Q: I sold a swimsuit to a customer and she came back to exchange it. The swimsuit’s hygiene sticker has been removed. Am I legally allowed to refuse the exchange? What are the customer’s rights in such a situation?
A: Exchanges of items due to change of mind are not regulated by the Consumer Affairs Act.
In such a situation, you may apply your own exchange policies. In the case of items such as underwear and swimwear, due to hygienic reasons, it is the standard practice by most sellers to exclude them from the shop’s return policies.
However, it is important that consumers are properly informed before the sale is concluded.
Thus, unless you made a specific pre-sale agreement with your customer that she could exchange the swimsuit if she changed her mind, you may refuse to change the unwanted swimwear.