A shop might display a “no refunds” sign, yet still have to return your money. Meanwhile, a perfectly good item you regret buying might not qualify for a refund at all. Understanding refund rights in the UK means separating legal entitlements from a retailer’s voluntary returns policy.
The key questions are whether the product is faulty, where you bought it and how long you have had it. Different answers lead to different remedies.
Statutory rights are not the same as shop policy
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires goods sold by businesses to be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. If they fail those standards, the law provides remedies that a shop cannot remove through small print.
A store’s goodwill policy might also let you exchange an unwanted jumper or return an unopened purchase within a specified period. The shop can impose conditions on these extra benefits, but those conditions cannot override consumer refund rights for faulty goods.
Faulty goods: when must a seller refund you?
During the first 30 days
For most faulty goods, you have a short-term right to reject them within 30 days. This generally runs from the day after you take ownership or receive delivery. You may request a full refund rather than a repair, replacement or credit note. Highly perishable goods can have a shorter rejection period.
For example, imagine a kettle ordered online that stops heating ten days after arrival. Tell the retailer that you are rejecting the faulty kettle under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Describe the problem, include your order number and request the money back.
After 30 days
Once that initial period ends, the seller is generally entitled to provide a repair or replacement first. It must be free of charge, completed within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience. You need not accept repeated unsuccessful attempts.
If one repair or replacement fails, or a suitable remedy is impossible or unreasonably delayed, you can usually request a price reduction or exercise the final right to reject. A refund after rejection generally cannot be reduced for use during the first six months, except for motor vehicles.
After six months
Your rights do not suddenly disappear. However, you will generally need to show that a fault was present, even if hidden, when the item was supplied. During the first six months, that is normally presumed for repair or replacement claims unless the seller proves otherwise or the presumption is inappropriate.
Evidence such as an independent assessment can help with older purchases. Court time limits are generally six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland has different rules. This does not mean every product is guaranteed to last six years.
Changing your mind about an in-store purchase
If you bought something in a physical shop and there is nothing wrong with it, UK refund law generally does not require the shop to take it back. You rely on its goodwill policy, which may specify deadlines, receipts, original packaging or exchanges rather than cash refunds.
Check the policy before purchasing gifts or clearance items. A “no returns on sale goods” rule may apply to unwanted purchases, but discounted goods still carry statutory protection if faulty. For a closer explanation, see our guide to faulty goods consumer rights.
Online shopping: the 14-day cancellation right
Most goods ordered online, by phone or by mail from a business have a separate cooling-off right under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. You usually have 14 days after receiving the goods to tell the retailer you want to cancel, without giving a reason. Where goods arrive in several deliveries, the period usually begins after the last delivery.
You then generally have another 14 days to return them. The seller must normally refund you within 14 days after receiving the goods back, or receiving evidence you sent them, whichever happens first.
The refund ordinarily includes the standard outbound delivery charge, not any extra paid for express shipping. You might pay return postage if the seller properly disclosed that responsibility. Handling beyond what would reasonably be allowed in a shop can justify a deduction reflecting reduced value.
Purchases that may be excluded
The change-of-mind cancellation right has exceptions, including genuinely personalised products, some perishables, and sealed hygiene items once unsealed. Certain dated bookings and unsealed recordings or software are also excluded. Downloads can lose the cancellation right when supply begins with the required express consent and acknowledgement.
These exceptions do not erase rights over faulty goods. Digital content and services have separate statutory rules, so their remedies are not always identical to those for physical products.
Can a retailer offer only store credit?
Not when you are legally entitled to a refund. The retailer normally has to return the money through your original payment method unless you expressly agree to another method. It cannot impose a refund fee. Under the Consumer Rights Act, an agreed refund must be provided without undue delay and within 14 days.
For rejected faulty goods, the retailer generally bears reasonable return costs, although the rules differ if you agreed to return goods to the place where you received them. Your claim is usually against the seller, not the manufacturer; a warranty adds protections rather than replacing them.
How to make a refund request that works
Write to the seller with the order number, purchase date, clear description of the issue and the remedy you seek. State whether you are rejecting faulty goods within 30 days, requesting a later remedy or cancelling a distance purchase. Keep copies of messages, photographs and the product listing.
The original receipt is not essential if another record, such as an order email or bank statement, proves the purchase. If refused, ask the retailer to explain why in writing, then follow its complaints process. Citizens Advice can guide you. Depending on the payment, chargeback or Section 75 protection might help; our guide to card payment refunds explains those options.
Frequently asked questions
Are “no refunds” signs legal in the UK?
A store can limit voluntary returns for unwanted goods. It cannot use a blanket sign to exclude statutory remedies when goods are faulty or misdescribed.
Can I return faulty goods without the original box?
Usually, yes. Missing packaging does not normally remove your legal rights, although it may affect a separate goodwill return.
Does UK refund law protect second-hand purchases?
Yes, when bought from a business, with quality judged in light of age, price and description. Private sellers are subject to different rules.
Must I deal with the manufacturer first?
No. Your statutory claim is normally against the retailer. Using a manufacturer’s guarantee is an additional choice, not a requirement.
The practical bottom line
A refund policy can be more generous than the law, never less generous where statutory rights apply. Faulty goods, unwanted shop purchases and online cancellations follow different routes. Check the relevant deadline, explain your legal basis and keep evidence of what happened. If the dispute continues, our guide to complaining about a retailer can help you organise your next steps.