Martin Lewis has issued an urgent warning to anyone doing their Christmas shopping in-store instead of online this year.
While traditional brick and mortar retailers have struggled since the rise of online shopping, many people still prefer to pop to the shops and browse in person for Christmas gift inspo rather than rely on getting items delivered online that sometimes look different, feel different or simply aren’t what you expected.
But the Money Saving Expert founder has warned that if you buy something in-store this Christmas, you don’t actually have any legal right to return it if you change your mind – unless it’s faulty.
Many stores do offer a returns policy – making them ‘contractual rights’, meaning you enter into an agreement on purchase about their policy – but shoppers may be unaware that some shops actually suspend these at Christmas.
Martin warned his ITV viewers: “You have no right to anything. Which I’m about to explain and is shocking for many people.
“If you bought an item in store but it didn’t look good on you, what are your legal return rights?” You have NO legal return rights for goods bought in-store, unless they’re faulty.
“So the shop may have its own policy, it may publish its return rights, in which case it’s a contractual right, but your statutory rights, your in law rights, means you can’t take it back.
“And it’s important at this time of year during the Christmas sales and the January sales, sometimes if they normally have contractual rights, they suspend them.
“So if you’re buying stuff in store, know unless it’s faulty you can’t take it back so check beforehand if you are planning to try it on when you get it home that you do actually have and they have a returns policy, not a returns right.”
But with online shopping, Distance Selling Regulations apply which are designed to give shoppers the chance to inspect that an item they’ve bought is legitimately what you ordered.
In this case, you have 14 days to decide if the item isn’t right and return it without hassle, even if you took it out of its box.
Martin added: “Now you do have your right to change your mind for online purchases, you’ve got 14 days to notify them and then 14 days after notification to send it back so maximum 28 days.”
