Your Rights When Shopping Online

Shopping on the internet is quick and convenient and should be no riskier than buying by mail order or on the phone.

But there can be problems so it's important to know what to look out for and what your rights are.

If you're in a hurry our three top tips are:

• know your rights as a shopper

• only use reputable stores

• keep records of all transactions

Many of your rights when buying online from a UK-based company are the same as when you buy from a shop.

In addition, when shopping on the internet you are also entitled to:

• clear information about the goods or services offered before you buy

• written confirmation of this information after you have made your purchase

• a 'cooling off' period during which an order can be cancelled without any reason and a full refund made

• a full refund if the goods or services are not provided by the date you agreed. If you didn't agree a date, then you are entitled to a refund if the goods or services are not provided within 30 days.

These rights apply to all forms of home shopping, not just internet sales.

There are cases where these additional rights do not apply:

• financial services such as insurance or banking

• online auctions - be careful when buying at online auctions because auctioneers, unlike other sellers, can refuse to accept responsibility for the quality of the goods they auction. Read the conditions of sale with care. But, unless the seller is a private individual, the standard terms of the contract set out in the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 still apply 

•  vending machine purchases

• contracts involving the sale of land.

For more information on Shopping on the Internet go to The Office of Fair Trading website.