Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the financial impact of mandatory outbound delivery refunds costs under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 on small businesses.

The department currently has no plans to undertake a review of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellations and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (CCRs) as we believe that the current rules balance the interests of businesses and consumers.

The CCRs provide for a 14 working day cooling-off period for distance and off-premises contracts. If a consumer changes their mind and cancels an order within the “cooling off” period, then the trader is not obligated to pay for postage, so long as they have clearly stipulated that the consumer must may for postage ahead of the transaction.

If the goods are faulty, then the trader is obligated to cover the costs of returning the goods, under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.