Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert, has highlighted a little-known legal advantage for online shoppers: the right to return almost any item within 28 days, no questions asked. In a TikTok clip, he described this as a 'superpower' that sets online shopping apart from buying on the High Street, where returns are only legally required if the item is faulty.
Under consumer law, online buyers have 14 days from delivery to inform the seller they wish to cancel, followed by a further 14 days to return the goods for a full refund. This applies even if the customer simply changes their mind, with no need to prove a defect. The total window of up to 28 days gives shoppers far more flexibility than in-store purchases.
There are exceptions: personalised items and perishable goods such as flowers are excluded. However, the rule covers the vast majority of products purchased online. As Lewis puts it, 'Online shopping, far more rights than if you buy in a store.'
A spokesperson for online retail experts Ecigone backed the message, saying: 'Martin is absolutely right that online shopping puts the consumer in a much stronger position. Beyond the returns rights, buying online gives you the ability to compare products, prices and retailers in minutes — something that's simply not possible when you're standing in a store.' The combination of better rights and pricing transparency is driving more consumers to shop online.
