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Purchases · the UK
Checked 2026-09-30

💶 I returned my order but got no refund: what now in the UK?

Short answer

After you withdraw from an online purchase the shop must refund everything you paid, including the standard delivery cost, within 14 days of your notice — at the latest once it has the goods back or your proof of sending. If it doesn’t, demand it in writing with a final date.

⏱ Deadline14 days from your withdrawal notice (the shop may wait for the goods or your proof of sending).

📜 Your rights

The rules in the UK

The trader must refund you without undue delay, at the latest 14 days after getting the goods back or evidence that you sent them. The refund includes standard delivery costs, uses the same payment method unless you agreed otherwise, and no fee may be charged.

  • If you chose a more expensive delivery option, the trader only has to refund the cost of its cheapest standard delivery. It may deduct for any loss in value caused by handling the goods beyond what was needed to check them. (legislation.gov.uk)
Law: reg 34 of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/3134)
Official source: legislation.gov.uk · Checked 2026-09-30

🪜 Step by step

  1. Collect your proofYour withdrawal notice and its date, the proof of postage or delivery of the returned goods, the order confirmation.
  2. Work out the due date14 days after the shop received your notice, or — if later — the day it got the goods back or your proof of sending.
  3. Send a formal demandUse the letter below: it states the law and gives a final date.
  4. Paid by card?Ask your card issuer whether it offers a chargeback for goods returned and not refunded. That is the card scheme’s procedure, not a legal right.
  5. EscalateNo payment by your final date: the bodies under “If the trader does not answer”.

✉️ Your letter

Information, not legal advice. FFCheck is independent and not affiliated with any authority, court or company. The letter is a template filled with your details: you check it and send it yourself.

Fill in your details. The letter appears on this page: copy it into an e-mail or the trader’s contact form, or print it. Nothing you type is stored.

Name of the shop or company
e.g. “1 pair of running shoes, size 42”
Your full name
Optional, but a letter by post needs it.

🧭 If the trader does not answer

Give the trader the time in your letter. Then, in this order:

An out-of-court dispute body (ADR) can settle it. The trader has to tell you which ADR body covers it (on its website, terms or in its reply).

Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) – ADR Approved BodiesOfficial list of accredited consumer ADR bodies by sector; CTSI is the competent authority.🔗 tradingstandards.uk
Citizens Advice consumer helplineFree consumer advice (England and Wales); can refer complaints to Trading Standards.📞 0808 223 1133 🔗 citizensadvice.org.uk
Make a court claim for money (county court)Online or postal money claim in England and Wales; small claims track up to £10,000.🔗 gov.uk

📇 Every office for this in the UK →

❓ Frequently asked questions

Can the shop give me a voucher instead?

Only if you agree. The law says the same means of payment you used, unless you expressly agreed otherwise.

Can the shop keep the delivery cost?

It must refund the standard delivery cost. It may keep only the extra you paid for a more expensive option you chose.

The shop says the goods came back used. What now?

It may deduct only the loss in value from handling beyond what was needed to check them, and it has to explain the deduction. It cannot simply refuse the refund.

📎 Sources

Checked: 2026-09-30

🔎 What people search

  • “refund not received after return the UK”
  • “shop won’t refund returned item”
  • “how long refund after return”
  • “refund demand letter”
  • “returned parcel no money back”

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Related

❔Can I get a refund if I change my mind? · Your right in one line→↩️Return an online order→📦Order not delivered→💳Unauthorised payment→🛠️Faulty goods→📇Every office for this in the UK→

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