Nearly half of us here in the UK don’t understand what our rights are when it comes to returning sale items, which is interesting considering the amount of sale shopping we like to do. But what if you buy something in the sales and you decide that you don’t want it anymore? What if you’ve bought something which has a fault? What happens when you want to return something you bought online?
It’s a tricky minefield, but knowing your rights can save you a lot of money and help you to think more carefully about spending it in the first place. This article should give you a quick overview of what to expect when you want to return a sale item.
Can I Return A Sale Item If I Don’t Like It Anymore?
If you’ve bought an item from a shop, and after a day or so you decide that you don’t want it anymore, then you will probably want to return it to the store and get your money back. When it’s a sale item, this can be tricky, as a shop is not obligated to give you a refund if the item isn’t faulty. However, this doesn’t mean that you’ll be refused a refund outright. If the shop you bought the item from has a returns policy surrounding sale items, then they must stick to this. You can usually find out this information online or by ringing their helpline (which can usually be found on their website). Often, high street retailers will give you a time limit in which to return sale goods, such as ’21 days from the date on the receipt’ or similar.
Can I Return A Sale Item If It’s Faulty?
The Sale of Goods Act protects us when we buy goods and services, regardless of whether they’re in the sale or not. It states that items bought should be as described, of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose. If the item you’ve bought has a problem, then it doesn’t matter how much discount it had in the sale – you can take it back within a reasonable time period. However, if you were told about the fault and that’s why the item was in the sale, you can’t return it under this legislation.
Can I Return A Sale Item I Bought Online?
When you buy items online, both at full price and in the sale, you are protected by the Consumer Contracts Regulations (these replaced the Distance Selling Regulations in June 2014). It means that you can return anything you buy online within 14 days without having to give a reason why you’re returning it. The seller then has a further 14 days to process the refund for you. If you decide you don’t want something before it’s been shipped then you can also cancel the order in this way.
If you love online shopping, or are new to it, you may also want to read our Guide to Online Shopping and How to Earn Cashback on Your Shopping