Buying Electrical and Gas Appliances Online

Author: Lucy Debenham

Buying large electrical and gas appliances is so easy with online shopping. With no restrictions on display areas and reduced overhead costs, online retailers are often able to provide the consumer with an impressive range of appliances at relatively lower costs. However, when shopping online for such appliances you should always be aware of your consumer rights before you buy. If you have already purchased an electrical or gas appliance online, you should also have a clear understanding of what you can do if you believe that the item is faulty or unsatisfactory.

Fundamental Consumer Rights

Firstly, you should always remember that the online seller - not the manufacturer - is the one responsible for sorting out complaints and problems relating to refunds, returns, and arranging repairs, compensation or a replacement. Before you buy, the website sellers have to comply with regulations to enable a smooth transaction. In basic terms this means that the appliances advertised on the website must be accurately described, with no misleading advertising. Once received, the appliance should be of satisfactory quality and without fault. If the appliance is gas, you should enlist a registered fitter (such as Corgi registered) to do the job for you. This will help determine that the installation is not the cause of any faults, as well as being the safest option. Finally, the appliance should be fit for purpose.

To help you decide whether the online retailer is bona fide, you should have the trader's name and geographical address clearly stated on the website. A PO Box number as an address is not acceptable in this instance. This is in case you need to contact the seller directly regarding any problems with or questions about your purchase. The seller is also responsible for sending you written confirmation of your purchase - when shopping online this is usually in the guise of an email confirmation.

Be aware that the online seller - not the manufacturer - is the one responsible for sorting out complaints and problems relating to refunds, returns, and arranging repairs, compensation or a replacement. If you are purchasing electrical or gas appliances from overseas, be aware that they may not actually work properly in the UK, and any disputes you have regarding the item may have to be resolved in the country that you purchased the appliance from. Remember that the same consumer rights that you are entitled to in the UK may not apply with overseas sellers.

Also bear in mind that when shopping online, you are entitled to a seven working day 'cooling off' period if you decide to cancel the order.

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Shipping

When buying gas and electrical appliances online, the vast majority of appliances will be delivered directly to your home. Assuming that you have had no problems with the transaction up until this point, you should have received a delivery date confirmation from your seller. Prior to delivery, the seller is legally obliged to provide you with the cost of shipping, as well as a delivery date.

Should your appliance become unavailable and you are sent a substitute appliance, you should be aware that if you decide that you do not want the substitute, the seller should pick up the cost of the return shipping.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

Returning and Refunding Appliances

Before you place the order, or once you have received your appliance, the seller is required to clearly outline their returns policy - namely who is responsible for paying for the cost of returning the item. If no returns policy is stated, then it is assumed that the seller will foot the cost of the return delivery. Similarly, if the item isn't provided within 30 days of the formation of the contract (purchase), you will be entitled to a refund.

If during the seven day cooling off period you decide that you simply don't like the item, you can arrange to have the appliance returned and you should receive a full refund of the cost of the appliance within 30 days of the notice of cancellation.

You may have bought the gas or electrical appliance on credit, in which case depending on your agreement the credit company may also be liable for the faulty appliance that you received. If you believe that this may be the case, you should contact both the online appliance retailer and the credit company in writing, and retain a copy of the letters you sent for your records. It might also be worth sending the letters via recorded delivery and retaining a receipt from the post office.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Online Purchase Rights Checker lets you find out your rights when an online order goes wrong, from faulty goods to late or missing deliveries. Try it now →

8 questions

Ask Online Shopping Rights a Question

Annieh 20/12/2023 at 4:21 pm

I have bought a gift online for my daughter - a memory box. The website looks to be UK, but it turns out the goods come from China. It says, if the item is damaged, they will replace it if you email them. But they don't respond to the emails. Any comments I make on social media are being deleted. There is no address to write to. What more can I do to get a refund?

Willo 17/06/2020 at 9:48 am

Purchased a number of motor accessories items from a on-line company in France of which one was faulty and one was not has described email them on four occasions without reply.Thanks

Janie 30/05/2018 at 3:58 pm

I bought a pair of trainers on a website that was co.uk. It turns out the product came from China. They sent the wrong product. I asked to return them and process a refund, they keep saying they'll give me 50% and keep the product. I don't want the product as it is useless. They keep saying that customs is really strict. I have been totally duped and I am not sure where I stand and how I can get my money back.

jay 07/04/2018 at 12:46 pm

Hi I purchased a dress which was tailored by using their measurements that they asked for. Their returns policy said this could be returned if wrong or replaced..When the dress arrived it was totally wrong...it didnt fit at all where it should at the top and it couldnt be altered locally and the bottom half was all wrong. we contacted the seller and was told to get it altered locally, this we told her was not possible as seamstress told us that. she offered to remake it, this we couldnt do as the time required and we asked for a refund under the consumer rights, goods fit for purpose act and she offered us 8 percent only.. we sent the dress back...and have since had it returned saying delivery refused by addressy..

OnlineShoppingRights Editor 01/11/2017 at 3:03 pm

Unfortunately the US has different consumer regulations from the UK and we're not familiar enough with them to be able to comment.

JFG 31/10/2017 at 3:25 am

Hi, I bought a toy from an American firm via the Internet. it was on sale and so they stated a no returns policy. However, the toy is the wrong size and the wrong colour. I'm hugely disappointed as its a present for my nephew but predominatly girls colours. My daughter has played with the item photographed before at nursery and its vastly different in terms of quality. I see there's a little thumbnail photo showing what I didn't Please can you help?

OnlineShoppingRights Editor 02/10/2017 at 11:44 am

No, not if it wasn't described at the time of the sale. You are entitled to a full refund of your deposit.

Calgarylass 29/09/2017 at 8:18 am

I have bought a 'holiday' from a company that provides all inclusive holidays in the UK. The amount was £500 per person. I booked for 2, paid the deposit and received a confirmatory email acknowledging my deposit payment. The next day I got a new invoice which was £490 more for the same holiday. I checked their website and sent them an email showing the amount on their website. Can they just add this additional amount?

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