No refund, only exchange: is that allowed?

What these policies mean

• Exchange only: you can swap the item for another size, colour or product, but you don't get your money back.
• Store credit only: you get the value back as credit or a coupon you can only spend in that shop, often with an expiry date.
• Refund: your money goes back to how you paid, by card, UPI or bank transfer.

A policy can also say it accepts no returns at all, or set conditions such as unworn items with tags on, a window of a few days, or return shipping at your cost.

Why small sellers do it

A return costs a small seller twice: shipping both ways, and often an item that can't be sold again once it's been worn or the tags are off. Many small shops have already spent the money on their next batch of stock. Exchange-only and store-credit policies keep the money in the shop while still letting you swap something that doesn't fit.

That's a business choice, not a sign of a scam. What matters is whether the policy is written down before you pay, and whether the shop still takes back a faulty item.

How common it is

Of the 41,055 sellers in India that VouchKart had checked by 3 Nov 2026, 13,057 have a live website we could read. 8,224 of those state a return policy we could read. Of those shops:

Refund to how you paid: 41% (3,351 shops)

Exchange only: 29% (2,409 shops)

Store credit only: 14% (1,161 shops)

Other terms: 16% (1,303 shops)

• 41%Refund to how you paid3,351 shops
• 29%Exchange only2,409 shops
• 14%Store credit only1,161 shops
• 16%Other terms1,303 shops

Out of 8,224 shops in India whose website states a return policy we could read, as of 3 Nov 2026. "Other terms" covers shops that accept returns without saying how money comes back, policies with no fixed terms and the 3% that accept no returns at all.

More than 4 in 10 (43%) give no money back for a change of mind, only an exchange or store credit. Outside India it's 29%, and 54% of shops refund to how you paid.

What the law says

A change of mind is the shop's call. No Indian law makes a seller refund you because you changed your mind or ordered the wrong size. Online sellers do have to show their return, refund and exchange terms, and those terms are what you agreed to when you paid.

A faulty item is not. Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, refusing to take back defective goods and refund the price is an unfair trade practice. The seller has to do it within the period printed on the bill, or within 30 days if the bill doesn't say. India's e-commerce rules go further for online sellers: they can't refuse to take back or refund an item that is defective, fake, not as described or delivered late.

Blanket "no returns" lines don't hold. In one case, a consumer commission in Ernakulam looked at a bill that said "Goods once sold will not be taken back or exchanged". It called that line an unfair trade practice and ordered the shop to stop printing it. The buyer still lost his own complaint, because the watch had been damaged through his own handling. The law covers faults, not misuse.

Store credit for a fault isn't enough. If the item is faulty or not what you ordered, you can ask for your money back, not just credit to spend in the same shop.

Normal, worth a closer look or a red flag

• ✓

  Normal

  Exchange or store credit for a change of mind, written on their website before you order. Faulty or wrong items are still refunded or replaced.

• i

  Worth a closer look

  Store credit that expires within weeks. A window of a day or two. Return shipping both ways at your cost. A policy that's only in their DMs, or no returns at all.

• !

  Red flag

  They refuse to take back an item that arrived damaged, wrong or fake. They offer only store credit for a fault. The policy changes after you complain, or they stop replying.

Before you buy from an exchange-only shop

• Ask for exact measurements, not just S, M or L, and compare them with something you own that fits.
• Ask for a real photo or video of the item if the post only has styled shots.
• Read the policy for the details: how many days you get, who pays shipping, what condition the item must be in and whether store credit expires.
• Screenshot the policy before you pay. Policies change, and a screenshot shows what you agreed to.
• Look the seller up on VouchKart. Seller pages show their return policy in plain words, next to their other checks.

If a faulty item is refused

Work through these in order. Keep every complaint number you get.

1. Write to the seller. Send photos or your unboxing video, say what's wrong and ask for a refund. If they refuse, ask them to give the reason in writing. If their website lists a grievance officer, write to them too. Online shops must acknowledge a complaint within 48 hours and resolve it within a month.
2. Go through how you paid. If you paid by card, ask your bank to dispute the payment for goods not as described. If you paid by UPI, raise a dispute on the transaction in your UPI app, then with your bank.
3. Complain to the National Consumer Helpline. Call 1915, message 8800001915 on WhatsApp or file at consumerhelpline.gov.in.
4. File with the consumer commission. If it's still unresolved, you can file online at e-jagriti.gov.in. You don't need a lawyer.

If the seller blocks you after you've paid, see what to do after a UPI scam.

Once it's settled, good or bad, find the seller on VouchKart and leave a review. It puts what happened on record and helps the next buyer decide.

These figures come from VouchKart's snapshot of 41,055 checked sellers in India as of 3 Nov 2026. They count shops whose website we could read and that state a return policy. This guide is general information, not legal advice. How we check sellers.