You could secure far more rights when shopping
Most people assume shopping is shopping — but Martin Lewis says buying online can be far better than heading to the High Street for one reason. The MoneySavingExpert founder shared a clip to his official TikTok account laying out a little-known legal advantage that online shoppers have over those buying in store.
If you have ever bought something in a physical shop and struggled to return it, this is worth knowing — because the law treats online and in-store purchases very differently, and it could save you a lot of hassle.
Martin said: “Online shopping has a superpower.” And that superpower is your legal right to return almost anything you buy online, no questions asked and no fault required. In a store, your rights only kick in if something is faulty.
Change your mind and the retailer has no legal obligation to take it back. Online is a completely different story. “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’s up to 28 days in total from purchase to return, purely because you changed your mind. No fault necessary, no awkward conversation at a customer service desk. There are exceptions — personalised items don’t qualify, and neither do perishables like flowers.
But beyond those, the rule applies to the vast majority of things you would buy online. As Martin puts it: “Online shopping, far more rights than if you buy in a store.”
The legal advantage is only part of the picture. Shopping online also puts consumers in a far stronger position when it comes to making sure they are actually getting the best deal before spending anything.
A spokesperson for online retail experts 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 is a simple but powerful reminder that your rights as a consumer can change entirely depending on where you choose to shop.
