How to exchange your unwanted Christmas present for a refund or exchange.

Inevitably we always end up with a few dodgy presents that we don’t like, we often joke about the ropey knitted Christmas jumper (although I did get an awesome knitted cardie from my wife’s Nan which I shall be keeping) that never see’s the light off day.

Returning goods is somewhat of a grey area for many shoppers, and many don’t fully understand their statutory rights, compared to their shopper’s rights. Throw in Christmas and the slightly relaxed Christmas Returns Policies and it all becomes a bit confusing.

Unwanted Presents

Right, the bad news – you do not have any right to a refund if the item is unwanted.

You only have a right to a refund if the item is faulty or not as described.

Many retailers employ a returns policy by where they will exchange the item if it is the wrong size or give you store credit for a refund. It’s important to review the companies return policy to see what you’re entitled too.

May retailers have specific returns policies for Christmas, where they will offer exchanges for gifts purchased as far back in November for a limited time in January.

Online Sales

Items purchased online fall under the Distance Selling Act, under this act the consumer has seven working days from the date the item was delivered to cancel the order. Which basically means you have seven days to return it if you change your mind. That being said, it is the original buyer who receives the refund, rather than you. This could be embarrassing if you’re trying to return a present on the sly. It is also fairly unlikely that the delivery date was seven days before you received the present.

One big exception here folks and that is, if the item is personalised, such as an engraving, you cannot return it.

Faulty Items

When you purchase an item it should be of, “satisfactory quality, as described, fit for purpose and last a reasonable length of time.” That’s according to the Sale of Goods Act, and means that if your item isn’t fit for purpose, ie faulty, then you are entitled to a refund or a replacement. I recently received a new TV for Christmas, which turned out to be faulty. Amazon, who it was purchased through, tried to refer me to the manufacturer to resolve the issue. However, it’s actually the responsibility of the retailer to refund or replace the item.

The above statement can be fairly contentious; mainly what constitutes a ‘reasonable length of time.’ Some retailers may also try and argue that sale items are not covered under the Sales of Goods Act. That is wrong.

Christmas Deliveries

If you were anticipating a pre-Christmas delivery which didn’t arrive than you some rights depending on the situation and what was agreed with the retailer. If you can prove that a delivery date was agreed that you have a right to make a complaint.

The Proof

If you are looking to receive a refund or exchange for something for which you have changed your mind, then you’ll need a receipt to proof purchase and purchase amount. Post-Christmas the stores usually have a period of grace, to exchange times which are the wrong size or unwanted.

If you are looking to return or exchange a faulty item, then all you need to do is provide proof of purchase and for this a bank statement should suffice. My wife returned a pair of shoes to Dorothy Perkins back in November because the sole had begun to come off after two weeks. She had lost the receipt, but managed to prove purchase by showing her bank statement to the member of staff via her iPhone and online banking app. Huzzah for technology!

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