A consumer has a right to a refund when there is a major problem with the product or service they bought.

A business cannot take away this right by claiming they have a ‘no refund’ policy or displaying a ‘no refund’ sign. This also applies to an online business refunds and returns policy.

Generally, the following signs are against the law:

• 'No refunds'
• 'No refunds on sale items'
• 'No refunds after seven days'
• 'Refunds on unworn items only'
• 'We will only exchange, repair or give credit notes'

‘No refunds’ signs aren’t legal, because they suggest a consumer can never get a refund, even if there is a major problem with the product or service.

Products on ‘Sale’

Consumers have the same legal refund rights on sale items as they would have on full-price products. If a product is on sale because it is faulty, a consumer cannot claim a refund for any problem they are informed about before the sale.

Change of mind

Signs which state ‘No refunds will be given if you have simply changed your mind’ are acceptable.

Refund and returns sign

Businesses can display a sign at the point of sale to inform consumers about their rights under the consumer guarantees. It is not compulsory to display a sign.

The refunds and returns sign was made by Consumer Protection. A business can make their own.

Download the ’Refunds and returns’sign to print and display

We produced this downloadable "Refunds and returns" sign for businesses to print and display.