Returning Goods Bought Online in the UAE: The Rules

It depends on why you want to return it. UAE consumer law gives you firm rights when goods bought online are defective or not as described. For goods that are simply unwanted, there is no general legal right to return them that we could verify — what applies is the seller's own return policy.

Key points:

• Defective or faulty goods: the seller must honour the warranty and repair the item, replace it, or refund its value ^[1]. Seller contracts must provide for repair, replacement or a refund within a set period after a defect appears, under rules in the law's Executive Regulation (Cabinet Decision No. 66 of 2023) ^[2].
• "No refund" terms do not override the law: any term in a contract or invoice that would free the seller from these obligations is void ^[3].
• Change of mind (unused, not faulty): UAE consumer law does not set a fixed number of days for this. The seller's published return policy decides it. Where a platform offers a return window, that is a commercial promise, not a legal minimum. Read the policy before you buy and keep a screenshot of it.
• Common exclusions in seller policies: perishable goods, hygiene items, custom-made or personalised items, and digital content once downloaded.
• Return shipping: for a change-of-mind return, the seller's policy decides who pays. For a defective item, raise the cost with the seller as part of your warranty claim.

If the seller refuses a return you are entitled to, complain to the Ministry of Economy's consumer protection department, or — for a Dubai-based merchant — to Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism.