Returns on sex toys: your rights in the UK and US
Why most shops won't take opened toys back, what the hygiene exemption covers, and what 'faulty' really means.
By the editors · 19 Sep 2026 · 6 min read
Most shops won't take back a toy you've opened. That isn't them being difficult; it's the law making an exception for hygiene. What you're still entitled to depends on where you live and whether the toy is faulty.
In the UK
Changing your mind. Buying online normally gives you 14 days after delivery to cancel, then another 14 days to send the item back, under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. But there's an exemption for sealed goods that aren't suitable for return for health protection or hygiene reasons once the seal is broken. Sex toys are the textbook example.
So: sealed and unopened, you can cancel. Seal broken, you usually can't, unless the shop offers more than the law requires. Ann Summers, for instance, offers free returns on eligible items within 28 days.
When it's faulty. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 says goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. That applies whether or not the toy has been opened. Your rights, roughly:
| When the fault shows | What you can ask for |
|---|---|
| Within 30 days | A full refund |
| Within 6 months | A repair or replacement; the fault is assumed to have been there from the start |
| After 6 months | A repair or replacement, but you may need to show the fault was there from the start |
If a repair or replacement fails, you can ask for a refund or a price reduction.
In the US
There's no general federal right to return something you've changed your mind about. The shop's own policy is the rule, which is why US policies vary so much:
- Adam & Eve takes any item back for any reason within 90 days, opened or not, unless the product page says otherwise.
- Good Vibes and Babeland treat every sale as final once the shipping box is opened, and handle defects through the manufacturer's warranty.
When it's faulty. Most states imply a warranty that goods are fit for their ordinary purpose. Written warranties are covered by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. And if you paid by credit card, the Fair Credit Billing Act lets you dispute a charge for goods that never arrived or weren't what you ordered, usually within 60 days of the statement.
Before you buy
- Check the window for sealed returns and who pays the postage.
- Check how long faulty items are covered. Bondara gives 180 days; others give 30.
- Keep the packaging until you've tried the toy.
- Photograph a fault before you send anything back.
Every shop page on this site lists these facts side by side, and our best returns chart ranks them.