Whether you received something as a gift or bought something yourself, returning or exchanging it is not always that easy.
Returning purchased goods – This is not always easy
There is no “right of return” in stores; returns are taken purely as a gesture of goodwill, with the exception of the goods being defective.
This is easier in mail order, but even there you have to explicitly state that you don't want to keep the goods.
In fact, there is no such thing as a “right of return” in normal retail! “Normal” should mean: in the store, in the store, department store, etc. If this is still possible, it only happens because the store is willing to do it on its own initiative - out of pure goodwill , as the saying goes.
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There is no right to return
But as a buyer you have no right to a return - the purchase contract you entered into is binding. And even if you don't sign somewhere every time: every purchase is also a contract that you can't simply cancel just because you suddenly don't like what you bought anymore.
However, you of course have rights if something is wrong with the product - the so-called warranty rights . But: Even then you can't give it back straight away...
Repair and replacement come first
If you have a complaint about a product, the matter can certainly end with you getting your money back, but not immediately. The demands of a customer in the event of a complaint are triggered in two stages.
Stage one: Buyers initially have the choice, so to speak, whether they want a repair or another copy of the same product - the return is not yet up for debate. Unfortunately, in practice it is often the case that the seller makes this choice. He's not actually allowed to, but who goes to court because of that?
Of course, there are also products that cannot be repaired at all - if you buy a can of soup or Coke and it has a hole, hardly anyone will try to weld it back up. Anyway, let's assume the replacement is chosen, but then the new copy must also be OK.
First you should tell the seller what you have to complain about and tell him when you expect the item to be in perfect condition. The seller should be given enough time to repair or deliver new items. If it is not repaired or delivered within a reasonable period of time, you can cancel the purchase contract and demand the money back.
If you do not specify in advance within which time the seller should take action, the following applies: If repair is chosen, the seller usually has two attempts to do it - if it is not ok after the first repair, there is still no return. But if the second repair also fails, then the second stage is triggered even without setting a deadline: money back!
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Exception mail order
And yet there is something that could be called a “right of return”, but only in mail order and for some specific types of contracts and sales forms (doorstep, workplace or telephone transactions). But the correct name is – be careful, a little legal quibble – right of withdrawal .
Let's stick with shipping, which includes both purchases via catalog and online shopping. Because you cannot see and check the goods here before they arrive in the mail, there is a 14-day right of withdrawal from the day you receive your goods. Until then you can send them back without giving reasons.
Whether the product is OK or not is irrelevant; you definitely have this return option.
But just sending it back isn't enough: you have to expressly declare that you don't want to keep the goods. To do this, simply fill out the cancellation form that the retailer must provide you with. However, there are exceptions to the cancellation (e.g. food) and you may have to pay the postage yourself. We'll cover that in another article .
That's why you shouldn't go online blindly: on the one hand, 14 days go by quickly (it's easy to forget something like that...), on the other hand, it can cost postage and is relatively annoying with packing, running to the post office, etc . And first the environmental impact...
Either way: Think before you shop!
Source: Consumer advice center NRW/checked4you
Article image: Shutterstock / By Arkhipenko Olga
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