Your rights when an online order goes wrong: returns, refunds and chargebacks

This is general information, not legal advice, and the rules differ by country and by product. Check the official consumer guidance for your own location.

United Kingdom#

For most goods bought online or by phone, UK consumer rules give you a right to cancel within 14 days of receiving them. After you tell the seller you're cancelling, you generally have a further 14 days to send the goods back. The seller must refund you, usually within 14 days of getting the goods back. There are exceptions, including perishable goods, personalised items and sealed goods that you unseal for hygiene reasons.

If goods are faulty, not as described, or not of satisfactory quality, you have separate rights. In the first 30 days you are generally entitled to a refund for a fault. After that, you may be entitled to a repair or replacement. The seller is responsible, not the manufacturer.

United States#

There's no general federal right to cancel an online order. Return rights depend on the seller's own policy and, in some cases, state law. The FTC's rule on mail, internet and telephone orders requires sellers to ship within the time they state, or within 30 days if no time is stated, and to offer you the option to cancel and get a refund if they can't. Always read the return policy before you buy.

Paying by card#

Paying by credit card can add protection. In the UK, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act can make the card provider jointly liable for faulty goods or services costing between £100 and £30,000. In the US, the Fair Credit Billing Act allows you to dispute certain billing errors on credit cards. Debit cards and many card networks offer a chargeback process, though it works by scheme rules rather than by statute.

Steps if something goes wrong#

1. Photograph the item and packaging as soon as it arrives.

2. Contact the seller in writing and say what you want: refund, repair or replacement.

3. Keep copies of everything and note dates.

4. Give the seller a reasonable time to respond.

5. If they don't, contact your card provider or payment service about a dispute.

6. Consider an official route: Citizens Advice in the UK, or your state attorney general or the FTC in the US.

Before you buy#

Find the returns policy. Check who pays for return carriage, whether there is a restocking fee and how long refunds take. Heavy and bulky goods can be expensive to return.

What we do#

When we cover a store, we read its returns policy and say what it commits to, because that matters more than a headline discount.