Free Traffic Legal Advice
Live cases legal advice => Non-motoring legal advice => Topic started by: flossy1968 on March 22, 2026, 01:19:22 pm
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On the face of it, struggling to see the problem (based on the account as presented). If the problem was that they were the wrong size, surely store credit would enable them to be replaced with the correct size?
As far as contract law is concerned, an item is only sold for a specific purpose if that purpose is either self-evident or communicated to the seller before the transaction - so from a legal perspective, whilst it might have been bought as a gift, it was not sold as one (to the extent that that is relevant). As regards it being ridiculous that a cash refund is not available for items purchased in-store where to all intents and purposes the purchaser simply changed their mind, this forum is for legal advice, not for entertaining deluded rants from those who feel hard-done-by from the fact that the law does not give them unilateral rights to unwind a contract of sale.
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Unfortunately I don’t think my wife did as I guess she just assumed she could get a refund if they didn’t fit. Like most other places.
"Like most other places." may be the key. Many retailers do give refunds in circumstances where there is no legal obligation to do so: your wife has found one which does not.
But even offering a credit note or replacement is above and beyond what the law requires, so things could be worse. While Sports Direct are clearly not in John Lewis's league, at least they're not in Ryanair's.
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Unfortunately I don’t think my wife did as I guess she just assumed she could get a refund if they didn’t fit. Like most other places.
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When you purchased them, did you inform the store that you were purchasing them as a gift?
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Thanks for reply.
Seems ridiculous that items bought as a gift cannot be refunded.
Anyway currently finding it virtually impossible for me to launch a complaint via the Sports Direct website. It’s like they make it difficult or impossible on purpose!
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If the items are bought in store there is no obligation on the shop to give a cash refund unless the items are faulty or not as described (eg if the T-shirts were in fact size Small but had the wrong label in them saying they were size XL) or do not do what they're supposed to. The store manager is correct. It's irrelevant that the buyer was purchasing them as a gift for someone else.
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Hello
My wife recently purchased two T-shirts and a pair of trainers from my local branch of Sports Direct as a present for me.
Unfortunately none of the items fit correctly. I attended the branch and asked for a refund. I was told that they could only offer a credit note or exchange. I pointed out that they were gifts bought by my wife but the manager said the option to try them on is in store so a refund could not be offered.
This seems ridiculous to me as it was my wife who purchased them.
Any advice for recourse on this matter appreciated