TOOLS · SHOPPING · UK LAW
Can I get my money back?
Tell me what you bought, what went wrong and how you paid, and I'll set out the rights that apply, strongest first, each with its last day and the law it comes from. Then the letter that asks for it.
It's legal information, not advice: for your own case, Citizens Advice is free.
- Faulty, late or unwanted
- Deadlines as dates
- A letter to send
YOUR STRONGEST RIGHT NOW
Reject it for a full refund
Open until Saturday 31 October 2026
FROM THE SELLER
Reject it for a full refund
Open until Saturday 31 October 2026
A full refund with nothing taken off for use, within 14 days of the seller agreeing, the same way you paid. The seller pays the reasonable cost of getting it back.
- Tell the seller it's faulty and you're rejecting it. A clear email or letter is best; keep a copy.
- Make it available for them to collect, or send it back as agreed: the cost is theirs.
Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 20 · Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22
A repair or a replacement, at the seller's cost
Open until Friday 1 October 2032
You choose a repair or a replacement (unless one is impossible or costs the seller far more than the other), and the seller pays for it, postage included. A fault that shows up by 31 March 2027 is taken to have been there from the start unless the seller proves otherwise; after that you may need to show it was, such as with a repairer's report. Goods should last a reasonable time for what they are: the six years is the limit for making a claim, not a guarantee.
- Ask the seller (not the maker) for a repair or a replacement.
- Give them a reasonable time to do it.
Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 19 · Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 23
Then a refund or money off, if that doesn't fix it
Open until Friday 1 October 2032
If one repair or replacement fails, or takes too long, you can reject it for a refund or keep it with money off. Reject it by 1 April 2027 and nothing can be taken off for the use you've had, except for cars.
- Write to the seller saying the repair or replacement didn't fix it, and that you're rejecting it or want money off.
FROM HOW YOU PAID
Claim from your credit card company (section 75)
Open until Tuesday 28 September 2032
The card company is as responsible as the seller for a faulty item, one that didn't arrive or one you were misled about, for the whole price, even if you only paid part of it on the card.
- Give the seller a chance first.
- Then write to your card company with the details. If it says no, or hasn't given a final answer after 8 weeks, you can go to the Financial Ombudsman, which is free.
- The main cardholder makes the claim; things an additional cardholder bought may not be covered. Paying through PayPal or a marketplace can break the link, but ask anyway.
IF THEY SAY NO
- Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133) can tell you where you stand.
- The small claims court, for claims up to £10,000. There's a fee, set by the size of the claim. If the seller disputes the claim, there's a free mediation call of up to an hour first. How to claim.
Legal information, not advice: it sets out what the law and the payment schemes say. It doesn't decide your case.
Your letter
Fill in what you can; anything blank stays in [brackets] for you to finish. It's written here on this page: nothing is sent or kept. Send it by email, or by post with proof of postage, and keep a copy.
Your rights in brief
Faulty or not as described
Goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described (Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 9 to 11). For 30 days from delivery you can reject them for a full refund. After that the seller gets one repair or replacement, and if that fails you can reject them or keep them with money off. Claims run for six years, or five in Scotland.
Changed your mind
Bought away from a shop (online, by phone, on your doorstep) you can cancel within 14 days of delivery, or of ordering for services and downloads, without a reason, and the refund includes standard delivery. In a shop there's no legal right, only the shop's own policy.
Not arrived
Without an agreed date, the seller has 30 days. Once that's passed you can set a last date, then end the order for a full refund. Goods stay the seller's risk until they reach you, or someone you named to take them.
How you paid
On a credit card, section 75 makes the card company as responsible as the seller for one item over £100 and up to £30,000. On a debit card, or below that, ask your bank for a chargeback. Give the seller a chance first and keep everything in writing.
Bought it with a code from us? It's the same law: the shop sold it, so the shop puts it right. To check what a code saves before you buy, there's the discount calculator.
Questions
How long do I have to return something faulty?
30 days from delivery to reject it for a full refund. After that, the seller gets one go at a repair or replacement; if that fails, you can reject it for a refund (less something for use after six months) or keep it with money off. If the fault shows up within six months of delivery, it's for the seller to show it wasn't there when it arrived. You can claim for up to six years (five in Scotland), though goods only have to last a reasonable time for what they are.
Can I return something because I've changed my mind?
Bought online, by phone or on your doorstep: yes, within 14 days of it arriving, without a reason, with a few exceptions such as personalised or perishable things. Bought in a shop: only if the shop's own policy says so, though most have one.
What's the difference between section 75 and chargeback?
Section 75 is the law: on a credit card, for one item over £100 and up to £30,000, the card company is as responsible as the seller. Chargeback is a card scheme rule, not a law: your bank asks the seller's bank for the money back, for any amount, on debit or credit cards, usually within 120 days.
Does section 75 work with PayPal or Klarna?
Paying a seller through PayPal usually breaks the link section 75 needs, though some card companies accept claims anyway, so ask. PayPal has its own buyer protection. Buy now pay later agreements with a separate lender, like Klarna or Clearpay, made from 15 July 2026 are regulated: section 75 covers them on the same terms as a credit card, and complaints can go to the Financial Ombudsman. Older ones only have the provider's own disputes process.
It says delivered but I haven't got it. What now?
Until it's in your hands, or with someone you told them to leave it with, it's at the seller's risk, so it's for the seller to send it again or refund you, not for you to chase the courier. It's different if it was left in a safe place or with a neighbour you chose.
Do I have to accept a credit note?
Not for something faulty: within 30 days you're entitled to your money back, the same way you paid. A credit note only applies when you're returning something you've changed your mind about in a shop and that's its policy.
Sources
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, Part 1 · checked 19 Oct 2026
- Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 · checked 19 Oct 2026
- Consumer Credit Act 1974, section 75 · checked 19 Oct 2026
- UK Finance: chargeback and section 75 · checked 19 Oct 2026
- FCA: Buy Now Pay Later · checked 19 Oct 2026
- PayPal Buyer Protection (UK) · checked 19 Oct 2026
- Klarna: buyer protection (UK) · checked 19 Oct 2026
- Limitation Act 1980, section 5 (six years, England and Wales) · checked 19 Oct 2026
- Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973, section 6 (five years) · checked 19 Oct 2026
- Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, article 4 (six years) · checked 19 Oct 2026
- Citizens Advice: consumer rights · checked 19 Oct 2026
- Citizens Advice: if something you ordered hasn't arrived · checked 19 Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Make a court claim for money (small claims mediation) · checked 19 Oct 2026
- Scottish Courts: simple procedure · checked 19 Oct 2026
- nidirect: small claims process · checked 19 Oct 2026