Guides › Faulty Goods and Refunds › Shop Cancelled My Order Over a Price Mistake
Shop Cancelled My Order Over a Price Mistake
In a shop, you do not have the right to buy an item at a price that is a mistake, but you can ask. Online, it depends on whether a contract had been made: if it had, the company generally cannot cancel, unless it was a genuine, honest mistake that you should have noticed. When a contract is made depends on the company's terms.
At a Glance
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
Price Mistakes
In a Shop
If a shop says a price on a tag is a mistake when you get to the till, you do not have a right to buy the item at the lower price, though you can ask the seller to honour it. source
Online
Online, it depends on whether you have a contract. If you do, the company generally cannot cancel, unless it was a genuine, honest mistake that you should have noticed. When the contract is made depends on the company's terms and conditions, for example once you have paid, or once they have sent the item. source
Misleading Prices
If you feel a shop is deliberately misleading people with its prices, you can report it to Trading Standards. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- 14 daysRefund once agreedWithin 14 days of the seller agreeing you are entitled to one
- 120 daysChargeback claimWithin 120 days of realising there is a problem
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 5
Take screenshots of the price, your order confirmation and any dispatch email.
Step 2 of 5
Check the company's terms for when a contract is made (for example on payment or on dispatch).
Step 3 of 5
If a contract was made and the mistake was not obvious, write and ask the company to honour the order. Our free letter templates can write it for you.
Step 4 of 5
If the order is cancelled, make sure you get your money back.
Step 5 of 5
If you think the pricing was deliberately misleading, report it to Trading Standards through Citizens Advice.
(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)
Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right
Your options, in order, and when each one applies.
The Retailer's Complaints Team
Always start here, in writing, and say which remedy you want.
Citizens Advice Consumer Service
Free advice, and help deciding whether to start a small claim, once the seller has not put it right.
Good to Know
Small things that make your complaint stronger.
A price that is obviously too good to be true is unlikely to be enforceable.
Want Help?
If you would like one of our team to look at your problem, our initial case review is free. We cannot guarantee any outcome and we do not give legal advice.
Lead reviewer
Luke Marley
Founder and Lead Reviewer
Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.
Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.
Last checked: 13 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.
Sources and official links
- citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/if-something-is-advertised-at-the-wrong-price Checked 13 October 2026
- nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/what-do-if-problems-arise-supplied-goods Checked 12 October 2026
- citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/legal-system/small-claims/deciding-whether-to-make-a-small-claim Checked 8 October 2026