Legal advice, trusted for 50 years
Save 50%, £49.50 for a year.From neighbour disputes to shoddy service, we show you what to do, no hidden extras. Happy 50th to us, happy 50% off to you.
Subscribe and saveUsually £99, offer ends 30 September 2026
A retailer is charging for a return – do I have to pay?
Lots of retailers charge customers to return online orders, but do you have to pay?
Hannah Downes covers consumer rights issues for Which?, helping to empower consumers and make their lives fairer
Know your rights
Some retailers charge for returns by deducting a fee from the refund, charging you a fee when you arrange the return of an item or asking you to cover the cost of returns on online orders.
However, a Which? investigation carried out in 2026 found some big-name retailers breaking the law on returns. Use this guide to know your rights and find out how to fight your corner.
Do I have to pay?
You will have to pay the delivery cost if you are returning something that is just unwanted, unless the retailer states that it will pay for returns.
If a returns charge is outlined in the retailer's terms and conditions and is a reasonable price, you must also pay this using the method that the retailer states.
If it's faulty - not fit for purpose, as described and of a satisfactory quality - then you should not be charged for a return.
Returns rights
- You have a right to return an item you've ordered online if you have changed your mind, but you could be charged.
- You should not be charged for a return if the item is of unsatisfactory quality, unfit for purpose or not as described.
- If a disability prevents you from making a free return in store, under the Equality Act a retailer is expected to make reasonable adjustments for you to make a free return. Contact its customer services to ask for assistance.
Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, you are permitted to return an item you've bought online if you change your mind. With online orders, you have a cancellation period, which begins when you place an order and ends after 14 days.
You then have a further 14 days after cancelling your order to make a return. This is not the case with items bought in-store. Some retailers offer a longer time period for you to make a return, which you’ll find in the terms and conditions.
In the case of items like CDs, DVDs, software and health and hygiene items, where you’ve broken the seal, and personalised and perishable items, you won’t have the right to return them under the Consumer Contracts Regulations.
Consumer Rights Act
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, products must be fit for purpose, as described and of a satisfactory quality.
If the item you bought doesn’t meet these standards and you return it, you shouldn’t be charged a return fee. You should also be refunded any delivery charges.
You can use this letter template to challenge a retailer if it insists that you pay the return cost for a faulty item or an item that isn't fit for purpose or as described.
You can also use our faulty goods tool to start a complaint with the retailer.
Equality Act
Under the Equality Act 2010, it is illegal for companies to discriminate against you based on particular characteristics, such as age, disability, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and gender reassignment.
Some retailers only charge you to return items via post, offering customers free returns if they're made in-store. But it can be difficult for customers whose disabilities make it hard or impossible for them to travel to stores to benefit from these free in-store returns.
Companies must make reasonable adjustments for disabled consumers under the Equality Act. If you are a disabled customer and cannot easily access a store to make a free return, contact the retailer to ask if they can make an adjustment to allow you to return the item for free via courier or post.