Distance Selling Regulations Explained

Trying to figure out the Distance Selling Regulations (now called Consumer Contracts Regulations, because we needed more names) makes me want to delete my cart. There’s this 14-day cooling-off period from delivery, but if I open the vacuum seal on a silk shirt just to check the size, can they charge me a “restocking fee”? Who knows.

Even shops that scream “no returns” have to refund non-faulty goods on standard returns—Regulation 29, my cousin’s lawyer swears by it. Unless, of course, it’s audio or hygiene stuff and you break the seal; then DSRs vanish. Learned that the hard way with some headphones last winter.

Refunds have to include basic delivery, but not the “express by 9am” fees I gamble on. One retailer sent me six auto-replies about shipping, none mentioning the actual law, so now I screenshot everything. Paranoid? Maybe. Necessary? Absolutely.

Statutory Rights and Retailer Compliance

Some shops invent their own rules—shorter return windows, weird web forms demanding five photos, you name it. Doesn’t matter. Statutory rights mean I get stuff “as described, of satisfactory quality, and fit for purpose” (Sections 9-11, if you’re into legal citations).

Retailers love to brag about Black Friday deals, but they can’t dodge statutory protections. Citizens Advice and the Competition and Markets Authority both say it: implying that sale goods have “reduced” return rights? Illegal. Simple.

But, in reality, enforcement is a joke. Trading Standards doesn’t show up for your hoodie drama. “Final sale” banners ignore the law all the time. Small print that says otherwise? Useless. The law wins, not whatever they typed on the website.

Return Periods and Cooling-Off Periods

Return periods change like the weather. Payday sale? Suddenly it’s 14 days, not 30. I swear, they’re hoping I’ll forget to mail stuff back. The cooling-off period—that’s the 14 days under those Distance Selling Regulations—lets me cancel most online orders, even if nothing’s wrong.

Zara, H&M, all the usual suspects, love marking clearance as “final sale,” but the 14-day cooling-off right still applies, unless it’s customized or perishable or already opened. Tried returning personalized mugs once—no dice. Some categories are just a lost cause.

If shops make up new rules for markdowns, government advice (last updated March 2025) still says my rights stick. I always double-check, because mixing up cooling-off and “goodwill” policies is a trap. Pro tip: take photos of packaging and delivery labels. Half the time, disputes come down to “customer error” or some timestamp nonsense.

Exceptions: What Items Can’t Be Returned?

Here’s the thing: a “60-day return window” doesn’t mean you can ship anything back. That’s how you end up fighting with a chatbot about monogrammed towels or learning you can’t return cookies that arrived stale. Some stuff—“broken on arrival,” for example—gets special rules.

Personalised and Made-to-Order Items

I once ordered a custom hoodie with my dog’s face (don’t ask), and yeah, that’s not getting returned when I regret my font choice. Amazon, Etsy, all of them bury this in the fine print—personalized stuff and made-to-order furniture are pretty much yours forever. My designer friend says once your name is on it, it’s worthless to anyone else.

Shopify ran a study in 2023 and found custom orders make up 17% of all disputed online returns. Every policy I’ve seen says you’re stuck, unless it’s actually faulty. Legal exceptions exist, but good luck winning that argument.

Personalization basically means “no takesies-backsies.” Try to explain buyer’s remorse to a live agent and you’ll get a copy-paste of their policy before you finish typing. Trophy engravings? Custom photobooks? Unless it’s broken, forget it.

Perishable Goods and Their Limitations

Food delivery is obvious—nobody’s taking back your spinach. Perishable goods? No returns, unless you think you can reseal a bag and convince them. Retailers all say it’s about hygiene and safety, but a grocery manager told me it’s really USDA rules, not just “company policy.”

Flowers, bakery stuff, raw meat—once it’s at your door, that’s it. Amazon and Walmart both say in their help docs (yes, I checked) that fresh groceries, opened supplements, meal kits: all nonreturnable, unless they’re spoiled or wrong. Someone on Reddit tried to send back yogurt and got denied—“health risks,” apparently.

Expiration dates, contamination, random local rules—who decides what’s “good enough for return”? Never you. It’s always “no.” Honestly, I wouldn’t want secondhand cheese either.

‘Not As Described’ and Faulty Items

Returning stuff because it’s “not as described”? Customer service acts like I’m trying to scam them. But their own policies (Amazon, Target, whoever) say if you get the wrong thing—wrong color, missing parts, nothing like the photo—you can return or exchange.

Faulty goods? They have to take them back, even if it’s custom or perishable. Trading Standards (UK) and US consumer bodies both say: “Goods not fit for purpose or as described must be refunded or replaced.” I once got a blender that started smoking. The rep didn’t even want it back, just a photo and serial number.

Some places try “no returns after 14 days” for gadgets, but legally, if it’s defective, it’s returnable. Minor flaws? That’s murky. If a shirt just fits weird, you’re out of luck. But if it’s not as advertised? They can’t keep your money. Sometimes just threatening to complain gets the refund processed instantly.