Picture this illustration, which is not a real person: a buyer collects a second-hand pram from a seller found online, pays by bank transfer, and weeks later comes to think it may have been stolen. Citizens Advice has a page for exactly this, and it is short and specific about the order of steps. This guide sets out what that page says (it applies to England), then adds the wording of two laws it points towards: the offence of handling stolen goods in section 22 of the Theft Act 1968, and the Consumer Rights Act 2015 terms about a trader’s right to sell. It is general information, not legal advice.
The first instruction
Citizens Advice begins with reassurance: a buyer who bought something previously stolen “shouldn’t get into trouble” if they did not know it was stolen when they bought it. It then says that as soon as a buyer thinks the item is stolen, the buyer needs to call the police on 101 or take the item to a local police station, and that the police will try to return it to its original owner.
Why not hand it back to the seller?
The same page says the buyer should not keep the item or return it to the seller personally, because that might be considered “handling stolen goods”, which is illegal. The offence is defined in section 22 of the Theft Act 1968. Under the wording on legislation.gov.uk, a person handles stolen goods if, knowing or believing them to be stolen, they dishonestly receive the goods, or dishonestly undertake or assist in their retention, removal, disposal or realisation by or for the benefit of another person, or arrange to do so. The section as read contains two tests: knowing or believing the goods to be stolen, and dishonesty. Neither source applies those tests to a particular pram.
Asking for the money back
Citizens Advice says to ask the seller for a refund as soon as possible. When the item is handed in, the police give a crime reference number and a property log number. The page says to show these to the seller, together with the receipt or other proof of purchase, and gives a bank statement as an example of proof.
It says the buyer has the legal right to a full refund from the seller, even if it has been a while since the purchase and the buyer has only just realised the item is stolen. Its sample wording says the police have confirmed the item was stolen and cites entitlement to a full refund under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
What the Consumer Rights Act 2015 says
The Act’s chapter on goods applies, under section 3, to a contract for a trader to supply goods to a consumer. Section 17(1) treats every such contract, in the case of a sale, as including a term that the trader must have the right to sell or transfer the goods when ownership is to pass. There is an exception in section 17(4) where the contract shows, or the circumstances imply, that the trader and the consumer intend the trader to transfer only whatever title the trader has, even if limited. Under section 19(6), if the trader breaches the section 17(1) term, the consumer has a right to reject; section 20 sets out when that is available.
The Citizens Advice page does not discuss who the seller must be. These provisions are written for a trader supplying a consumer, so whether the person who sold the pram was a trader matters, and a page about private sales would be the place to look.
If the seller refuses
Citizens Advice gives a short ladder. A buyer who paid by debit or credit card may be able to get the money back through the bank if the seller refuses. Beyond that, it suggests trying alternative dispute resolution, in which an independent person looks at the problem to try to find a solution. If that is not an option, a court claim is possible, and it says a court will usually expect alternative dispute resolution to have been tried first. A court fee is payable and may be claimed back on winning, though a winning claimant might have to pay further costs before actually receiving the money, and Citizens Advice says to think about legal advice before taking legal action.
What the pages leave open
- Where the seller is a private individual rather than a trader, or cannot be traced, the Citizens Advice page does not say what happens.
- It describes England; the page points to separate advice for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
- It does not say what the police will decide about a particular item once handed in.
The bottom line
Per Citizens Advice (England), a buyer who did not know an item was stolen should not get into trouble, should call 101 or take it to a police station as soon as stolen goods are suspected, should not return it to the seller personally, and then asks the seller for a full refund using the crime reference and property log numbers. The Act’s trader terms are written for a trader supplying a consumer, and the page does not cover private sellers or the other nations of the UK.
Sources
- If you think you’ve bought stolen goods, Citizens Advice (advice applies to England), page undated, read 9 November 2026 (citizensadvice.org.uk)
- Theft Act 1968, section 22: Handling stolen goods, legislation.gov.uk, up to date to 9 November 2026, read 9 November 2026 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 3, 17 and 19, legislation.gov.uk, up to date to 9 November 2026, read 9 November 2026 (legislation.gov.uk)