Know where you stand as an unhappy shopper

It's that time of year when the shops are packed, the streets are lined with parcel delivery companies and we're inspecting the items we bought in the sales to see if they're any good or not.

- MARTYN JAMES

Despite the fact that we have lots of laws and rules that protect our rights when shopping, some retailers ignore them or “accidentally” mislead us. So here's my ultimate guide to your rights!

What the law says

There are two laws that give us the bulk of our shopping rights. The Consumer Rights Act and the Consumer Contract Regulations. It's not always easy to remember the rights the laws give you, so I came up with the Lost Rules for BBC's Rip Off Britain to simplify things.

Last: Goods and services must last a “reasonable” amount of time (more on that later).

Timescales and your rights

There are a number of timescales for complaining and returning goods that you need to bear in mind. There's an easy way to remember them: My 14/30/6 rules.

You have 14 days to change your mind when you buy most goods online.

You have 30 days to report faulty or misrepresented goods and get a full refund.