What are your rights for returning Christmas purchases and gifts?

Christmas gifts are great to give and receive, but, sadly, not all purchases will be appreciated – and some may not even be up to scratch.

But all is not lost, as you may be able to get your money back, or at least have an exchange.

Rights under the Consumer Contracts Regulations apply to goods bought online, generally allowing the purchaser 14 days for a return to be made.

If goods turn out to be faulty, there are also rights to bear in mind under the Consumer Rights Act.

The Act enables shoppers to claim a refund within 30 days for products which aren’t fit for purpose, of satisfactory quality or as described.

If it’s over 30 days but within six months, you can still take the item back, but you may be looking at a repair or a replacement.

More on the Consumer Rights Act can be found on the Which? website.

The way you paid for the item could also make a difference.

If you’ve bought goods or a service that never materialised, and the payment was made by credit card, you could try claiming under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

The Act enables consumers to raise a claim against their bank or lender for a breach by the supplier of goods or services. It may apply if the goods or services cost over £100 but not more than £30,000.

It’s also worth remembering you don’t need to have paid the full amount on your credit card for Section 75 to apply.

Another option if you paid by card may be “chargeback”, where you can potentially claw back money. Your bank or lender could help with this. Bear in mind any supporting evidence to back up your claim.

If you aren’t happy with how your bank or lender has handled a Section 75 claim or chargeback request, you could contact the Financial Ombudsman Service, which resolves disputes between consumers and financial firms.

If the item was bought in a physical store and you simply don’t like it, check the store’s policy, which may be on the receipt, to find out your options.

If it was a present, you could ask the gift-giver if they have a gift receipt from the shop, but this would involve a tricky conversation.

Some retailers will allow extended periods over Christmas where returns or exchanges can be made. You could also stand a better chance of the outcome you want by taking a receipt with you and keeping packaging.

If you’re stuck with a Christmas gift that you can’t take back, you could consider re-selling it yourself, though, again, you may need to be prepared for an awkward conversation with the gift-giver.

Keeping any tags on and original boxes that came with it could help maximise its resale value.

Or you could re-gift it, either to someone who will appreciate it, or a charity, where it will be gratefully received.