How to write a UK shop returns policy
Separate voluntary returns for unwanted shop purchases from statutory remedies for faulty or misdescribed goods. Give distance-sale cancellations their own wording, and remove blanket no-refund notices. Connect customer complaints to batch records and supplier action. Cambridge China Bridge can help investigate factory quality problems.
Start with the customer and sales channel
This guide is for a business selling imported goods to consumers. Keep your customer-facing policy separate from the purchasing terms you agree with your sourcing seller. Draft distinct wording for purchases made in your shop and orders placed online, by mail or by phone. For online orders, see our guide to checkout payment buttons and optional extras.
For an unwanted item bought in person, a change of mind normally does not require a refund. Distance buyers can have cancellation rights even when nothing is wrong with the goods. Do not describe those rights as a goodwill concession.
Define your voluntary shop offer
Decide whether to offer refunds, exchanges or credit notes for unwanted shop purchases. Set a return deadline, the condition you expect and the purchase evidence you want. Label these as conditions of your voluntary offer, rather than conditions for every customer complaint. For an advertised refund promise, see our guide to money-back guarantees.
Use a starting sentence such as: ‘Our voluntary change-of-mind policy for purchases made in this shop is offered in addition to your legal rights.’ Then insert your actual offer and conditions. Keep faulty or misdescribed goods outside those restrictions.
Explain statutory remedies without exclusions
Use separate wording such as: ‘If goods are faulty or not as described, contact us so we can assess the appropriate remedy under your legal rights.’ The remedy can include a refund, repair or replacement, depending on the circumstances. Do not make every complaint exchange-only or credit-note-only.
Remove blanket wording such as ‘No refunds’ or ‘Sold as seen’. Adding ‘Your statutory rights remain unaffected’ does not make an unfair exclusion fair. For purchase verification, accept that evidence can include a bank statement rather than insisting on the original till receipt.
Write distance-sale cancellations separately
For goods covered by distance-sale cancellation rights, customers normally have 14 days after receipt to tell you they want to cancel, followed by another 14 days to return them. They need not give a reason. Your wording should explain the cancellation route and identify any applicable product exceptions.
Do not apply your voluntary shop rule requiring unopened packaging to every online cancellation. Customers may handle goods as they would in a shop. Personalised goods and certain opened hygiene-sealed goods have cancellation exceptions; check the actual product rather than labelling all imported goods non-returnable.
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Make the policy work with imported stock
Give staff a clear contact route and record the purchase, complaint, product identity, batch and action taken. Keep the customer response moving while you investigate the factory issue. Use investigating customer returns for the investigation and batch traceability to connect complaints to stock. For insurance considerations, see our product liability insurance guide.
Agree with your sourcing seller how photographs, retained samples, replacement parts and supplier claims will be handled. See warranty administration. Cambridge China Bridge has its own staff in China to help investigate factory quality problems. Chemical-compliance checks belong in the separate UK REACH guide.
Frequently asked questions
Must my shop refund a change-of-mind purchase?
Normally no for an unwanted item bought in person. State any voluntary offer clearly, and keep it separate from statutory remedies and distance-sale cancellations.
Can I display a no-refunds sign?
Do not use a blanket no-refunds sign. It can mislead customers about legal remedies. State the limits of your voluntary change-of-mind offer instead.
Can I require the original receipt for faulty goods?
You can ask for proof of purchase, but it need not be the original receipt. Other evidence, such as a bank statement, can show that the customer bought from you.
Can I refuse an online return because the box is open?
An open box alone is not a blanket reason to refuse cancellation. Customers may inspect goods as they would in a shop, although specific product exceptions can apply.