Returning goods: your legal rights Your rights

Shoes that don't fit, a toaster that stops working, a gift that you'd never dream of using – there are many reasons why you might want to return something.

Some retailers will take something back and refund your money whatever your reason, but sometimes you could have a fight on your hands. Usually your right to a refund depends on your reason for returning the product. 

It was a present

Some shops will take back gifts without question (particularly if it is their own brand of product), without asking to see a receipt or other proof of purchase. 

However, other shops might require more than than to issue a refund. 

When buying gifts, make sure you ask for a gift receipt that will allow the recipient to take it back if they need to. If you can't get a gift receipt, write "gift for [name]" on the normal receipt, and get the retailer to accept this by signing it. The recipient should then be able to take it back if they need to. 

For more, see our guide to returning unwanted gifts.

It's broken, or it's the wrong type

Shops have a duty, under the Sale of Goods Act, to make sure that the product is:

• as described
• of satisfactory quality, and
• fit for purpose – this means both their everyday purpose, and also any specific purpose that you agreed with the seller (for example, if you specifically asked for a printer that would be compatible with your computer).

If you buy a product that has a problem because of one of these reasons, you can choose to 'reject' it, return it and get your money back.

Act quickly

The law gives you a 'reasonable' time to do this – what is reasonable depends on the product and how obvious the fault is. For example, it's reasonable to assume that an expensive TV will work for a long time, so if it packs up two weeks after you bought it - reject!

If you leave it longer than a 'reasonable' time, the retailer must still resolve your problem, but it can normally choose whether to repair or replace the faulty item rather than refund your money. 

For more about these rights, see our dealing with faulty goods report.

I've changed my mind

If you bought it online, and you're still within the cooling off period you should be able to return it for a full refund. 

If you bought it in a shop, it might be trickier. Shops don't have to have a returns policy, but if they do have one they must stick to it. So check their policy and see what it says. You might be entitled to a replacement or a credit note. 

I don't have the receipt

The good news is that if your item is faulty you should not need a receipt to return it - your rights don't depend on you having one. 

However, without a receipt you need another way of proving that you bought the item from that shop.

The best way to do this is with a bank statement or credit card slip. However, this may not confirm exactly what you bought – if they sell a number of things at that price, they might not be keen to refund you. 

To avoid any problems, it is always best to keep the receipt for any expensive items.