UK law regarding returns

iBot · 18 Sep 2006 at 21:36

my other half bought a hdd from a high street shop.

I saw the price and went :-0

it's unopened and with the recipt.

can we take it back and ask for a full refund or are we not legally entitled to one?

Amps · 18 Sep 2006 at 21:38

Not legally entitled to unless its defective sorry.

banja · 18 Sep 2006 at 21:39

Got to be worth trying. The store may have a money back policy.

Steve09 · 18 Sep 2006 at 21:41

Yeah, you can take it back because its unopened they can sell it again

You can get your full refund

Just say unwanted gift

crashuk · 18 Sep 2006 at 21:41

unopened you can return it even if it is working think you have 7 days cooling off period and then 21 days from that period. So yes you can return it just say something like well i was told i didnt need this hhd drive and it hasnt been open so i would like a refund.

iBot · 18 Sep 2006 at 21:46

neat, i'll drop it off on friday

I just found out she was £3 short so they let her have it £3 cheaper but still wrote £73 on the recipt.

0Shorty · 18 Sep 2006 at 21:46

Legally, the store does not have to have a refund policy at all. Online purchases buy law have a 7 day cooling off period, but on the high street its at the stores discretion. The only time the product can be returned by law is if it is defective. However most high street stores have some sort of refund policy, usually stated upon any receipt given to you. Always worth a shot, but legally, they dont have to take it back.

Rotty · 18 Sep 2006 at 22:37

stevechapman said:
Yeah, you can take it back because its unopened they can sell it again

You can get your full refund

Just say unwanted gift

crashuk said:
unopened you can return it even if it is working think you have 7 days cooling off period and then 21 days from that period. So yes you can return it just say something like well i was told i didnt need this hhd drive and it hasnt been open so i would like a refund.

Amazed at the replies here

If it was from a high street shop you have no right of return unless faulty, they may well take it back as a good will gesture but you have no rights whatsoever

Dolph · 18 Sep 2006 at 22:40

crashuk said:
unopened you can return it even if it is working think you have 7 days cooling off period and then 21 days from that period. So yes you can return it just say something like well i was told i didnt need this hhd drive and it hasnt been open so i would like a refund.

Wrong. The right of return only applies to mail or phone sales under the distance selling act. If it was bought in a high street shop, you have no right of return unless the product is defective.

Jonny ///M · 18 Sep 2006 at 22:42

Just say she bought the wrong one or something...you decided to wait and upgrade to a full new pc or something.....talk crap. I dont hesitate to take refunds on stuff at work.As long as you arent a **** about it then you should be cool.

William · 18 Sep 2006 at 22:50

Most places will let you take stuff back within 28days, some may get a bit arsey and not let you have cash and may only offer exchange for another item in the store or give you vouchers.

Burnsy2023 · 18 Sep 2006 at 22:51

Just be nice about it. Goto the store and say its unwanted etc, they'll most likely have a returns policy and take it no problem. If they refuse however, you have no legal standing as Rotty and Dolph have said.

Burnsy

basmic · 18 Sep 2006 at 23:07

If it's where I think it's from, they will usually refund you the money providing the item is still sealed and you have your receipt.

At least that's what happened at our blue shirt wearing branch.

Sirrel Squirrel · 19 Sep 2006 at 00:12

Most high street stores will give you a full refund, I managed to get a full refund on my 2 month old iRiver but it had gone faulty and I argued that I didn't want another one so they let me just have a refund.

Steve09 · 19 Sep 2006 at 00:18

Talking from experience of taking things back he will have no problems
It is unopened, with receipt = no problem

I once bought a digital Camera for £130 from Currys
Used it, got bord, rung them up saying could I return it, they said aslong as the seal has not been broke on the bag which the Camera was in, inside the box. I then scraped the seal thing off with a knife and some warm water, took it back got a full refund

Got an XBOX for Christmas, used it for a week, took it back to Tesco, the lad goes "Has it been opened?" I say "No" and you could clearly see the seal was missing and a make shift bit of Cellotape had been put on, again got a full refund

If I can do that, he can take back a item that has been unopened

Moredhel · 19 Sep 2006 at 00:21

But he's not legally entitled to one, which is quite specifically what the OP asked...

Raymond Lin · 19 Sep 2006 at 00:22

Sirrel Squirrel said:
Most high street stores will give you a full refund, I managed to get a full refund on my 2 month old iRiver but it had gone faulty and I argued that I didn't want another one so they let me just have a refund.

Then you are lucky, it is down to the descretion of the retailer. only Faulty goods can be returned, and even that you have to give them a chance for repair instead of a full refund. The law changed as if you imagine someone buys a car, and a couple weeks later the radio breaks. Now what's fair?

1 - Full refund for the car
2 - Another car
3 - Repair the Radio

Obviously 1 & 2 will mean the dealer ended up with a 2nd hand car even if he get the raido fixed and loses a lot of money. The retailer should be given a chance for repair, also some common sense needs to be applied here. The law does give the consumer to get a new car if the fault is big enough, it is down to whether which ever is easier (in the retailer's POV) for the problem to resolve.

As for change of mind, something better came up, you found it cheaper elsewhere, unopen or not, they can refuse point blank. Unless they have a policy of refund, but these policy are instore, not legislation.

Sirrel Squirrel · 19 Sep 2006 at 00:23

I know theres no laws saying they have to give a refund, I'm just saying most high street stores give refunds because they want to keep the customer happy. The OP was generally getting at the idea that he wanted to return something and in most cases he can even if he isn't legally entitled to do so.

Raymond Lin · 19 Sep 2006 at 00:25

Sirrel Squirrel said:
I know theres no laws saying they have to give a refund, I'm just saying most high street stores give refunds because they want to keep the customer happy. The OP was generally getting at the idea that he wanted to return something and in most cases he can even if he isn't legally entitled to do so.

He can but only try, they can only say no.

stoofa · 19 Sep 2006 at 01:41

Moredhel said:
But he's not legally entitled to one, which is quite specifically what the OP asked...

I think this is the point most people are missing here.
The OP will probably not have any trouble at all.
Go in, say this isn't what we wanted and no there isn't anything else we want and he'll walk out with a full refund.

However as to the original question asked, if you dig through all the BS in this thread about 7 days this, 21 days that, it's unoppened this, it's fully sealed that:
Can we take it back and ask for a full refund or are we not legally entitled to one?

Sure you can take it back, but legally you are entitled to nothing.