Cancellation exceptions for UK online sellers: what you can and cannot refuse

A customer wants to return a mug printed with their own name. Your page says personalised items cannot be returned, so you refuse, and a fortnight later a dispute lands. Whether you were right depends on the cancellation exceptions in UK law.

Cancellation exceptions are the specific cases where UK online buyers lose the 14 day right to cancel: goods made to order or clearly personalised, fast-perishable goods, unsealed hygiene or media goods, and a few others. They are set by law, not by your policy, so a "no returns" sign only works where an exception truly applies.

This guide is for you if:

• You sell personalised, made-to-order, perishable or sealed goods and want to know which of your products really are exempt.
• You have refused a return on the strength of your own policy and then faced a dispute or a complaint.
• You want policy wording, a product checklist and a reply template that match the law instead of hoping for the best.

Last updated: 9 October 2026. Written by the ChargeFix team.

The 30-second answer (TL;DR)

• Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28, certain goods are excluded from the right to cancel: made-to-order or clearly personalised goods, goods liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly, newspapers and magazines, public auction purchases, some alcohol, and goods with a market-linked price.
• Sealed hygiene goods, and sealed audio, video or software, lose the right only if they are unsealed after delivery. Goods mixed inseparably with other items after delivery also lose it.
• Outside those cases, the cancellation period for goods ends 14 days after the customer receives them (regulation 30). If you fail to give the required cancellation information, it can be extended by up to 12 months (regulation 31).
• The exceptions apply to a change of mind. They do not take away a customer's rights when goods are faulty or not as described under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
• A "no returns" policy that goes beyond the exceptions is not safe. Whether a specific product qualifies is a judgement call, so this guide gives my reading, not a ruling.
• A refusal that you cannot support can end as a credit not processed dispute, so know your exemption and show it.

What are the cancellation exceptions for online sellers in the UK?

They are the closed list of goods in regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 to which the right to cancel does not apply, plus a few cases where the right ends after something happens. Everything else you sell online to a consumer carries the right to cancel within the cancellation period, without giving a reason.

Here is the list for goods, as I read it from legislation.gov.uk. The right to cancel does not apply, or ceases, in these cases:

Exception	What the regulation says (in short)	Applies from the start, or only after an event?
Market-linked prices	Goods whose price depends on financial market fluctuations the trader cannot control	From the start
Made to order or personalised	Goods "made to the consumer's specifications or … clearly personalised"	From the start
Fast-perishable	Goods "liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly"	From the start
Certain alcohol	Alcoholic drinks where the price was agreed at contract, delivery can only happen after 30 days and the value depends on market fluctuations the trader cannot control (all three needed)	From the start
Newspapers, periodicals, magazines	A single copy; subscription contracts are not excluded	From the start
Public auction	Goods bought at a public auction	From the start
Sealed hygiene goods	Sealed goods not suitable for return for health protection or hygiene reasons	Only if unsealed after delivery
Sealed audio, video or software	Sealed recordings or software	Only if unsealed after delivery
Mixed inseparably	Goods that, by their nature, become mixed inseparably with other items after delivery	Only after that event

I read regulation 28 on legislation.gov.uk. It also contains exceptions for services and digital content, which I have not covered here, so this guide is about goods. The page I read was the regulation as it appears on the site, and it may have been amended since, so confirm the current text before you rely on a detail.

The most important thing about this table is how short it is. A shop policy that goes beyond the cancellation exceptions, saying "no returns on sale items", "no returns on opened items" or "no returns on cosmetics" is not a regulation 28 exception. It may be a reasonable commercial position for the period after the cancellation window, or for a product that really does fall in the table, but as a blanket rule against a consumer's statutory right to cancel, it is a risk.

How do the 14 days work, and when do cancellation exceptions matter?

Regulation 29 says a consumer may cancel at any time in the cancellation period without giving any reason. The period starts when the contract is entered into, which means a customer can cancel an online order before the goods have arrived. For a sales contract where the goods come in one delivery, regulation 30(3) says the period ends 14 days after the goods come into the physical possession of the consumer or a person, other than the carrier, whom the consumer identified. Other rules apply to orders of several goods, goods delivered in lots, and regular deliveries.

Citizens Advice describes the customer's side in practical terms: tell the seller within 14 days of receiving the item, then you have another 14 days to send it back. The terms and conditions may give longer. Once you have the goods or evidence they were sent back, the refund is due without undue delay and within 14 days under regulation 34, using the same payment method, with no fee. Our guide to a return lost in the post covers what happens when the goods go missing on the way back.

Illustration: a normal cancellation. A customer buys a £48 jacket and it is delivered on Monday 2 November 2026. The cancellation period ends 14 days later, on Monday 16 November 2026. The customer emails on Friday 13 November, then has a further 14 days to return the jacket, to about Friday 27 November. Once you receive it, or proof of postage, you refund within 14 days. Dates are illustrative.

What if you did not give the cancellation information?

Regulation 31(3) says that if the trader does not give the required cancellation information, the cancellation period is extended, and the cancellation exceptions will not rescue you. As I read it, the period then ends at the end of 12 months from the day it would have ended under regulation 30. So a seller who never tells customers about the right to cancel can find the window stretched by a year. I only read the specific wording of regulation 31(3) and not its other sub-paragraphs, so I cannot describe every case.

This matters for the exceptions in two ways. First, even if you rely on an exception, you should still tell customers what applies, since the information you give is part of your protection. Second, an exception does not extend or shorten the period for goods that are not exempt. If your page is silent, your risk window is longer than you think.

Which personalised goods count under the cancellation exceptions?

This is the exception sellers most want to use, and the one most often stretched. The regulation covers goods "made to the consumer's specifications or … clearly personalised". It does not cover goods that are merely customisable, that you stock in several colours, or that you could easily resell.

Example	My reading	Why
Mug printed with the customer's name	Likely exempt	Clearly personalised; the customer's data is on the item
Wedding invitations printed with the couple's details	Likely exempt	Made to the consumer's specifications
Sofa in the customer's choice of fabric from your standard range	Arguable	Made-to-order, but the choice is from a standard range; take advice
T-shirt in a standard design, printed on demand	Arguable to unlikely	Made after the order, but not made to the consumer's specification
Phone case in a stock colour	Unlikely	A standard product
Ring resized at the customer's request	Likely exempt for the resized item	Altered to their specification

These are my readings of the wording, not rulings from a court or regulator. I did not find a case or official guidance in the sources I opened that settles where the line falls for each example, so I mark the middle rows as arguable. If a product matters to your business, ask a solicitor or Trading Standards for a view, and treat the answer as the thing you rely on.

Three rules of thumb help:

• The test is the item, not your process. "We make it after the order" is not enough. Ask whether the item was made to the customer's specification, or is clearly personalised.
• Reusability points the other way. If you could sell it to someone else without much work, it is probably not exempt.
• Say what is personalised. Show the personalisation on the order confirmation and keep the customer's proof or approval. That is your evidence.

Does the exception cover a faulty personalised item?

No. The exception removes the right to cancel because the customer changed their mind. It does not stop the customer from using their rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 if the item is faulty or not as described. A mug printed with the wrong name, because of a mistake on your side, is not as described, and the customer is entitled to a remedy. The Act's remedies, such as rejection or repair or replacement, are set out in our guide to the Consumer Rights Act 2015 for online sellers.

Which perishable goods are among the cancellation exceptions?

The exception covers goods "liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly". The regulation does not define "rapidly", and I did not find official guidance in the sources I opened that sets a number of days. Fresh flowers and fresh food are the obvious examples. A hamper of long-life goods with a shelf life of many months is a different matter, and the fact that something has a "best before" date does not on its own make it fast-perishable.

Product	My reading	Reason
Fresh cut flowers	Likely exempt	Deteriorate rapidly
Fresh bread or cakes	Likely exempt	Expire rapidly
Chilled meal kits	Likely exempt	Short life
Cheese with a long shelf life	Arguable	Depends on the product and its life
Tea, coffee, tinned food	Unlikely	Long life
Plants	Arguable	Depends on type and condition

If you rely on this exception, state the shelf life on the product page and in the confirmation. A page that says "best within 3 days of delivery" supports your case. A page that is silent on shelf life does not.

Remember that perishable goods can still be faulty. A cake that arrives mouldy is not of satisfactory quality, and the customer has rights regardless of the exception. In the Act, perishable goods also have shorter periods for the short-term right to reject, as I read section 22, so act fast on any complaint.

How do sealed goods and unsealed goods work under the cancellation exceptions?

Two exceptions depend on an event after delivery. They apply only if the customer breaks the seal. If the item comes back sealed, the right to cancel stands.

Sealed hygiene goods. The right ceases for "sealed goods which are not suitable for return due to health protection or hygiene reasons" if they become unsealed after delivery. The regulation does not list products. Common candidates are cosmetics, some personal care items and certain underwear or swimwear with hygiene seals, but whether a given product qualifies is a judgement. I would not treat every cosmetic as exempt, and I would not rely on this exception without a seal that the customer can see, and wording that tells them.

Sealed audio, video or software. The right ceases for sealed recordings or sealed computer software if unsealed after delivery. This is the exception behind "no returns once opened" on a boxed game.

Mixed inseparably. The right ceases for goods that, by their nature, become mixed inseparably with other items after delivery. Think of paint added to a tin or a liquid poured into a larger container. It is not about a customer opening a box.

Situation	Right to cancel?	Notes
Sealed serum, returned sealed	Yes	The exception only bites if unsealed
Sealed serum, opened	Depends	Only if sealed goods unsuitable for return on hygiene grounds
Boxed video game, returned sealed	Yes	Right stands
Boxed video game, seal broken	No	Exception applies
Candle returned with the wick burnt	See below	Not an exception; the regulations deal with reduced value instead

The last row is a useful reminder. If a customer handles goods more than is needed to check them, regulation 34 lets you recover loss in value from the refund, up to the contract price, unless you failed to give the required cancellation information. This is a different mechanism from an exception: the right to cancel stands, but you deduct for diminished value. I read this from the regulation text, so check it with an adviser before you apply a deduction.

Do the cancellation exceptions cover sale items, clearance and final sale?

No. A discount does not change the right to cancel. "Final sale", "no returns on sale items" and "clearance, no refunds" are commercial labels, not regulation 28 exceptions. For an online order, the customer still has the right to cancel within the cancellation period unless the item falls in the list.

That does not mean you must treat sale items the same as full-price items after the period. After the cancellation window and for goods that are not faulty, your policy can say what you like, within the unfair terms rules. But while the window is open, the statutory right stands.

POLICY WORDING TO AVOID AND ITS FIX
Avoid: "No returns on sale items."
Use:   "You can cancel most online orders within 14 days of receiving
        them, including sale items. Some goods are excluded by law,
        such as items made to your specification. These are marked on
        the product page."

Avoid: "No refunds on opened products."
Use:   "Sealed items that are not suitable for return for hygiene
        reasons cannot be cancelled once the seal is broken. We will
        say so on the product page."

How do you audit your catalogue against the cancellation exceptions?

Most shops decide their policy first and check the products afterwards. Do it the other way round. Go through your catalogue once, product by product, and sort each into one of three groups. It takes an afternoon and removes most of the guessing.

CANCELLATION EXCEPTIONS CATALOGUE AUDIT
Product | Made to specification? | Fast-perishable? | Sealed hygiene? |
Sealed media/software? | Mixed inseparably? | Group (A/B/C) | Notice text
A = clearly within a cancellation exception, state it
B = arguable, take advice or treat as cancellable
C = not within any exception, normal 14 days applies

Group A is the short list of products where you can say with a straight face that the right to cancel does not apply. Group B is the list you worry about, and the safe default for Group B is to treat the product as cancellable until an adviser says otherwise. Group C is everything else. You will probably find that Group C is by far the largest, which is the point: most of your catalogue is cancellable, and your policy should say so.

Group	Policy wording	Product page notice	Risk if you refuse a cancellation
A	"Cannot be cancelled for a change of mind"	Required, specific	Low, with evidence
B	"Cancellable within 14 days" until confirmed	Optional	Medium to high
C	"Cancellable within 14 days"	Not needed	High

The table also shows where your evidence effort should go. Group A needs the strongest proof of the exception and the notice. Groups B and C need a fast, friendly refund process, because a refusal there is the one that ends in a lost dispute.

What happens with bundles and mixed orders?

Mixed orders contain a mix of exempt and non-exempt goods. A customer might buy a personalised mug and a standard teapot together. The exception applies to the mug, as I read it, not to the teapot. The teapot stays cancellable, and the mug does not. Regulation 30 has separate rules for multiple goods ordered together and delivered in lots, which affect when the period ends, and I have not read them closely enough to set out here.

Practical points for mixed orders, which are common in gift shops:

• List each item's status in the confirmation email, so the customer sees which line is cancellable.
• On mixed orders, refund only the cancellable lines when a customer cancels part of an order, and explain the maths.
• Keep the personalised item's proof separate and labelled, so you can show it later.
• Watch the delivery charge. Regulation 34 covers refunding delivery payments up to the cost of the least expensive common option, and a partial cancellation can raise questions about how much to return. Take advice if the sum is material.

Illustration: one of the mixed orders. A customer pays £28 for a personalised mug and £22 for a teapot, plus £4 delivery, £54 in all. They cancel the teapot within 14 days. You refund £22, and perhaps part of the delivery, depending on how it was charged. The mug stays sold. If you refund the whole £54 by mistake, you have given away £28 you did not owe, and if you refuse the teapot, a lost dispute would cost £22 plus the £10 fee, £32. The sums are illustrative, and the delivery treatment needs a check against regulation 34.

What happens in a dispute when you refused on one of the cancellation exceptions?

A customer who is refused a refund may go to their bank. Depending on what they say, Shopify records this as credit not processed, product unacceptable or product not received. For credit not processed, Shopify's guidance is to contact the customer; if the chargeback is invalid, submit evidence that you refunded them before the chargeback or that they were not entitled to a refund, such as refund and return policies, proof you informed the customer of the policy, emails or notifications about the refund, and an explanation of why they were not entitled to one.

That last item is where your exception comes in. To show that the customer was not entitled to a refund, you need three things:

1. The exception itself. Cite regulation 28 and the specific paragraph, such as made to specification or clearly personalised.
2. The facts that fit it. Show that the item was personalised: the customer's text, the proof they approved, a photo of the finished item.
3. Proof you told them. The product page, checkout notice or confirmation email saying the item could not be cancelled, with a dated screenshot.

Evidence	What it proves	Where to find it
Order record with personalisation text	The item was made to specification	Shopify order, line item properties
Customer's proof approval email	They saw and accepted the design	Your email log
Product page and checkout notice	They were told it could not be cancelled	Dated screenshots
Photo of the finished item	What was made	Your packing record
Delivery proof	They received it	Tracking, signature or photo

Illustration: a defensible refusal. A customer orders a £28 personalised mug and, after delivery, asks to cancel. You hold the order text, the approved proof, the notice and the delivery scan. If you refuse and they dispute, a lost chargeback would cost £28 plus the £10 fee, £38. With full evidence, the chance of winning is decent, and a win costs nothing. Without the proof approval and the notice, the same refusal is much harder to defend. Amounts are illustrative.

Illustration: an indefensible refusal. A customer buys a £60 pair of boots in the sale, sees "no returns on sale items", and asks to cancel on day 5. The sale label is not an exception. If you refuse and the customer disputes, you are defending a refusal that the law does not support. A refund costs £60 and, if you get the boots back, you can resell them. A lost chargeback costs £70 and the boots stay with the customer. Amounts are illustrative.

Our guide to chargeback vs refund shows how to weigh these decisions in numbers.

How should you tell customers about cancellation exceptions?

Tell them before they pay, and tell them where they look. The information you give is part of both your legal position and your evidence. The Regulations require certain information about the right to cancel to be given, and regulation 31 shows the cost of failing to give it. I have not reviewed the full list of required information for this guide, so check the details with an adviser.

Put the exception in four places, and screenshot each:

• The product page. A short line near the buy button: "Personalised item. Cannot be cancelled once ordered, unless faulty."
• The checkout. A required tick box for personalised or made-to-order lines, if your set-up allows it.
• The order confirmation email. Repeat the exception and the cancellation information.
• Your returns page. List the exceptions in plain words.

PRODUCT PAGE NOTICE (personalised)
"This item is made to your specification. Under UK law the right
to cancel does not apply to personalised goods. If it arrives faulty
or not as described, you have the same rights as with any other
purchase. Please check your wording carefully before you order."

CHECKOUT TICK BOX
[ ] I understand this item is personalised and cannot be cancelled
    for a change of mind.

Whether your theme or an app supports a required tick box for particular items depends on your set-up, and I have not verified specific Shopify options, so check what you have.

How do you reply to a customer you cannot refund?

Be firm, kind and specific. Name the item, say why, point to what they were told and offer what you can. Do not cite the law in a way that sounds like a threat.

Subject: Your order [number]

Hi [name],

Thank you for getting in touch. I am sorry the [item] is not what
you hoped for. Because it was made with your own wording, it falls
into a category of goods that UK law says cannot be cancelled for a
change of mind, and this was shown on the product page and in your
confirmation email (attached).

If the item is faulty, damaged or not as described, that is different,
and I will put it right straight away. Could you tell me if that is
the case? Otherwise, I would be happy to [offer a goodwill option
such as a discount on your next order].

[Name]

The offer matters. A refusal with nothing attached is the sort of message that sends a customer to their bank. If the order is small, consider refunding anyway: a goodwill refund costs less than a lost chargeback and protects your chargeback rate, as our guide on what the chargeback rate warning means explains.

What's different for UK merchants?

This section is general information, not legal advice. The cancellation exceptions in this guide are UK law, from the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. They differ from the rules in other countries, so advice written for US stores, which have no general 14 day right to cancel for online orders, does not transfer. For UK stores, the other differences are the £10 chargeback fee on Shopify Payments, the 120 day claim window MoneyHelper describes and Section 75 for credit card purchases from £100 to £30,000.

Section 75 means a credit card customer can claim from their card provider as well as through a chargeback, and MoneyHelper says there is no time limit on a Section 75 claim. A refusal that stands up under the Regulations is therefore your best protection, because a customer who has a genuine right to cancel has more than one route to recover the money.

On record keeping, MoneyHelper's 120 days is a sensible minimum for order, notice and message records. For how long the law allows you to hold personal data, I have not verified ICO guidance, so take your own data protection advice.

What are the most common mistakes with cancellation exceptions?

1. Treating "no returns" as an exception. Only regulation 28 creates exceptions.
2. Calling anything customised "personalised". The test is made to specification or clearly personalised.
3. Not showing the exception before payment. If the customer was not told, your position is weaker.
4. Ignoring regulation 31. If you do not give the required cancellation information, the period can stretch by up to 12 months.
5. Using sealed exceptions without a seal. The right ceases only if sealed goods are unsealed after delivery.
6. Confusing a change of mind with a fault. Exceptions do not affect the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
7. Refusing without an offer. A refusal alone invites a dispute.
8. Not saving proof of personalisation. You need the text, the approval and the finished item.

Frequently asked questions

What are the cancellation exceptions in UK distance selling?

They are the goods listed in regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 that are excluded from the right to cancel: made-to-order or clearly personalised goods, fast-perishable goods, single copies of newspapers and magazines, public auction purchases, certain alcohol, and market-linked goods. Some sealed goods lose the right only if unsealed.

Can I refuse a return on personalised goods?

For a change of mind, generally yes, if the item was made to the customer's specification or is clearly personalised. For a fault or a mistake on your side, no, because the Consumer Rights Act 2015 still applies. Show the exception on the product page and keep the order text, approval and finished-item photo.

Does "final sale" or "no returns on sale items" count as an exception?

No. Those are commercial labels. The right to cancel an online order stands for sale items unless the item falls within a regulation 28 exception. A policy that goes further than the law is not safe against a customer who is within the cancellation period.

When does the 14 day cancellation period start and end?

It starts when the contract is made, so a customer can cancel before delivery. For goods delivered together, regulation 30 says it ends 14 days after the customer, or a person they identified other than the carrier, takes physical possession. Other rules apply to multiple goods and lots.

What if I did not tell the customer about the right to cancel?

Regulation 31 says that if you fail to give the required cancellation information, the cancellation period is extended and ends 12 months after the day it would otherwise have ended. So silence can stretch your exposure by a year. Give the information clearly and keep a dated copy.

Are cosmetics exempt from cancellation?

Only sealed goods that are not suitable for return for health protection or hygiene reasons, and only if the customer unseals them after delivery. Many cosmetics may qualify, but the regulation lists no products, so it is a judgement. A sealed item returned sealed keeps the right to cancel.

Do the exceptions apply to faulty items?

No. The exceptions remove the right to cancel for a change of mind. A faulty or misdescribed item gives the customer rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, including the short-term right to reject within 30 days, whatever the exception. A personalised item made wrongly is not as described.

What evidence do I need if a customer disputes after I refuse?

Shopify says to submit refund and return policies, proof you informed the customer of the policy, emails about the refund and an explanation of why they were not entitled to one. For an exception, add the order text, proof approval, a dated screenshot of the notice, a photo of the finished item and delivery proof.

Should I refund anyway to avoid a chargeback?

Sometimes. If the order is small and your evidence is thin, a goodwill refund costs less than a lost chargeback, which would cost the sale plus the £10 fee, and it protects your chargeback rate. If the exception is clear and your evidence is strong, a firm, polite refusal is reasonable.

Can ChargeFix help with these disputes?

ChargeFix handles Shopify Payments disputes: it gathers proof from your store, drafts the response from verified facts. You review and file it, or let Auto mode handle them. It cannot decide whether your product qualifies as an exception, which is a legal judgement, and it cannot show a notice you did not save, so keep dated screenshots.

Start free trial with ChargeFix

ChargeFix gathers the proof from your store, drafts the response from verified facts, on flat monthly pricing with no cut of what you win. You review and file it, or let Auto mode handle them. If you want your cancellation exceptions backed by evidence you can show a reviewer, start free trial and have your records ready before the next dispute.

Sources

• Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28, legislation.gov.uk
• Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 29, legislation.gov.uk
• Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30, legislation.gov.uk
• Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 31, legislation.gov.uk
• Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 34, legislation.gov.uk
• Consumer Rights Act 2015, Chapter 2, legislation.gov.uk
• Changing your mind about something you've bought, Citizens Advice
• Chargeback reasons, Shopify Help Center
• How to sort a problem with a payment, MoneyHelper