Christmas Shopping Consumer Rights Explained
Know Your Consumer Rights Before You Head Out Christmas Shopping
It’s that time of year again and whether you love it or hate it we all want our shopping experiences to go smoothly, that’s why we have four Christmas shopping consumer rights you need to know before you make a purchase.
Gift Receipts
A gift receipt means the retailer or shop you bought a product from can’t refuse you an exchange. Sometimes shopping for someone else is difficult especially when buying clothes as the person buying the gift often gets the wrong size or even the wrong colour. That’s why gift receipts are so handy. When returning goods, you’ll often be asked for the receipt or proof of purchase. All retailers will provide you with a gift receipt if you ask for one – this will mean that the friend or family member you give the gift to will be able to exchange it.
Returning Unwanted Gifts
You might be doing a lot of your Christmas shopping online this year, so you have the right to return the goods within 14 days of delivery. If you are an early starter with your Christmas shopping this period will have passed when your gift is opened over Christmas. In this case you should ask the retailer if you can have an extended period to return the product. If they accept these terms, make sure you get this confirmation in writing.
When it comes to shopping on the high street, there is no automatic right to return your products to a shop if it is an unwanted gift. You will need to check the shop’s policy on returning Christmas gifts before you make a purchase.
Returning Faulty Products
Your consumer rights for faulty products are the same throughout the year, Christmas is no different. If you discover you have a fault with your product within the first 30 days after purchase, then you are entitled to a refund and if those 30 days lapse you are entitled to a replacement or repair of the product. Again, just like with returning unwanted gifts, it is good practice to ask the shop you are purchasing from whether they will extend this 30-day period from Christmas Day and don’t forget to get that in writing if they agree to it.
Late Deliveries
An online shop must deliver your products within 30 days of purchase, unless they state otherwise. This period is far too vague if you are expecting the products in time for Christmas, so you need to state on your order when the product(s) need to be delivered by. If the retailer fails to deliver your products by the date you specified, then they will be in breach of contract.
For more information and tips about your consumer rights, please read our other articles in the consumer news section.
