Can I change a dress I bought for a wedding?

Q: A few days ago I bought an evening dress to wear at a wedding. I am going to be one of the witnesses. When I showed the dress to the bride, she told me the colour of the dress clashes with the colour of her bridesmaids’ dresses. I therefore went back to the shop to change it, but there was nothing I liked or that fitted me well.

I would like to know if I am entitled to ask for my money back? Does the law protect me in such a situation?

A: Wrong buying decisions and change-of-mind situations are not covered by consumer law. Unless you had a specific pre-sale agreement with the seller, promising to give you a money refund if the dress was unsuitable, then legally you are not entitled to one.

You may try to ask for one, but it is entirely up to the seller to decide whether he wants to offer you such a solution.

The law gives us the right to request a money refund when the goods purchased are either defective or not in conformity with the contract of sale. Even in such cases, the law first allows the trader to try to repair or replace the problematic good.

It is only when these two remedies are either not possible or may cause significant inconvenience to consumers that we may then ask for a money refund.