel without giving a reason within 14 days after receiving the goods. You then normally have a further 14 days to send them back. The trader must generally refund within 14 days after receiving the goods back or, if earlier, after you provide evidence that you sent them back. The basic outbound delivery charge is normally refundable; if you chose a more expensive delivery method, the trader need not refund the premium above its least expensive standard option.
The consumer can usually be required to bear the direct cost of returning goods if the trader told them about that liability before the contract was made. The trader can also reduce the refund for diminished value caused by handling beyond what would reasonably be permitted in a shop. That is not the same as saying “opened equals no refund”. The focus is the nature and extent of the handling and any resulting loss of value.
There are important exceptions, including certain personalised goods, rapidly perishable goods, some sealed health/hygiene goods after unsealing, and specified sealed audio/video/software products after unsealing. Always check the actual exception rather than treating a broad “no returns” label as decisive.
If cancellation information was not provided.
Failure to give the required cancellation information can extend the normal cancellation period, potentially by up to 12 months. If the trader supplies the missing information during that extended period, a shorter 14-day period then runs from receipt of that information.
What to write when the trader is applying the wrong policy.
Useful wording
“I am not asking for a discretionary change-of-mind return under your store policy. I am exercising my statutory rights because the goods do not conform to the contract. Please assess the request under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and confirm which statutory provision you say prevents the remedy requested.”
For a distance cancellation, say clearly that you are cancelling the contract under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 and give the date. You do not normally need to use the trader’s exact cancellation form; a clear statement is sufficient. Keep the email, form submission, chat transcript or screenshot because the burden of proving that cancellation was exercised in time can fall on the consumer.
If a refund is still refused.
Ask for the refusal in writing and ask the trader to identify the legal or contractual basis it is relying on. That often exposes whether a voluntary policy is being confused with statutory rights. Keep the order, advert, product description, photographs, fault evidence, communications and return tracking together as a simple chronology.
Where the purchase was made using credit or a payment card, Section 75 or chargeback may provide a separate route in appropriate cases. They are not identical remedies and their eligibility rules differ. ADR, an applicable ombudsman scheme or ultimately a court claim may also be available depending on the trader and dispute. Reporting a wider pattern to consumer enforcement bodies is different from obtaining your own individual refund.
In practice
- Before arguing about a refund, identify the legal basis for it.
- Quote the fault, cancellation right or returns promise that applies.
- Keep proof of cancellation and proof of return because timing disputes are common.
What to do
A practical next-step plan
- Decide whether the issue is fault, misdescription, distance cancellation or voluntary returns policy.
- Check the relevant time limit and exceptions.
- Notify the trader clearly and keep proof.
- Return goods using a trackable method where appropriate.
- Challenge any deduction or refusal by asking the trader to identify the legal/contractual basis.
Common traps
Things that often confuse the issue
- Do not use “cooling off” as shorthand for every refund dispute.
- A receipt is strong proof of purchase but not always the only possible proof.
- Gift cards, sale items and opened packaging do not automatically erase statutory fault rights.
Evidence worth keeping
Official sources
Check the rules behind this guide
- Returns and refunds: GOV.UK
- Consumer Rights Act 2015: legislation.gov.uk
- Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013: legislation.gov.uk
These are official or primary sources for this topic. Rules, scheme terms and deadlines can change, so check the live source before relying on a formal time limit or procedure.