Buying a pram in a shop is a big decision made under time pressure, and it is common to get it home, fold it in the hall and wish it were lighter, wider or a different colour. Whether the shop has to take it back depends on why it is being returned. This guide summarises what GOV.UK’s guidance on returns and refunds and Citizens Advice’s England page say about changing your mind after a shop purchase, and how that differs from a faulty pram or an online order. Citizens Advice publishes separate pages for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, so this guide follows its England page. It is general information, not legal advice.
The starting point: no automatic right
Citizens Advice says there is no automatic right to get your money back if you just change your mind about something you have bought and there is nothing wrong with it, and that this is the same however expensive the item was. It says it is down to the seller whether they offer anything. GOV.UK’s guidance for businesses is consistent: a retailer does not have to refund a customer who no longer wants an item, for example because it is the wrong size or colour, unless they bought it without seeing it. Bought in person, a pram is an item the customer could see, so the shop’s obligation to refund a change of mind does not arise by law.
Where the shop’s policy comes in
Many shops have their own returns policy, which is a commercial choice rather than a legal requirement. Citizens Advice says lots of shops allow returns within 14 or sometimes 30 days as long as items are not used. It adds that the policy might be written on the receipt, on the shop’s website, or available by calling the local branch, and that shops often shorten the return period for items bought in a sale. Its advice is to check the policy before buying, which for a pram means asking the specific questions that matter: whether an unused pram can be returned in its box, whether a demonstrated or opened display model counts as used, and whether the return is for a refund, an exchange or a credit note.
Citizens Advice says a shopper stands a better chance with the receipt and the original packaging, and that it is up to the shop what to offer, so the customer decides whether to accept it. It also says rights are the same even if the item could not be checked or tried on before buying.
What does not change
Three points from the guidance apply regardless of the shop’s returns policy:
- Faults. GOV.UK says a business must offer a full refund if an item is faulty, not as described or does not do what it is supposed to. Citizens Advice notes that shoppers are still protected if something is faulty even when a sale period has shorter return times. The site’s guide to faulty pushchair rights explains the stages.
- Sales. GOV.UK says customers have exactly the same rights to refunds when they buy items in a sale as when they buy at full price.
- Misleading notices. GOV.UK says it is illegal to restrict or take away customers’ rights or to mislead them about their rights, for example by displaying a sign saying the shop does not accept returns or offer refunds. A “no returns” sign therefore cannot remove the right to a remedy for a faulty pram.
If the pram was bought online but collected or returned in store
Citizens Advice describes a different rule for something bought online, over the phone or by mail order: an automatic 14-day cooling-off period when the item was not seen in person, starting the day after the order is received. GOV.UK says the customer must tell the seller within 14 days of receiving the item, has another 14 days to return it, and is entitled to handle the item as they would in a shop. The site’s guide to the 14-day cancellation right for prams covers that route in detail. Citizens Advice also says a customer may be able to return an online order to a shop in person and, if they do, does not have to pay for postage. A purchase made face to face in the shop does not get this cooling-off period.
Practical steps before paying
- Ask for the returns policy in writing, or find it on the receipt or website.
- Test the fold, the boot fit and the weight in the shop; a shop purchase is the customer’s chance to check.
- Keep the receipt and packaging, and avoid removing tags or protective wrapping until sure.
- Ask what happens with display models; the site’s guide to ex-display and clearance prams explains that a “sold as seen” label does not remove rights on faults.
Frequently asked questions
Can a shop refuse a refund because I changed my mind? Yes, unless its own policy promises one; Citizens Advice says it is down to the seller.
Does a 14-day return period apply to shop purchases? Only if the shop’s policy says so. The 14-day cooling-off period Citizens Advice describes applies to items bought without being seen in person.
What if the pram is faulty? GOV.UK says a business must offer a refund for a faulty item, and repair or replacement can apply within six months.
The bottom line
A pram bought in a shop can be returned for a change of mind only if the shop’s own policy allows it, so read the policy and keep the receipt and packaging. The law protects against faults, not second thoughts, and online purchases have a separate 14-day cooling-off right.