Retail wrongs righted: Martin Lewis withdraws Trading Standards complaint as 28 retailers correct misleading online returns policies
A total of 28 retailers previously reported by MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) in July for giving misleading information on shoppers' online returns rights have now corrected their websites following our investigation, leading MSE founder Martin Lewis to withdraw his Trading Standards complaint.
In July, we reviewed over 400 of the UK's most popular retail brands' websites and found that 30 listed online returns policies which didn't meet the legal minimum.
After publishing our findings, 24 – including Selfridges, Benefit, and New Look – corrected their sites. But four – Carluccio’s, Evans, Freemans and Joules – dragged their feet, prompting MSE to report them to Trading Standards (two sites ceased online trading during our investigation).
When the remaining four were then asked for a 'right of reply' as Martin Lewis was preparing to name and shame them on his ITV show, the final outliers agreed to correct their websites. All 28 are now compliant, so Martin has withdrawn his complaint to Trading Standards. Even so, it's important that consumers are aware of their statutory rights, which supersede any terms and conditions set out by the retailer.
Martin Lewis: 'It beggars belief that the nation's big retailers didn't spot that they were giving out crap information'
I'm delighted that pressure from MoneySavingExpert's investigation has forced these firms to finally correct their websites, some of which had been wrong for at least seven years.
It beggars belief that some of the nation's big retailers and their lawyers or compliance officers didn't spot that they were giving out crap information. How can firms expect their shop staff to know the rules if their website information is incorrect?
The problem with incorrect information is that it risks being a deterrent to people legitimately returning online orders, as if they check a shop's misleading websites, they'll wrongly think they're timed out and may not bother.
So, it's important for people to know that, as a legal minimum: while you can only return goods bought in-store if they're faulty, buy something online and you have a no-fault right of return (provided it is not perishable or personalised). You have up to 14 days after delivery in which to tell the retailer you're sending an item back, and 14 days after you tell them to return it.
What the retailers did wrong – in more detail
The most common errors made by retailers were either stating that your return rights start from dispatch (rather than from receipt of goods) or that you have only 14 days to return goods (rather than 14 days to notify them of the return, followed by another 14 days to return the product).
In addition, several retailers referenced outdated policy on their websites, namely the Distance Selling Regulations, which were replaced in 2014 by the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.
The full list of retailers that have corrected their online information on the back of MSE’s investigation are: Benefit, Boden, Bondi Sands, Caffè Nero, Carluccio’s, CeX, ELC, Evans, Forbidden Planet, Freemans, Grüum, Guinness, Harvey Nichols, HiPP Organic, HMV, Home Bargains, Hotpod Yoga, Hush, Jessops, Joules, Monsoon, New Look, Perfect Draft, Robert Dyas, Ryman, Selfridges, The Range and Victoria's Secret.
Most retailers were cooperative and quick to fix their returns policies. Grüum’s co-founder even sent an email to its customers, thanking MSE for informing it of the error, and admitting: "Martin Lewis alerted us to an issue in our FAQs relating to returning unwanted products. Our FAQs said that if you're not completely happy with your Grüum products, you can return them in the package they arrive in within 14 days.
"According to the law, and Martin, we should have said you have 14 days to decide if you want to change your mind and then a further 14 days to return the product." The firm updated its site, which now states clearly that customers have "365 days to return a product if you decide you don't want it".
To conduct its initial research, MSE reviewed the returns policies of 123 retailers on YouGov's Most Popular Retail Brands list, plus a further 300 retailers featured on MSE's Deals pages.
Know your rights this Black Friday and Christmas
Ahead of Black Friday (28 November) and Christmas, anyone looking to purchase goods online should be aware of their minimum legal rights, which overrule firms' returns policies. Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013:
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Consumers always have 14 days from the day after receiving an item to notify the retailer of a return.
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They then have another 14 days after that to send the item back for a refund (so a maximum of 28 days in total).
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Receipt of goods happens when the consumer takes physical possession of them. In the case of delivered items, this means the day the item is delivered to the address or the person the buyer specifies.
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Stores must inform customers of their legal rights surrounding returns before they make a purchase.
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If shoppers aren't informed of their cancellation (return) rights (for example, by the failure to display info on websites or on receipts), the return window is extended by 12 months.
Some retailers may choose to go above and beyond this, which then forms part of your contractual rights. For example temporarily extending returns policies over the festive period (often offering returns until January).
Just be aware that the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 doesn't apply to certain goods, such as perishable or personalised items, newspapers and magazines (unless they are part of a subscription), or sealed audio, video or computer software which has since been opened. These can only be returned if they're faulty, or if the retailer's policy allows it.
Test your shopping return rights IQ – how many will you get right?
You can watch what Martin said about our investigation, plus play his return rights quiz below (the clip is from The Martin Lewis Money Show Live on Tuesday 18 November 2025):
Courtesy of ITV. All rights reserved. Watch the full episode on ITVX.
Martin Lewis: "Question number one. You've been out shopping and bought a lovely, pink, fluffy jumpsuit you think makes you look the bee's knees, don't you, sir? There we are. You get it home. Your partner takes one look at it and shakes their head. You slink back to the store to return it, and the shop assistant says, 'I'm sorry. We'll only let you return it if you have a receipt'.
"So is that a legal consumer right or a consumer wrong? Is that right or wrong? Hands up if you think the shop is correct and it is right. And hands up if you think the shop is incorrect and it is wrong. So that was about 60% think it's right, 40% think it's wrong. And the correct answer is…
"It's right. Now, there's a reason for the confusion. If the item had been faulty, which it wasn't, in-store you do not need a receipt; any form of proof of purchase would have done, including a credit card statement or something else. But the item wasn't faulty, in which case you have absolutely no legal right to take it back. Incredibly important you understand that; no legal rights to return non-faulty items in-store.
"So if they say you need a receipt, well you need a receipt because they're being generous just to allow you to return it when it isn't faulty. Online, you do have a no-fault right of return. Big difference between buying in-store and online. If you're buying this Christmas, check the shop's return rights to see if you can return non-faulty items. They don't have to let you do it.
"Question number two. You buy a state-of-the-art Jeanette Kwakye action figure, everybody. It's a great gift. From a reputable but extremely niche store. They say it can run 100cm in 11.14 seconds. You get it home, but sadly it's faulty. It's got a Jonathan Edwards mechanism by mistake and can only hop, skip and jump.
"Returning it to the store, they say, 'Sorry as it's a specialised piece of equipment, you'll need to take it to the manufacturer'. Is that a legal consumer right or a consumer wrong? Is it right or wrong? Who thinks it's right? A few. Who thinks it's wrong? The vast majority of you. And the correct answer is...
"It's wrong. Well done to most of you. Excellent. Let me be very plain. If you have a faulty item – whether you bought it in-store or online – your rights are always with the retailer, whomever you purchased it from. That is where your legal consumer rights are. That is your priority place to take it back. Well done. I'm pleased to see most of you got it right. As for the couple of you up there…
"Question number three. You order a life-sized cardboard cutout of, well, me, for a friend. The gift that keeps on giving, everybody. You've ordered it for a friend at Christmas, knowing that they will be blown away by it — if it isn't blown away first. Days later, when it's time to wrap it, you realise you've agreed a 'no unnecessary present pact' with them – we'll be talking more about that later – so you can't send it.
"You go online to return it, but the website says you must return it within 14 days, which is today. So you can't. Is that a legal consumer right or wrong? Is it right or wrong? Who thinks that's right? Quite a lot of you. Who thinks it's wrong? So 40% think it's right, 60% think it's wrong. The correct answer is...
"It's wrong. So, now you need to listen carefully on this because you listen to me, not what you're going to read out there. When you buy something online under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, you have up to 14 days to notify them that you're returning it, and up to 14 days after notification to return it. So a maximum of 28 days. But if you notify them after two days, it's 16 days, you understand?
"Now, in July, my team and I investigated 400 retailer sites. Thirty of them incorrectly said your rights were not as strong as they actually are. We contacted them. Twenty-four have since corrected their websites, including Selfridges, – big firms; Home Bargains and The Range. Two are no longer trading. Of the other four…"
"Audience member: "Name them."
Martin: "I'm going to... Of the other four we contacted today to give a right of reply, as you do on the television, two of them — Freemans has already corrected its website on the back of me saying this now. Thank you. Joules says it will correct its website and Evans and the other one, which I'd put on there, and somebody’s just scrolled… Carluccio's. That was it.
"Evans and Carluccio's. You are wrong. Your websites are misleading. Change them please. I have reported you to Trading Standards. Right. July, it's too long.
"So, there is one exception to these rules. If an item is personalised or perishable, you do not have the 14-day right of return. I mean, you can't buy an apple and take it back 14 days later saying it's faulty. It doesn't work. Doesn’t work; that simple.
"Wait, you did very well. Who got three out of three? A round of applause for those people, and I hope you did at home as well."
Read the full transcript
Spot misleading returns information? Report it
If you come across a retailer's website or receipt that gives incorrect information about your legal rights to return online purchases, you should report it to Trading Standards via Citizens Advice.
Trading Standards told MSE that it relies on information being given to it, so the more reports it receives, the better.
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