Distance selling regulations – returning appliances
When buying appliances online in the UK, consumers have the right to cancel and return goods under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. This article focuses on the right to return an appliance bought online for a full refund – including what the regulations do and do not cover.
Can You Return an Appliance Just Because You Don’t Like It?
Yes. Under distance selling regulations, no reason is required to return an appliance bought online. There is an unconditional 14-day cancellation right, counted from the date of receiving the goods (not from the date of order). The right exists because when buying online, the consumer cannot see, touch, or assess the product before committing to a purchase. The 14-day period is intended for unpacking and inspection only.
A full refund including the basic delivery cost is due when returning within this period. However, if a premium delivery option was chosen – such as guaranteed next-day delivery – the retailer only needs to refund the cost of the standard delivery option, not any upgraded service surcharge.
Can You Return an Appliance After Using It?
No. These rights exist to protect consumers who may receive goods that look different in real life from how they appeared in a photo or description. They are not a mechanism for using a product and then returning it for a refund. Using any product is considered acceptance of it. Once accepted, the right to return under distance selling regulations no longer applies – unless the product is faulty, which falls under separate legislation.
If the appliance is faulty, this is covered under the Consumer Rights Act rather than distance selling regulations: Consumer Rights Act – faulty appliances.
Can You Return an Appliance Because It Doesn’t Fit?
Dimensions should always be checked carefully before ordering. Length, width, and depth measurements must be stated on any advertisement or product listing. If the measurements quoted were incorrect, the responsibility lies with the retailer. If the measurements were correct but not checked, that is technically the buyer’s responsibility – though many large retailers may accommodate a return as a goodwill gesture in practice.
What if You Saw It in a Shop First, Then Ordered Online?
The purpose of distance selling regulations is to protect consumers who have not had the opportunity to examine goods before entering a purchase contract. If goods were examined in a physical shop before being ordered online, the regulations may not apply – because the consumer did have the opportunity to assess them before purchase.
In practice, most large retailers are unlikely to be aware of any prior examination. However, a small independent retailer who remembers a customer examining and being shown an appliance could legitimately dispute a return under distance selling regulations in those circumstances.
Do You Have to Return It in the Original Packaging?
No – and retailers cannot insist on this. Removing packaging is necessary to inspect an appliance, and if the packaging cannot be refitted, that cannot be held against the consumer. The regulations are explicit on this point:
“Packaging: You may ask customers to take care when they open the package or return goods with the original packaging, but you cannot insist on this.”
That said, it is sensible to remove packaging carefully and attempt to repack the appliance before it is collected for return. If a retailer claims the appliance was returned with dents or scratches, having the original packaging – or clear evidence of the condition at the time of return – can be important in resolving any dispute.
Who Pays the Cost of Returning the Appliance?
Most retailers will arrange collection using the same delivery service that delivered the goods. They can charge for this, but only if the charge was clearly stated in their terms and conditions and communicated in writing at the point of sale (typically in the order confirmation email). If no such provision was made clear, the retailer must cover the return cost.
Return collection charges can be unexpectedly high. Initial delivery charges are often subsidised or offered free as a marketing incentive – but the cost of collecting a large appliance reflects the true logistics cost. Where an appliance is being returned due to a change of mind, the “true cost” collection charge may be substantially higher than any original delivery fee.
When Must the Refund Be Paid?
The consumer is responsible for returning goods within 14 calendar days of cancelling. The retailer must then issue a refund within 14 calendar days of receiving the returned goods, or within 14 days of receiving evidence that the goods were sent back.
You Must Take Reasonable Care of the Goods
During the return process, the consumer is obliged to take reasonable care to ensure the appliance is returned in good condition. If the appliance is damaged in transit when being returned, and the retailer can show the consumer failed to take reasonable care – for example by discarding the packaging unnecessarily – they may make a claim for the cost of that damage.
Saving the original packaging, removing it carefully, and refitting it before collection is the best protection against this risk.
What About Special Orders?
If a product has been genuinely tailor-made to a customer’s specification, it can be excluded from the cancellation right. This exclusion is intended to protect retailers from bespoke orders that cannot reasonably be resold. However, it does not extend to products that simply happen to be ordered specifically for a customer from existing stock. The regulations are clear on this:
“Products may not be returned if they are genuinely tailor-made products. If they are put together by combining off-the-peg options, then they may be returned.”
A standard appliance that a retailer does not normally stock, but ordered specially on a customer’s request, would still be an “off-the-peg” product and should remain returnable. Some retailers may attempt to dispute this – if that happens, seek advice from Citizens Advice.
Summary of Key Points
- 14-day cancellation right from the date of receiving goods, with no reason required.
- Refund must include basic delivery cost, but not any premium delivery surcharge.
- If the retailer fails to provide required information at point of sale, the 14-day cancellation window can be extended by up to a year.
- A deduction can be made by the retailer if the goods have been handled more than would be reasonable in a shop environment.
- The seller must clearly state in their terms and conditions who pays the cost of return. If they do not, the seller must cover the cost – including both original and return delivery.
- No admin or restocking fees should be charged.
- From October 2015, if a product is faulty within 30 days, customers are entitled to a full refund if required.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to return an appliance bought online?
14 calendar days from the date of receiving the goods. This is an unconditional right – no reason is required. The period is for inspection only; the appliance must not be used. Cancellation must be communicated to the retailer within this window, and the goods returned within 14 days of cancelling.
Do I get a full refund including delivery when returning an online purchase?
Yes, the refund must include the basic delivery cost. If a premium delivery option was chosen, the retailer only needs to refund the equivalent basic delivery cost, not the full premium paid. Any return collection costs must have been clearly stated in the retailer’s terms and conditions at the point of sale.
Can a retailer refuse to accept a return because I don’t have the original packaging?
No. Retailers cannot make original packaging a condition of return. Removing packaging to inspect the goods is considered necessary and acceptable. However, taking reasonable care of the goods – including keeping packaging where possible and repacking carefully – reduces the risk of damage disputes during the return process.
What if the retailer says the appliance was a special order and refuses to take it back?
The special order exclusion only applies to genuinely tailor-made products. A standard appliance ordered from existing stock – even if not normally held by that retailer – should still be returnable. If a retailer refuses on this basis, seek guidance from Citizens Advice.
What if the appliance is faulty rather than just unwanted?
A faulty appliance is covered by the Consumer Rights Act, not distance selling regulations. Under the Consumer Rights Act, if a product is faulty within 30 days, a full refund can be requested. After 30 days, the retailer is entitled to attempt a repair or replacement first. See: Consumer Rights Act – faulty appliances.
Thank you for your assistance, even though it is not great news for me….
Melanie
Hello Melanie. The fact that when you heard it spinning you thought it is a very loud machine and not very good quality means it’s nothing to do with distance selling. This would have happened if you’d not bought it online (or through a catalogue). If you’d examined the washing machine at a retailers you would still have been unaware of how loud it is on spin until you started using it.
If it’s disappointing, and not as good as you expected, there’s no provision under consumer law to cover that. Goods should be of satisfactory quality but that’s linked to what they cost. If it is an expensive brand, and of disappointing quality, then you have redress under the consumer rights act. You could argue it cost (say £800) and it’s unacceptably noisy.
But Beko are possibly the cheapest washing machine brand you can buy. So it’s not reasonable to expect it to be of high quality. Only of sufficient quality to do its job and last a reasonable amount of time for what it cost.
If you think it is noisy because something is wrong with it then that’s very different. You can get a full refund under the Consumer Rights Act because it was sold to you with a fault. But if you buy a budget brand washing machine and it’s not really good quality that’s arguably quite normal. It’s only if the quality is so poor it is unacceptable even when taking into account it’s a budget washing machine brand.
Having said all that, under the distant selling regulations we don’t even need to have a good reason to send something back. The logic of that is quite difficult to understand. If we are disappointed because we bought something from a photo and it looks quite different in real life that’s logical. But not even needing a reason is bizarre. So the problem you have is that it has been used.
Once you use something you’ve accepted it. Distance selling regulations shouldn’t cover that. After we’ve accepted something we can’t change our minds. We can only reject it if there is a fault, or if it’s clearly inadequate for the job it’s supposed to do, or if it’s clearly so poorly made it is not fit for purpose. But to be fair, a budget product not being of particular good quality is normal unless you believe it to be unacceptably noisy. If that is the case you need to deal with the retailer quoting the Consumer Rights Act. But if the manufacturer and retailer say there is nothing wrong with it and it is working normally you will have a big struggle to get anything done.
Dear Andy,
Thank you for your response. The machine has been installed properly, as in, I have taken the transit screws have been removed. It is just a very loud machine and poorly made is an understatement. Therefore, I am very disappointed when I saw it in the flesh. Then tried to convince myself it would be alright when I plumbed it in but that was the icing on the cake.
They said that I should have known what I was buying further to reading the specifications. That’s a joke!
Is there anything I can do? Thank you for your assistance and listening to my issue.
Melanie