Online Shopping — Your Legal Rights Explained

When you buy online, by phone, or at your door (known as "distance selling"), you have a 14-day right to cancel for any reason — even if the goods are perfect.

• ✓The 14 days starts from the day you receive the goods
• ✓You just need to notify the retailer within 14 days — you don't have to have sent them back yet
• ✓You then have a further 14 days to return the items
• ✓The retailer must refund within 14 days of receiving the goods back
• ✓You may have to pay return postage unless the seller offers free returns
• ✓The retailer can deduct for any diminishment in value if you've handled goods beyond what's necessary to inspect them

Before you place an order, online retailers are legally required to provide:

• ✓The total price including taxes and any additional charges
• ✓The retailer's identity and contact address
• ✓A description of the goods
• ✓Payment arrangements and delivery details
• ✓Information about the right to cancel (including the cancellation form or link)
• ✓Information about your legal rights if goods are faulty

If your order doesn't arrive, or arrives significantly late:

• ✓If no delivery date was agreed, goods must arrive within 30 days of the order
• ✓If the deadline is missed, you can cancel and get a full refund
• ✓If a specific delivery date was essential (e.g. a birthday present) and it was missed, you can cancel and get a full refund immediately
• ✓The retailer is responsible for delivery — even if the courier loses the parcel
• ✓You should not have to chase the courier yourself if the retailer arranged the delivery

Digital content (apps, ebooks, downloaded music, streaming services, software) has specific rights under the Consumer Rights Act:

• ✓Digital content must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described
• ✓If it's faulty, you're entitled to a repair or replacement — or a price reduction if that's not possible
• ✓If the download hasn't started, you may be able to cancel and get a refund
• ✓Streaming services: if the service doesn't work as described, you can claim
• ✓Your device being damaged by faulty digital content: the trader may be liable for resulting damage to your device

Subscription traps — where a "free trial" converts to a paid subscription without clear notice — are increasingly regulated.

• ✓The retailer must clearly tell you about any automatic renewal before you sign up
• ✓You must be able to cancel a subscription easily — not just online but by phone or in writing
• ✓Continuous payment authorities (CPAs) on debit/credit cards must be easy to cancel — your bank must cancel a CPA if you instruct them to
• ✓If you weren't clearly told about a subscription, the charge may be unauthorised and recoverable via your bank
• ✓Report subscription traps to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) at gov.uk/contact-the-cma