Martin Lewis issues warning over little known rule to anyone returning unwanted gifts

A lot of people have to dust off their acting skills over Christmas while opening presents to pretend their absolutely buzzing with the random things they've received.

You're not going to break your nana's heart and tell her those socks just really aren't your style, are you?

However, you might subtly rummage through the remnants of the wrapping paper in the hopes that a receipt was included with your gift too.

But according to Martin Lewis, getting a refund or swapping your unwanted gift for something a bit more your taste might not be as easy as a lot of Brits think.

The money saving mogul, 52, warned that there is a little known rule which could scupper your plans to exchange your presents at the shops.

In a TikTok video, which he originally shared in 2022, he explained the reason why your request for a refund might be rejected.

Lewis said he had received a letter from a disgruntled shopper who had headed to a store to return a shirt which they decided 'was not suitable for them'.

A member of staff then informed them that they could not process the refund, which didn't sit well with the customer.

The letter finished off by saying: "I’m sure you will be aghast too and will tell them how wrong they are in the eyes of the law. Yours sincerely..."

However, Lewis had some news for the frustrated shopper - he wasn't going to rip the store a new one as they had hoped.

In the clip shared to social media, he explained: "The shop is right. Many people don’t know this, but if you buy something in a shop as opposed to online, you only legally have a right to return it if it’s faulty.

"You changing your mind or saying the colour isn’t right does not mean it’s faulty and you have no legal right of return," he continued. "Though, if the shop has a published returns policy, that’s part of the contract and you can use that.

"But if that means they say you can only get a full refund if you’ve got the receipt and you’re hopping on one leg when you hand it in, then start to hop - because you haven’t got a legal right."

Ouch. Let's hope you lot have an impressive hop which can hypnotise a shop worker then.

Although a lot of us make purchases under the illusion that we can get our money back if we end up deciding we don't like something, that's not actually the case.

So, make sure you have brushed up on both the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts Regulations before you go spare at a retail worker.

Stores do not have to offer a refund to a customer if they simply no longer want an item - unless they bought it without seeing it.

However, as Lewis mentioned, a lot of shops will allow returns if they have a published returns policy which might state that they offer refunds, exchanges or store credit.

Shoppers are also not entitled to a refund if they knew an item was faulty when they bought it or if they damaged an item by trying to repair it themselves.

However, stores do have to offer a refund for certain items if they are faulty and you have a 30-day right to reject the goods and receive all of your money back.

So, the main takeaways here are - hold onto your receipt, take your chances at the store in question and see what they say about it.

But remember, you're not actually entitled to a refund, so don't give a shop assistant an earful if they turn you down.