Online shopping problems Your rights
Summary
A quick summary of your rights:
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When you buy online shopping or home shopping from a catalogue, you can cancel your order anytime up to seven working days from the day after you receive the goods.
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When you buy services from an online shop, you can cancel the order up to seven working days from the day after you agree the contract with the seller.
Shopping online or with home shopping catalogues can be more convenient and cheaper than the high street.
But there are drawbacks. It can be easy to make a mistake when ordering online shopping, and sometimes what you receive isn't what you expected, so there are special laws and regulations that give you extra protection when you shop online, or with a catalogue, by phone or fax.
Your rights to cancel an online shopping or home shopping order
Under the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling Regulations) 2000, you can cancel your order for goods ordered online anytime from the moment you place your order up to seven working days from the day after you receive it.
There are some items you can't return if you simply change your mind:
- CDs, DVDs or software if you've broken the seal on the wrapping
- perishable items such as food and flowers, and
- tailor-made or personalised goods.
You have extra protection shopping online
Returning unwanted goods from online shops or catalogues
The online shop or catalogue's terms and conditions should say who pays for returning goods. If they don't state this, they have to pay.
Even if their terms and conditions say that you must pay to return goods, they can't be unreasonable ,for example, by having a procedure that is so expensive or involved that it would be cheaper and easier for you to keep your order.
Returning faulty goods from online shops or catalogues
As well as the rights you have when shopping online or from a catalogue, you have the same rights under the Sale of Goods Act as you have when you buy in person on the high street. This says that items must be 'fit for their purpose', as described, and of satisfactory quality.
If you have to return an item that isn't as described, fit for its purpose or is faulty, give the shop the chance to collect it or ask for the cost of postage back.
Returning items bought for you from online shops
See our guide to returning unwanted gifts for information on returning your gift to an online shop.
Your right to cancel a service you've bought shopping online
If you're buying a service, like a mobile phone contract, you can cancel up to seven working days from the day after you agree the contract terms. But if you have agreed that the service will start straight away, you give up these cancellation rights. The company should provide advance notice of this before asking you to sign the contract, explaining your rights to cancel.
Your protection when shopping online
Under the Electronic Commerce Regulations 2002, online shops must set out the stages you have to complete to place an order. You must also be given the chance to check your details before placing the order.
If the online shop confirms acceptance of your order, you have a legally binding contract, but you don't if it just acknowledges your order.
The E Commerce Regulations also state that the online shop has to give full details of who they are and provide a geographical address and an email address at which to contact them.
Terms and conditions to watch out for
Some online shops say that the price of your order will be fixed the day the goods are dispatched to you. Most supermarkets do this, so if you're ordering lots of half-price goods to be delivered next week, bear in mind that the deals might have ended by then and you may end up paying more.
If the price increase takes you by surprise, don't worry - the online shop should give you the right to say you don't want the goods at the higher price.
