Get a refund when you return something you bought online

This advice applies across the UK.

The short version

• If you bought online or by phone and changed your mind, you can usually cancel and get a refund.
• You have 14 days from the day your order arrives to tell the seller you are cancelling.
• You then have 14 days to send the goods back.
• The seller must refund the price of the item and the standard delivery you paid to receive it.
• You usually have to pay to post the item back yourself.
• The seller must refund you within 14 days of getting the goods back, or of your proof that you sent them.
• Faulty items follow different rules, with stronger rights.

Check if this advice applies to you

You can use this advice if all of these are true:

• you bought the item online, by phone or by mail order, known as a 'distance sale'
• you are a private customer, not a business
• you have changed your mind, and the item is not faulty

If your item is faulty or not as described, you have stronger rights and different time limits. Check how to get a refund for a faulty item instead.

Your right to cancel

Because you bought without seeing the item in person, you have the right to cancel and get a refund. This is a legal right, known as your 'cancellation right', and a 'no refunds' policy can't take it away.

You don't have to give a reason. You have 14 days to cancel, counting from the day the last item in your order arrives.

What you get back

When you cancel, the seller must refund:

• the full price of the item
• the standard delivery charge you paid to receive it

If you paid extra for a faster or premium delivery, the seller only has to refund the standard cost. You can't claim back the premium part.

The seller must put the refund back on the payment method you used, and can't charge you a fee to do it.

Sending the item back

After you tell the seller you are cancelling, you have 14 days to send the item back.

You usually have to pay for return postage. The seller only has to cover it if they agreed to, or if they didn't tell you before you ordered that the cost would be yours.

Keep your proof of postage. Your refund can start from the day you show you sent the item back, so this protects you if it gets lost.

How long the refund takes

The seller must refund you within 14 days. This is counted from the day they get the goods back, or the day you show proof you sent them, whichever is earlier.

What the seller can take off

The seller can reduce your refund if you handled the item more than you would in a shop. Trying on clothes is fine. Using an item, or damaging it, is not, and the seller can take off an amount for the drop in value.

When you don't have this right

Some things are not covered by the 14-day cancellation right. You usually can't cancel:

• personalised or made-to-order items
• sealed goods you have unsealed, if they are not suitable to return for health or hygiene reasons, for example earphones or cosmetics
• CDs, DVDs or software you have unsealed
• perishable goods, for example food or flowers
• items that are mixed in with other things after delivery and can't be separated
• newspapers and magazines, though a subscription can still be cancelled
• accommodation, transport, car hire or leisure bookings for a set date

What you can do

To cancel an online order and get your refund:

1. Tell the seller in writing that you are cancelling, within 14 days of your order arriving. Keep a copy.
2. Send the item back within 14 days, and keep your proof of postage.
3. Check the refund covers the item and the standard delivery, and that it lands within 14 days.

If the seller refuses, or the refund is short:

• Write to them once more, quoting your cancellation right and the date you cancelled.
• If you paid by credit card and the item cost more than £100, you can ask your card provider to step in, known as a 'Section 75' claim.
• If you paid by debit or credit card, you can ask your bank to try a 'chargeback'.
• Report the seller to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer service.
• As a last resort, you can claim the money through the small claims court.

Contact the Citizens Advice consumer service if you're not sure what to do next. In Scotland, get consumer help from Advice Direct Scotland. In Northern Ireland, contact Consumerline.