‘Tis the season to save: your Christmas returns policy rights

Whether it’s an ill-fitting Christmas jumper or a board game you’ll never play, we’ve all received Christmas presents we’re not keen on. When money’s tight, it might be smart to return gifts we don’t want to the stores they were bought from.

Returning unwanted Christmas gifts can help you declutter your home while also making a bit of money back that you might have overspent on Prosecco and pigs in blankets.

This guide covers everything you need to know about hassle-free returns, refunds and exchanges. We’ll let you know your options in a range of situations, whether you bought the items yourself or received them as a gift.

Knowing your rights as a consumer

There are different consumer protection laws for returning products, and your rights in any situation depend on the following things:

• Whether you bought the item or not
• Whether the item is faulty or not
• Whether the item was purchased online or in store

Any rights to return are always held by the person who bought the item, not the person receiving a gift. This means you only have a legal right to return items that you have bought. Check out the table below to see who is legally entitled to a refund in each case:

Returning faulty items

Knowing your consumer rights is important when it comes to faulty product returns. Your legal right to a refund for faulty items depends on whether you bought the product yourself or not.

If you bought the item

Legal right to a refund?

If you buy an item from a retailer and it turns out to be faulty, you have a legal right to a refund regardless of whether the item was bought online or in store.

If you report a fault within 30 days of purchase, you’ll be entitled to a complete refund. However, if it’s been longer than 30 days, the retailer may provide a repair or replacement instead of a refund. Over the Christmas period, the amount of time you have to return defective items may be longer, but you should check with the retailer to be sure.

You won’t necessarily need to provide a receipt to return a faulty item. If you don’t have a receipt, you may be able to use a bank or credit card statement as proof of purchase.

You’ll be refunded via the original payment method, so if the item was bought by credit or debit card, any refund will automatically go back onto that payment card.

If it was bought using Apple Pay, the refund would go onto the payment card registered to that Apple Pay account. For in-store refunds, you’ll probably need the original payment card in order for the refund to be processed. 

If you received the item as a gift

Legal right to a refund?

It’s important to remember it’s the person who bought the faulty item who has the right to a refund.

If you’re returning a faulty gift that someone else bought for you, you’ll need to ask them for proof of purchase. Or, if you received the gift receipt along with the item, you may be able to return it for a refund or exchange without having to get the person who bought the gift involved at all.

If you don’t have any kind of receipt, you may need to check if they’re happy to go with you to get the item refunded or ask if they can register the refund on your behalf and send you the money once it comes through. 

This will depend on the relationship you have with the person who bought you the gift. A sibling might be happy to do this for you but a work colleague may be offended by the suggestion!

Returning non-faulty items

If you bought the item

Legal right to a refund? Online  In store 

If you’ve simply changed your mind about an item you’ve bought and would like a refund or exchange, there are still options for you.

If you bought the product online, you have automatic return rights under the Consumer Contracts Regulations. You have a legal right to cancel an order before it arrives (that’s your cancellation period) or return it at any time within 14 days of receiving it. The item doesn’t need to be faulty in order to register a return during this 14-day cooling off period.

Once you’ve registered a return with a retailer, you then have a further 14 days to return the item(s) to them.

This law refers to online purchases only. There are no consumer laws entitling shoppers to any kind of refund on non-faulty items bought in-store. However, many retailers offer their own returns policies through choice, and they are legally bound to stick to the policy they do have.

Because of this, you should always check to see what each retailer’s specific returns policy is. If you need help understanding a retailer’s returns policy, get in touch with their customer service team.

If you received the item as a gift

Legal right to a refund?

Again, it’s always the person who bought the item who has the return rights, if any, and not the recipient.

To have the best chance of getting a full refund or exchange for your unwanted Christmas gifts, you’ll need some form of receipt or proof of purchase.

How to return a non-faulty item if you only have the gift receipt

Most gift-givers are in the habit of including the gift receipt with the gift itself. If you have the gift receipt, you may be able to return the item for the cash value, although it’s far more likely you’ll be offered an exchange of the product instead.

Some retailers will offer a credit note in exchange for a returned item. If you take the item and your gift receipt to your nearest store, you may be able to get a credit note on the spot.

However, this may be automatically registered to the person who actually bought your gift, so you’ll need to let them know if this is the case.

Can I exchange an item without a receipt?

Legal right to a refund?

Whether you bought the item or received it as a gift, you might have difficulty returning an unwanted item if you don’t have either the sales receipt or gift receipt.

If you’re the recipient, it’s worth asking the person who bought you the gift if they still have the receipt for the item, as this will increase your chances of getting a refund.

Some retailers happily issue refunds without a receipt, but they have no legal requirement to do so. If you return the item to the store in perfect condition and with the labels still attached, they may offer you the chance to exchange the item for something else or give you a credit note with the same value.

However, if the item is on sale when you return it, the retailer may issue your credit note or exchange with a value that reflects the new, discounted price.

How to return a Christmas gift by post

If you’re returning a Christmas gift through the post, you’ll need to find out what the individual retailer’s online returns process is.

Many retailers offer free delivery on returns made within a certain time period but this isn’t a guarantee. You may have to pay a delivery charge to cover your return postage.

If you received the item as a gift

Returning items by post can be tricky if you didn’t buy the item yourself. You’ll need to register your return using their online returns portal, which means you’ll probably need the buyer’s email address and their order confirmation or order number.

As always, it’s the buyer who has the right to a return, not the recipient. This doesn’t mean you can’t make returns via post if you weren’t the buyer, but it’s the original buyer who will receive the refund to their bank account. Because of this, you’ll need to have a conversation about returning the item and getting a refund with the person who bought you the gift.

The courier service each retailer uses will determine where you need to drop off your return package. If they use the Royal Mail, you’ll need to visit your local Post Office to send your parcel. Other couriers include Evri, Yodel, DPD and Parcelforce.

Some retailers, such as ASOS, offer parcel collection through Evri’s courier service, which means you may be able to send a return without even leaving your home.

Quick FAQs

What if I receive an incorrect item?

As well as your legal right to a refund for defective items, if the item is not as advertised or doesn’t match the seller’s description, you’re entitled to a refund.

Get in touch with the company’s customer care team if you think you’ve received an incorrect item.

What can’t you return?

When it comes to returning items to the store, it’s important you know which exclusions apply.

For hygiene reasons, retailers won’t accept returns of swimwear, underwear or lingerie sets if the hygiene seal has been damaged or removed.

Many jewellery items and beauty gifts like make-up are non-refundable due to hygiene reasons too, and you also can’t return perishable items like chocolate or flowers. Some retailers don’t allow customers to return sale items or items bought from outlet stores either.

If you’re unsure whether a retailer will accept your return, make sure you check out their in-store and/or online store returns policy. For further information, contact customer support.

Can you refund gift cards?

It’s not common for retailers to offer cash refunds for gift cards. However, there are some websites that will buy gift cards from you in exchange for cash, such as Cardyard.

Depending on the retailer, you should be able to refund items purchased using a gift card. However, the balance will be returned to the gift card itself rather than given to you as cash, so this is something worth bearing in mind.

How do extended Christmas returns policies work?

During the Christmas season, many retailers extend their standard return period for items purchased from as early as October 1st (although this will depend on the retailer).

Extended returns over the Christmas period mean customers have longer to return unwanted gifts they might receive. This also means you don’t have to worry about buying your presents too early because the recipient should have plenty of time to return them in January if they need to.

When we checked the Christmas returns policies for some big retailers this year:

What to do if you can’t return your unwanted Christmas presents

If you're not able to return your unwanted gifts to the place they were purchased from, you still have options. You can either regift them, sell them independently or donate them to a good cause.

Save money next Christmas by regifting

Arguably the easiest way to get some money back on unwanted Christmas gifts is to keep them somewhere safe and reuse them as gifts next Christmas, or for any upcoming birthdays.

Doing this will help you cut the cost of Christmas shopping next time around by reusing presents instead of buying them new. Regift a few nice presents each Christmas and the savings could really add up.

What’s more, regifting presents also means you can avoid the awkward chat about returning an item with the person who bought it for you.

Keep all your unwanted gifts in one secure, safe place so you know where to go if you’re in need of a quick present for a loved one.

Sell your unwanted Christmas gifts

If you’re unable to return your unwanted gifts to the original retailer, you could still get some money for them by selling them online.

Why not try selling those unwanted Christmas pyjamas on an app like Vinted or Depop? Other places to sell unwanted clothes include social media platforms like Facebook Marketplace, as well as eCommerce sites like eBay.

We have an entire guide to selling secondhand clothes online, so it’s worth having a read of this if you need some help getting started.

Bear in mind that people buying second-hand clothes online aren’t normally expecting to pay full price for items. As a result, you’re unlikely to get the full value of the item.

With that said, items with the original packaging and labels will likely sell for a higher price, so you can maximise your earnings by keeping them intact.

You can also sell bags, accessories, tech, beauty products and more online, depending on what platform you use.

Donate unwanted presents to a good cause

Not able to return your unwanted items and don’t want the hassle of selling them yourself? Declutter your home and do your bit for a good cause by donating your unwanted Christmas gifts to a charity.

You can drop your things off at one of your local charity shops or send them by post to the British Heart Foundation, Air Ambulance Service or another important charity to you.

Try to ensure any unwanted items you donate are in their original condition. If you can include the original packaging and product labels too, this could increase the item’s value when the charity resells it.

If you’re keen to help people in your local community, you could give away your unwanted gifts by advertising them on specific social media groups.

So, which method is best for you?

Awkward personal chats aside, the good news is that returning or reusing your unwanted Christmas gifts is great for your bank account and our planet. A few important things to remember:

• It’s the original buyer who has the statutory rights as a consumer
  
  
• The rules may be different if you want to return sale items and some retailers don’t accept returns of clearance/sale items at all
  
  
• You may have to pay additional charges to return items ordered online via post
  
  
• Contact customer service if you’re unsure about a retailer’s Christmas returns policy

You can help fight the tide of fast fashion by returning unwanted clothes, feeding your local area with unwanted festive treats and potentially getting a full refund on a gift bought for you that you don’t want.