As millions of Christmas gifts are unwrapped, many Britons will be looking to return unwanted items – and knowing your legal rights could save you time and hassle.
With the return season expected to break records, parcel company Evri predicts four million parcels will be returned in January alone, up from 3.9 million last year.
According to Money Saving Expert (MSE), if an item is faulty, shoppers are legally entitled to a refund, whether bought in-store or online. However, the process varies depending on how and where the item was purchased.
For online, phone, or mail-order purchases, consumers are legally entitled to return items within 14 days of receiving them for a full refund, no matter the reason.
After notifying the seller, customers have another 14 days to actually return the item. However, they may need to cover the cost of returning the item unless it is faulty or the retailer made an error.
When it comes to faulty items, whether bought in-store or online, shoppers are legally entitled to a full refund if returned within 30 days of purchase. After 30 days, the store must offer a repair or replacement, but you can still request a refund, and the retailer may agree.
For in-store purchases, the situation is different. There are no legal rights to return an item unless it is faulty. If the item is not faulty, retailers are not obliged to give a refund, exchange, or store credit. However, many stores go beyond the legal minimum and offer more generous return policies.
Retailers often provide exchanges or store credit as a goodwill gesture, especially if a gift receipt is provided.
MSE also noted that, although the legal rights belong to the original buyer, many retailers are accommodating to those who receive items as gifts, especially if they have a gift receipt.
This isn’t a legal right, but many stores are willing to make exceptions, so it’s worth asking.
Additionally, many retailers extend their return policies over the festive period. For example, stores like John Lewis and Marks & Spencer typically offer extended return windows for Christmas purchases.
This can mean that items bought in late November or December can be returned well into January, making the process easier for post-Christmas returns.
If you’ve lost the receipt, MSE advises that a card statement or bank statement showing the purchase may be acceptable proof of purchase.
However, if there’s no receipt or proof of purchase, returning an item becomes more complicated, and there are no guarantees the retailer will offer a refund. In such cases, you may be offered an exchange or store credit instead.
Ros Hunt, director of ecommerce at Evri, said: “It’s easy to return items – we have one of the largest drop-off networks in the UK with almost 17,000 ParcelShops and Lockers including more than 3,200 Post Office branches, as well as Tesco stores and independent convenience stores.
“Most locations are open between Christmas and New Year, so there’s no need to make it a future-you problem.”
