According to Forbes, E-commerce is set to be bigger than ever this Christmas, with European parcel deliveries between October and December forecast to be enough to fill Wembley Stadium 34 times over, according to FedEx, 9% more than during the same period in 2023.
What happens when ordering online goes wrong?
The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 apply to items purchased over the telephone, by post or online. These state that consumers have up to 14 days after receiving a delivery ordered through one of these methods to inform the trader that they wish to return the item(s) due to a change of mind. This applies to unwanted goods, and not just goods that are faulty or damaged.
After the seller is notified, consumers then have an additional 14 days to return the items in the unopened packaging that it arrived in.
Once received by the seller, they should process the refund within 14 days. This should be for the full amount, including the amount paid to have the item delivered.
What happens if my delivery doesn’t turn up?
If you have waited more than 30 days on a delivery arriving, then you are legally entitled to cancel the order / contract and receive a refund, This applies whether the item has been purchased in store or online.
It may be possible to cancel orders that have been made online before they arrive, even if you have waited for less than 30 days on the item(s) coming. Reference should always be made to individual seller’s terms and conditions, which can usually be found outlined in the applicable section of their website. If this is not clearly stated, you can contact the seller directly to confirm their policy.
For items ordered in store, the rules are slightly different. You can ask for delivery by a specific date at the point of sale, and if the seller agrees to this, you will be able to cancel the order and request a refund. This has to be agreed with the retailer when the order is made and is difficult to enforce unless there is evidence that this was the case
Know Your Rights
For more information on your rights as a consumer, you can view the relevant act here, or visit the Citizens Advice page here.
