↩️ Online returns checklist

Getting a refund is mostly about paperwork rather than persuasion — keep the right proof at each step and there's very little left to argue about.

13 items

1. Order confirmation email kept, with the order numberThe first thing any retailer will ask for — worth finding before you contact them, not during the call.
2. Delivery date notedThe fourteen-day cancellation window generally counts from this date, not the order date.
3. Decision to return made within the cancellation windowFourteen days is the general rule for distance sales in the UK — check the exact terms for what was bought, since this is guidance, not legal advice.
4. Retailer's own returns policy checked, not assumedSome are more generous than the legal minimum, some sale items are marked final — read the specific policy rather than a general rule.
5. Item repackaged in the condition it arrived inTags on, original packaging where possible — a policy can refuse a refund on this alone.
6. Returns form or label completed correctlyMissing or wrong details are the most common reason a return gets delayed rather than refused.
7. Proof of postage keptA receipt with a tracking or reference number, photographed or kept safe — this is the evidence if anything about the return is later disputed.
8. Tracking checked until the parcel is confirmed receivedDon't consider it done the moment it's posted — confirm it's actually arrived at the other end.
9. Refund timeline noted, not just hoped forMost retailers state a number of days once the return is received — write it down so a delay is obvious rather than assumed.
10. Bank or card statement checked once the timeline has passedA refund that hasn't landed by the stated date is worth chasing immediately, not weeks later.
11. A record kept of who was contacted and when, if a refund is delayedNames, dates, and what was said — useful if the issue needs escalating.
12. Faulty item distinguished from a simple change of mindFaulty goods carry stronger rights than 'I've changed my mind' returns, and a longer window in some cases — worth knowing which one applies.
13. Chargeback or payment provider dispute considered as a last resortAvailable through most banks and card providers if a retailer won't refund a return they've received — a genuine last resort, not a first step.