as others have already stated the seller is talking rubbish. but just be aware that they can deduct a value from the refund (as long as it's mentioned in there t's & c's of sale - if not bad luck for them) if you have reduced the value of the item e.g. there are an scuffs or marks on the monitor. they don't sound like the most reputable retailer so make sure you don't give them a reason to reduce the refund value. so make sure you return all the cables etc that came with and it's always worth wiping any sweaty finger/thumb prints off the screen too.
unless your company sell bespoke/custom made items or items that degrade quickly over time they are in breach of Consumer Rights Act. might want to have a 'word in their ear' as it may eventually come back to bite them.
only if it's the retailers t's & c's that you must do so. so it's always worth double checking their returns policy and a quick look at the relevant retailers returns policy doesn't seem to mention any requirement to cover return postage so they must refund that too.
edit: you can ignore the 'must not start using them' bit - it holds no weight and isn't part of your statutory rights when purchasing items online
you wanna remove mention of competitors. you can talk about them in relation to household goods like toasters and kettles as OcUK don't sell those but you can't make mention of them when it relates to items OcUK sell - e.g. monitors
you're right it's not very clear. normally the CAB are quite good with their info but that bit, is for some reason, borderline incorrect.
so it's perfectly reasonable to open and turn on (use) an electrical item. especially a monitor. if you were buying one in a shop in person you would be perfectly entitled to ask them to open it and turn it on while connected to a source. so if you've bought it online you are entitled to do the same. as long as you don't scrape, scuff or otherwise permanently mark the monitor or return it missing parts they must issue a full refund. the fact they have to resell it as used/b-grade/open box isn't really the consumers issue.
they'll open it if you refuse to purchase it without seeing it first
you're not legally entitled to return an item you've purchased in person if you decide to return it because you don't like it - there is no 14 day cooling off period with in store purchases. it's expected that you would have examined the item before leaving the shop with it. of course some retailers are much more 'helpful' and may well accept a return in this situation but they have no obligation to do so.
it's precisely why some stores have a display model for almost every tv they sell - so the buyer can see it in the flesh. but as a buyer of a tv you are well within your rights to ask to have it opened and connected to a source so you can gauge the screen quality for example (dead pixels)
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no arguing needed about it - it clearly goes beyond the realms of what would be allowable. however there's virtually no way to prove the buyer gamed on it for a week. if it could be proved you can be certain retailers would be knocking back a whole lot of 14 day returns.
