19 January 2026
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
At this time of year many of us will be spending a lot more time shopping either on-line or in the shops in our local towns or cities therefore it is important that shoppers are aware of their consumer rights. What should you do if you’re not satisfied with the quality of a product or service?
If you feel that a product is faulty or you are not happy with a service, you should:
- Return the item to the seller (not the manufacturer)
- Act as soon as you can – a delay can indicate that you have accepted faulty products
- Don’t attempt to repair the item yourself or give it to anyone else to repair it
- Make sure you have proof of purchase, for example a receipt or credit card statement
- For services, keep all evidence of damage caused by poor work, for example take photos.
- If a product is faulty within 6 months of purchase it is assumed the problem existed when you received it.
Do I have a ‘right to redress’ if I purchase a faulty product?
If you have a problem with something you have bought it is always the seller who must put things right. If something you bought turns out to be faulty, you can decide to get a repair or a replacement. You also have a legal right to return something faulty if the issue occurs within 30 days. You can return the product and get a full refund
If you opt for a repair or replacement, the seller must repair or replace the product for free, within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to you. A reasonable time means the shortest possible time to fix the issue. For a replacement, you must get the same or a similar product.
The seller must cover any extra installation costs for the replacement.
If it is not possible or too expensive for the seller to resolve the issue, you have the right to either a price reduction or refund..
You have the right to end the contract and get a refund where:
- The seller has not offered a repair or replacement
- The fault is serious
- The seller cannot fix the issue within a reasonable time
- You told the seller you needed the product for a specific date and the seller agreed to this
- The same or another issue happens again after the seller repaired or replaced the product
If you are unable to find a resolution you may consider taking a claim against the seller using the small claims procedure. For cross-border disputes within the EU, you can use the European small claims procedure. You can get more information about this from your local CIC.
Are there some situations where I cannot avail of a refund, repair or replacement?
You may have no grounds for redress if:
- You were informed about the defect before you bought the item – for example, the goods were marked ‘shop-soiled’ or the car dealer told you a part needed replacing on a second-hand vehicle
- The damage is caused by your own misuse or negligence – if the fault appears six months after it was received, you may have to prove that it was not caused by you
- You made a mistake when buying the item – for example, buying a black dress instead of navy or entering the wrong dates for a flight
- The fault is superficial and you examined the item before you bought it and should have seen the defect
If I buy something in a shop but change my mind about it later, can I return the item to the shop and get a refund?
You are not automatically entitled to a refund when returning an item you bought in a shop because you have simply changed your mind. If there is nothing wrong with the item, then, as I mentioned earlier, you have no legal right to return the goods. Whether or not you can get your money back will depend on the seller’s returns policy.
However, many sellers voluntarily allow customers to return or replace goods during a certain time period. The seller may offer a refund, exchange or credit note as a goodwill gesture. For this reason, you should check what the seller’s returns policy is before you buy.
If the seller accepts returns then there is usually an obligation that:
- You make sure the items are in good condition
- The original labels and tags are attached
- You can provide proof of purchase (for example, a receipt)
However, you have a right to change your mind and cancel when you buy online, over the phone, by mail order or on your doorstep (known as distance contracts). The reason is that you do not enter into the contract in person and you cannot check the products or service before you buy. Therefore you have a ‘cooling off period’ where you can change your mind and get a refund.
The cooling off period ends 14 days after you receive the goods or service. For doorstep sales, you have 30 days from when the contract was agreed to cancel. Sometimes you do not have a cooling-off period and the seller must tell you this before you buy.
The European Consumer Centre Ireland has a useful letter template for returning products bought online within the cancellation period.
What protection is there for on-line shoppers to avoid being scammed?
There is a multi-agency initiative called “CheckMyLink” , which is a tool that will quickly and easily inform consumers of the legitimacy of a website to help them shop in confidence. It is managed by Cyber Skills, in partnership with ScamAdviser and An Garda Síochána.
Shoppers simply need to visit check.cyberskills.ie and enter the address (URL) of the website they’re looking to buy from and “CheckMyLink” will advise if it is a safe place to shop in the form of a high-level report that’ll be generated in just a few seconds.
If the site comes back as being legitimate’ you can have confidence that it’s a safe site to transact with.
You should also check website security by looking for the closed padlock symbol and ‘https://’ in the address bar.
If I am scammed on-line, is there any hope of getting my money back?
You might be able to get your money back, depending on what happened and how you paid the scammer.
If you notice an unauthorised transaction on your account, contact your bank immediately. In most cases, your bank must refund you for unauthorised payments.
If it was a debit card, credit card or PayPal payment, you should request a transaction reversal through ‘chargeback’ from your bank or credit card provider. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has more information about chargeback.
If it was a bank transfer you should act quickly by contacting your bank because bank transfers are difficult to trace.
However if you used a money transfer service, it is unlikely you will be able to get your money back if you used a wire service. It is also unlikely you will get money back if you used vouchers or gift cards for payment.
What are my rights when an order is delayed or not delivered?
The seller must deliver your product to you either within 30 days of buying them (unless you agreed a different date) or on the date you agreed with them
If the seller does not deliver the product as agreed in the contract or within 30 days, you can request a new delivery date. You can insist that all items you bought in the one transaction are delivered at once. The seller cannot make you accept deliveries in instalments.
You can end the contract if the seller cannot or refuses to deliver within the new time frame you request or a new delivery date is no longer suitable for you, for example, you needed the product for a specific date or event
You must tell the business you are using your right to end your contract for non-delivery. The business must give you a refund within 14 days. The European Consumer Centre (ECC) Ireland has a letter template which may be helpful.
What if I buy from outside the EU?
When you buy online, you have additional protections under EU law if things go wrong. These rights do not apply if you buy from a trader based outside the EU.
It is important to check whether the website you are purchasing from is based in the EU. The name of a website, or having prices displayed in Euro, is not proof of the location of a business. For example, a website address ending with ‘.ie’ does not mean that the business is based in Ireland. It is also not proof that the goods will be delivered from within the EU.
You should check the terms and conditions, privacy policy, ‘about us’ or ‘contact us’ information on the seller’s website. This information should indicate where the business is located, and if taxes and duties are included in the price. Alternatively, contact the business directly so that you know in advance the full cost of your purchase.
If you are buying from a business outside of the EU, be sure to read the T&Cs on their website for details of any import taxes or additional charges that you may have to pay – for example, VAT or customs charges – on delivery. This can apply to purchases from UK businesses as well.
If you buy a product from a seller based outside the EU, you have to pay VAT on all items, regardless of value. You have to pay customs duty for products over €150.
You may also have to pay VAT and excise duty for certain types of products such as alcohol and tobacco.
Customs and Vat will be collected either at source from the website or you will receive a notification from the courier and will have to pay this before delivery can happen.
South Munster Citizens Information
Further information on this and other topics is available from Cork City Centre CIC in Cornmarket Street, open to the public on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9.45am to 12.30pm and Wednesdays from 2pm to 4pm, Tel 0818 07 6950 (Lines open Mon-Fri 10am-4.30pm). Blackpool CIC is also open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm, Tel 0818 07 6890 while Hollyhill CIC is open Mondays and Fridays from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm, Tel: 0818 07 6850.
Information is also available from the Citizens Information Phone Service Tel: 0818 07 4000 (9am – 8pm, Mon – Fri) or online at www.citizensinformation.ie