Shopping

Understand your consumer rights when buying goods online, in stores or through catalogues. Topics include faulty products, refunds, guarantees, auctions and how to take action when things go wrong.

A Guide to the Consumer Rights Act 2015

Right, let's talk about your consumer rights. You know that sinking feeling when you've bought something expensive and it breaks after a week? Or when you...

Avoiding Counterfeit Goods at Christmas

Fake Christmas gifts might seem like a bargain, but counterfeit goods can be dangerous and harm the person you're buying for.

Budget Supermarkets: Wise Move or a False Economy?

Cutting your food bill at budget supermarkets can save serious money, but are the cheaper products really worth it.

Buying by Mail Order

Your consumer rights when ordering by mail, including refunds, returns and what sellers must tell you upfront.

Buying by Telephone or E-mail

Phone and email shopping gives you the same legal protections as buying in-store, including rights to repairs, replacements, or refunds for faulty items.

Buying from Amazon Marketplace: Your Rights

Know who you're buying from on Amazon and what your consumer rights actually are.

Buying on Credit: Your Rights

Know your rights when buying on credit, including cancellation rules and what to watch for with interest-free deals.

Can I Get a Refund on a Digital Purchase?

Your digital purchase refund rights depend on whether you've started downloading and what the seller told you upfront.

Can Multipack Items Be Separated?

Multipack items are usually sold as a bundle, but you might be able to buy individual items separately depending on the store's policy.

Christmas Sale: Don't Get Ripped Off at Christmas!

Your consumer rights stay the same during Christmas sales, even with big discounts, faulty or misdescribed items can still be returned.

Consumer Rights and Store Cards

Store cards charge high interest rates and come with restrictions, so understand your rights before signing up for one.

Faulty Goods

Your rights when you buy something broken and how the law protects you against faulty goods.

Food Labelling Explained

Food labels have strict rules behind them, and knowing what "use by" versus "best before" actually means helps you shop safer and avoid wasting food.

How to Complain

Know your legal rights before complaining and how to demand a refund, repair, or replacement from retailers.

Shopping Online: Your Rights

Know your rights when shopping online and what to do if something goes wrong with your purchase.

Subscription Traps: How to Cancel and Get Your Money Back

Get your money back from unwanted subscriptions by understanding your cancellation rights and how to claim refunds.

The Consumer Contracts Regulations: Know Your Rights

You have rights when buying online or from a distance, including the right to cancel within 14 days and access clear product information before you pay.

Using the Small Claims Court

Take a dispute to small claims court without a lawyer and recover money for faulty goods, unpaid wages or rental repairs.

What Guarantees Mean

Guarantees promise repairs or replacements when things break, but your legal rights under the Sale of Goods Act give you stronger protection.

What Labels Mean

Labels on products tell you important things like ingredients, safety warnings, and energy ratings so you can buy with confidence.

What to Do with Those Unwanted Gifts!

Unwanted gifts can often be returned, but shops aren't always obliged to take them back unless you have a receipt and meet their conditions.

What to Expect from the Food You Buy

Use by dates mean safety, best before dates mean quality, here's what the labels actually say and which ones you should follow.

What You Need to Know About Hire Purchase

Hire purchase lets you pay for big-ticket items over time, but you don't own them until it's fully paid and the lender can repossess if you fall behind.

What's the Law on Clothes Labelling?

Clothes sizes aren't legally standardised, so retailers can label items however they want with minimal oversight.

When Am I Not Entitled to a Refund?

You might not be entitled to a refund even when you think you are, especially if the problem is on your side rather than the retailer's.

Your Recourse Over Counterfeit Goods

What legal rights you have if you've bought counterfeit goods and what steps to take next.

Your Rights in Internet Auctions

Understand what consumer protections apply when you buy through online auctions and what rights you have as a buyer.

Your Rights When a Company Goes Into Administration

What happens to your money when a company goes into administration and whether you can claim it back.

Your Rights When Buying Goods Abroad

Know what consumer protections apply when you buy goods abroad, whether you're covered by UK law or local rules.