Date: 5 March 2012

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT), a government consumer watchdog, has launched a new campaign to help you understand your consumer rights when you shop online.

When you buy something online, you have even more protection than if you buy directly from a shop.

In addition to your usual consumer rights when you buy goods, you have some extra rights if buy online. These include:

• the right to a full refund if you don't receive the goods within 30 days of placing your order, or by the date you agreed
• the right to change your mind and cancel within seven working days of first placing your order, receiving the goods or signing up for a service
• the right to clear information about the product,  the trader’s name and address, delivery details, the costs and your cancellation rights. If you don’t get all this information, you may have even longer to cancel your order.

There are some types of order you can't cancel, for example:

• perishable goods, such as flowers or food
• newspapers or magazines
• goods personalised especially for you
• services that have started immediately, for example music downloads.

For more information about your consumer rights when you buy online and to watch a helpful video, go to the OFT website at www.oft.gov.uk.

Citizens Advice