28.8%
of all retail sales in Great Britain were made online in August 2026 (ONS).
14 days
to cancel, from delivery. 12 months more if you didn’t tell the customer they could.
14 days
to refund, from getting the goods back or proof they were sent.
The Returns Clock
- Cancellation window ends 16 November 2026
- Customer must send goods back within 14 days of cancelling
- You must refund within 14 days of getting the goods back or proof they were sent
You can’t deduct for handling either.
Example: delivered 2 November 2026; window ends 16 November 2026. Without the right-to-cancel information, 16 November 2027.
Several items on different days: the 14 days run from the last delivery.
Who Pays What
| Question | The rule |
|---|---|
| Return postage | The customer pays, if you told them they would. If you didn’t, you pay |
| Original delivery | You refund it, up to your cheapest standard delivery option |
| Worn or used goods | You can deduct for handling beyond what a shop would allow, up to the full price. Not if you didn’t give the right-to-cancel information |
| Lost in the post on the way out | Your risk until it reaches the customer, unless they chose their own courier |
| Late delivery | Within 30 days unless you agreed another date. Miss it and the customer may cancel and get a refund |
Not Everything Can Be Returned
Made to order or personalised
No.
Food and flowers (goods that go off quickly)
No.
Sealed health or hygiene goods, once unsealed
No.
Sealed music, video or software, once unsealed
No.
Goods mixed in with other items so they can’t be separated
No.
Clothes, shoes, homeware, electricals
Yes, within the 14 days.
Faulty Is Different
First 30 days: the customer can reject the goods for a full refund.
First 6 months: a fault is taken to have been there at delivery, unless you can show otherwise. No deduction for use if the customer finally rejects in this time (cars excepted).
After one repair or replacement fails: the customer can ask for a price reduction or reject the goods.
The Number We Couldn’t Find
There is no official UK figure for how much is returned, or what returns cost a shop. The figures you’ll see are industry forecasts without a published method, so we don’t use them. The best number is your own: returns as a share of orders, and the time each one takes.
What Changed Recently
- From 6 April 2025, fake reviews and hidden compulsory fees (drip pricing) are banned outright. The CMA’s first drip pricing fine was £4.2 million, in April 2026.
- New rules for subscriptions are due in January 2027.
Three Things to Try
- Check your order confirmation email states the 14-day right to cancel. Without it, the window runs 12 months longer.
- Write down who pays return postage and put it in the same email.
- Time your refunds for a month, from parcel back to money out. Over 14 days is a breach.
Sources
- Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, regs 28 to 35
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, ss.19, 22, 24, 28, 29
- ONS, Retail sales, Great Britain: August 2026, 18 September 2026
- CMA, Unfair commercial practices (CMA207)
- CMA, Automobile Association Developments case
- GOV.UK, subscription rules from January 2027
Read next
- Online orders go wrong: deliveries, returns and refunds.Customers know where their order is, and returns follow your policy without staff handling each one.
- What a missed deadline costsThe penalties for late accounts, tax returns, VAT and payroll reports, in one place, with a ladder that shows what a late filing costs day by day.
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