When a retailer misses a promised delivery date, you may be entitled to cancel and receive a full refund. UK consumer law protects you when goods aren't delivered on time, especially if the date was essential. We'll help you take the right steps to resolve this quickly.
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Start your disputeUnder the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you can cancel and get a full refund if a delivery date was agreed and treated as of the essence. That means the date mattered to the purchase, such as a birthday present, wedding item, event supplies, medicine, or another time-sensitive order. If the retailer misses that essential date, you can reject the late delivery and ask for your money back.
If no specific delivery date was agreed, the retailer must deliver within 30 days unless you agreed a different timeframe. If the order is late, contact the retailer, state your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, set a clear new deadline, and say you will cancel for a full refund if that deadline is missed.
Contact the retailer in writing, include your order number and the promised delivery date, and explain why the date mattered if it was time-sensitive. State that you are relying on the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and request a full refund. If the retailer refuses or keeps delaying, escalate through chargeback or Section 75 depending on how you paid.
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If the retailer won't refund you after missing the delivery date, your payment method gives you options. If you paid by credit card and the order was over £100, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act makes your card provider equally liable. You can claim directly from your bank if the retailer won't cancel the order or issue a refund. If you paid by debit card, you can request a chargeback for any amount when goods haven't been delivered on time. Your bank can reverse the payment if the retailer fails to respond. Most banks accept chargebacks within 120 days. If you paid through PayPal, their Buyer Protection covers items not received. Open a dispute through PayPal's Resolution Centre. Our tool will tell you which payment route is strongest for your situation.
If the retailer promised a delivery date and missed it, you may cancel the order and receive a full refund under UK consumer law, especially if the date was essential.
A delivery is considered late if it arrives after the date agreed at the time of purchase, or after 30 days if no date was specified.
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