Martin Lewis has shared a key consumer right that gives some shoppers a major advantage over others
Martin Lewis has guidance for shoppers over 28-day rights(Image: ITV)
Many assume all shopping is the same, but Martin Lewis insists purchasing online offers significant advantages over visiting the High Street for one simple reason. The MoneySavingExpert founder posted a video on his official TikTok account highlighting a lesser-known legal benefit that online shoppers enjoy compared to those buying in physical stores.
If you’ve ever purchased something from a brick-and-mortar shop and encountered difficulties returning it, this information is valuable, as the law distinguishes between online and in-store transactions quite differently, potentially sparing you considerable frustration.
Martin said: “Online shopping has a superpower.” This superpower refers to your statutory right to return virtually any online purchase without explanation or defect. In contrast, shop-floor rights only apply when goods are faulty, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Martin Lewis has explained your shopping return rights(Image: alexsl via Getty Images)
Had second thoughts? The retailer isn’t legally required to accept returns. The online landscape, however, operates entirely differently. “If you buy online, you’ve got 14 days to tell them you don’t want it,” Martin explains, “and 14 days after you’ve told them you don’t want it in order to send it back – and you’re entitled to a full refund.”
That amounts to up to 28 days from purchase to return, simply because you’ve reconsidered. No defect required, no uncomfortable exchange at a customer service counter.
Certain exclusions apply, including personalised goods and perishable items such as flowers. However, apart from those exceptions, the regulation covers the overwhelming majority of items purchased on the internet. As Martin puts it: “Online shopping, far more rights than if you buy in a store.”
The statutory benefit is merely one element of the equation. Purchasing online also places shoppers in a considerably stronger position when it comes to ensuring they are genuinely securing the best value before parting with any money.
A spokesman for online retail specialists Ecigone said: “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.
“You can check reviews, weigh up your options and make sure you’re getting the best price available before you spend a penny. That combination of better rights and better pricing transparency is why more and more people are choosing to shop online.”
It serves as a straightforward yet significant reminder that consumer protections can vary dramatically depending on the channel through which purchases are made.
