Guides › Faulty Goods and Refunds › Charged More at the Till Than the Shelf Price
Charged More at the Till Than the Shelf Price
If you paid more than the advertised price, you can return the item for a refund, or keep it and ask for the difference. You do not have a right to buy at a lower price shown by mistake, but you can ask. If you think a shop is deliberately misleading people, report it to Trading Standards.
At a Glance
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
Your Rights
Wrong Prices
If you paid more than the advertised price, you can return the item for a refund ("They must refund you"), or keep it and ask for the difference. If a label is lower than the till price, you don't have a right to buy at the lower price, but you can ask. Online, once there is a contract the company can't usually cancel unless it was a genuine mistake you should have noticed. Report deliberate misleading pricing to Trading Standards. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- Straight awayCheck your receiptBefore you leave the shop if you can
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 4
Check your receipt against the shelf price.
Step 2 of 4
Ask at customer services for the difference or a refund.
Step 3 of 4
Photograph the shelf label.
Step 4 of 4
Report repeated problems to Trading Standards via 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.
Self-checkouts make errors easy to miss: check the receipt.
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