Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
James Andrews

Martin Lewis lays out all your gift return rights for Christmas presents

Martin Lewis has laid out the key facts about when you can - and can't return unwanted Christmas presents.

But he's also issued a warning - pointing out in some cases even if a shop takes something back, you could be left with nothing to show for it yourself.

"Santa didn't read your letter properly, you may still be in luck," Martin told readers of the weekly MoneySavingExpert.com newsletter.

"While technically only the buyer has rights, you can have a go yourself as many stores allow refunds or exchanges if the recipient tries."

But that doesn't mean your returns will automatically be accepted - and in some cases the money might even go to the person who bought the item, not you.

"However, you may need proof of purchase (which may mean a difficult chat with the buyer to fess up) and any refund usually goes back to the card used," he said.

Here are the two main points Martin said to bear in mind:

What to do with presents you don't want (Getty Images/Tetra images RF)

  • Your rights in law - If something's faulty, you can get a refund.

    If not, you've no legal rights if bought in store.

    But if bought online, you can get a refund on most items if you alert the retailer within 14 days of receipt and you return it within another 14 days.

  • What extra stores give - Shops often allow you to return something for about a month after purchase, whatever the reason, as long as it's in its original condition - though you may need to settle for an exchange.

    However, these extra rights often don't apply if the item was bought in a sale.

Not everything can be returned (Getty Images/Tetra images RF)

Helen Dewdney, editor of The Complaining Cow, had some advice for people who find themselves encumbered with unwanted presents too.

"If you can’t return an unwanted gift you can do a number of things: Upcycle, donate to charity, give toiletries and food gifts to a food bank, contact your council social services department to ask to whether unwanted homeware and toys could be donated to a family or toy library, keep for fundraisers and even look at renting," she said.

"Many people now hire out anything from power tools to baby clothes."

You could even pass the present on to someone else.

But if that was your plan, she has a warning.

"If you intend to regift make sure you make a note of who gave you what, as it is quite common for people to regift something back to the person who gave it to them!

"Don’t donate to your school fete a present that could easily be noticed by your friend and check for any personal messages on calendars books etc. before donating!"

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.