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ActiveGPS.co.uk - Cancellation / Returns Policy

It is our responsibility to supply you with goods that meet your consumer rights. If you have any concerns that we have not met our legal obligations please contact us via the contact details below:

‣email: sales@activegps.co.uk
‣Telephone number within United Kingdom (UK): 01733 777623
‣International telephone number: ++44 17 33 77 76 23

A specific address for returning goods will be advised with return instructions after you have cancelled the contract.

If you are unclear about your rights or require advice, you can contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133. We work closely with Peterborough Trading Standards. You may also wish to contact your local Trading Standards office.

We want you to be fully satisfied with your purchase. As a result, and in compliance with the Consumer Contracts Regulations, we offer UK and EU consumers a 14 day cancellation of contract (starting from the day when your purchase is delivered). Please note: the Consumer Contracts Regulations apply only to Business to Consumer transactions within the European Union. They do not apply to business to business (B2B) and Corporate transactions. They do not apply to transactions outside of the European Union.

You cannot cancel and we will not take back and exchange or refund opened or activated software or mapping (supplied on CD, DVD, SD or microSD card), all of which can be readily copied. Similarly, activated subscriptions cannot be refunded. Custom made and made to order items (only applies to specific software such as Garmin BlueCharts) which are only made at the time an order is placed cannot be cancelled - even if the order has not been despatched or received. Batteries are regarded as consumables and, once opened, cannot be returned.

The 14 day cancellation period provides UK and EU consumers with a cooling off period to assess their purchase. You have a right to cancel the contract without giving any reason. The cancellation period starts when we enter into a contract with you and will end 14 days after you have taken possession of the goods (or they have been accepted at your delivery address) we are supplying you. In order to exercise your right to cancel you must inform us of your decision by a clear statement in writing* (we recommend by email). From the date that you cancel the contract you have a further 14 days in which to return your purchase. We will acknowledge your cancellation and send you specific return instructions along with a unique returns number and a specific returns address which may differ from our registered office address. Please do NOT return anything until we have responded to your cancellation advice.

You have a duty of care to ensure that goods are kept in pristine condition. The Consumer Contracts Regulations allows us to make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss of value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you. You must handle the product no more than you might in a shop. If a product is returned in perfect condition suitable for reselling then we will have no hesitation in reimbursing you. Ask yourself, ‘would I have accepted this product if I had received it in the condition in which I am returning it?’ If the answer is ‘no’ then we will almost certainly make a deduction from any refund.

IMPORTANT: Please do not return anything without contacting us in writing to request a unique returns number. In accordance with the Consumer Contracts Regulations a clear statement of cancellation is required from you. *To avoid any misunderstanding we cannot accept cancellation of contract by telephone and will ALWAYS request that you confirm cancellation by email or letter. If you cancel by letter sent through the mail network please do NOT send it with the goods that you wish to cancel/return. We need to send you clear return instructions and confirm the terms and conditions under which your return is being accepted.

Returning your purchase (UK and EU consumers) within 14 days of purchase

Should you wish to return your purchase within the Consumer Contracts Regulations 14 day cancellation period, the regulations require that you contact us in writing (email or letter) to cancel the contract. We ask that you email us to request a RMA number (RMA = Returns Material Authorisation). This allows us to allocate you with a unique RMA number and enables a smoother return - we can ensure you have all the information you need to make the return and we know that your purchased item(s) is on its way back to us. This procedure has been established with over 18 years online trading.

These are the timescales allowed by the Consumer Contracts Regulations:

1. Consumer has 14 days (from receipt of goods) to assess purchase and decide whether to cancel an order. If goods have been dispatched but not been received, Consumer can still cancel transaction - but goods will either need to be returned (if eventually accepted and signed for), or delivery needs to be refused in order that the delivery service can return to sender.
2. Consumer then has 14 days (after cancellation of order/return request) to return the unwanted goods.
3. Seller has 14 days (from receipt of returned goods) to process any refund.

The following is compiled from our Terms and Conditions. We recommend that you read our Terms and Conditions in full before returning a purchase or requesting an RMA number.

“All original packaging should be returned, and the goods should be free from defect. The Consumer Contracts Regulations allows us to make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss of value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by You. The Consumer Contracts Regulations allow 14 days for a reimbursement to be made after the returned goods are received by Us. If You chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of delivery offered by Us the maximum reimbursement of Your original delivery charge will be Our lowest delivery charge. We will not collect any goods from You. The goods must be returned by You (at Your expense)... ...We will not accept a returned item without a unique RMA number displayed on the address label, which We will allocate to Your specific return. We are an internet only reseller. We do not advertise anywhere other than on the internet. It is therefore reasonable to assume that a purchaser will have access to an email address. Your RMA number will be advised by email only.. ..Return instructions will be included with the email.”

Returning your purchase (International and business customers)

Please contact us by email to discuss any issue you may have with your purchase. We will not usually accept International and business returns unless the item is genuinely faulty.

Returning your purchase more than 14 days after delivery

We will not accept a cancellation of contract for unwanted goods more than 14 days after the day that the goods were delivered.

Faulty goods

Goods found to be faulty after 14 days - please email us with full details of the fault(s). Do NOT return anything unless we have issued return instructions along with a unique RMA number (RMA = Returns Material Authorisation).

In addition to the 14 day return, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 allows for a full refund if a fault develops within 30 days of receipt of purchase but you must contact us within the 30 days. If a fault is reported after 30 days, and within six months of purchase, you have the right to a replacement, or a repair if you prefer. However, you lose this right if you have broken or damaged the product. We are under no obligation to give a refund after the 30 day period has expired. After six months the Consumer Rights Act advises that your right to a replacement or repair can depend upon you showing that the product was faulty when you bought it. Some manufacturers offer a warranty period when they elect to take back and repair or replace a genuinely faulty product. By contacting us we will be able to advise you where to return your purchase.

Communication is essential. For all returns we will advise you where to send the product and under what terms we are accepting the return, and whether we are offering a refund, repair or replacement. There is no automatic entitlement to a refund after 30 days. Until you contact us we will have no knowledge that you have had any issues with your purchase. We cannot accept a backdated fault, for example: complaining that a product has never worked but not contacting us for several weeks is not acceptable. You must report the fault when it occurs – not weeks or months later. You will be deemed to have had uninterrupted use of the product until you advise us otherwise. We may, at our option and as goodwill gesture, offer a partial refund – bearing in mind that you will have had uninterrupted use from the product until you advise otherwise. Returning a product without contacting us is not recommended. You may be sending a product back to an incorrect address and it may not be accepted. Unless it has been agreed you should not send anything back to the manufacturer. Your contract is with us – not the manufacturer. The manufacturer cannot offer you a refund. As the retailer it is only us who can action your rights and obligations under the law. You must give us the opportunity to offer solutions in accordance with the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 and the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Warranty Repairs

We are not authorised by any manufacturer to carry out repairs to their products. You may have purchased a sophisticated electronic device which requires that you read, understand, and act upon the information given in the instruction manual. You will need internet access and, in accordance with the manufacturers' recommendations, regularly seek out and accept all firmware or software updates offered by the manufacturer. We cannot automatically exchange a product as it may prove, upon testing, that there is no fault and a simple free software update will fix the product. It may be that the product which you purchased is no longer available. We are not obliged to give a refund for a faulty product. Depending upon when you purchased a product please bear in mind that the law will assume that you have had uninterrupted use of the product until you report a fault. If your product develops a fault during the warranty period it will need to be returned to the manufacturer. Depending upon the manufacturer we may need to ask you to contact the manufacturer for a returns number and returns address, or we may ask you to return direct to an authorised Distributor. You can return via ourselves but this will inevitably introduce a delay to any repair or exchange – as we will need to return it to the manufacturer or distributor. Your return will be tested and if no fault is found it will be returned to you. If there is no fault found there will usually be a return postage charge and an administration/testing fee. If you have returned it via ourselves, and no fault is found, we will require you to pay all fees incurred. The terms and conditions of any return will be advised to you in our return instructions which will include a unique returns number. Please do not return anything until we have issued specific return instructions.

We fully comply with the law:

These are the timescales allowed by the Consumer Contracts Regulations:

1. Consumer has 14 days (from receipt of goods) to assess purchase and decide whether to cancel an order

2. Consumer then has 14 days (after cancellation of order/return request) to return the unwanted goods

3. Seller has 14 days (from receipt of returned goods) to process any refund

In addition, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 allows for a full refund if a fault develops within 30 days of receipt of purchase. If a fault is reported after 30 days, and within six months of purchase, you have the right to a replacement or a repair. We are under no obligation to give a refund after the 30 day period has expired. After six months the Consumer Rights Act advises that your right to a replacement or repair can depend upon you showing that the product was faulty when you bought it.

None of the above affect your rights under any warranty offered by the manufacturer.

Returns: Additional information and troubleshooting

Before returning anything we request that you contact us by email. We will then issue a unique returns number via email along with specific return instructions. It is also useful for us to know if you are returning an item as faulty and whether you require a refund or an exchange. We cannot accept returned products delivered personally.

"Not contacting us in writing (or not contacting us at all!) is the primary cause for any issues with returning products. It is quite simple - if we have issued a returns number to you we will be expecting the return of your order at a specific address via a signed for service."

The following FAQs will usually only apply if:
1. you have not read the despatch email which we send before orders are received
2. you did not read the information on the basket pages whilst purchasing
3. you did not read the Terms and Conditions which were also on the basket page

Does it matter if I send something back without contacting you?

You may be sending it back to the wrong address. The contract cancellation period may have expired. You may not even be our customer - we cannot process the return of a product which we have not sold to you. This is the prime reason why we do not accept unsolicited packages. The law requires that our receipt shows the registered office address of Active Alliance Limited. This is the address registered at Companies House. However this address may be unattended and unsolicited parcels may not be accepted. If the registered office address is unattended the delivery driver should take your package back to a local depot and should also leave an advisory card. However they may decide to leave your package in what they consider to be a safe location on site. We cannot accept responsibility for any package left outside in any unsecure location. If you do contact us before you return anything we will usually give you a specific returns address which will be different to our Active Alliance Limited registered office. Therefore any item sent to our registered office could be returned to a local Delivery Office until it is either collected, refused, or is automatically returned to sender after a specific number of days. We may not know that a delivery has been attempted and will therefore not seek out an item. Our Terms and Conditions advise every customer: "If you need to return an item please obtain an RMA returns number prior to return. Please contact Us BEFORE you return anything. The Consumer Contracts Regulations require that cancellation of contract must be made via a clear statement." We will ALWAYS ask you to confirm a cancellation in writing.

So why does the combined delivery label/invoice show your registered office address for 'undelivered items' if you don't accept any goods at that address?

All of our packages are sent using a signed for service with a tracking number. If an item is returned as undelivered by Royal Mail we simply collect the item from our local Royal Mail Delivery Office. From the information that Royal Mail supply via a red sticker on the package we can usually see why it has not reached its destination and it will still have our original complete tracking number label on it. It is not an unsolicited delivery and it does not need a returns number because, upon collection, we can see that it is in our unopened packaging and it has never reached its destination.

Help, I have already returned an item to you without contacting you. Where is it?

It may have been refused, in which case it is on its way back to you. It might be at a Royal Mail Delivery Office, or it could be lost. If you had contacted us before sending it back we would be expecting it; it would have a unique returns number on it; it would be going to the correct address; we would have advised how to pack it and under what terms we would be refunding and the timescale. We would always recommend to customers that they use a signed for/tracked service. This avoids any arguments over whether an item has been sent/received and is one reason why we send everything via a signed for service. If your package is lost Royal Mail will require proof of posting. If you did use a tracked and signed for service you should be able to check online where it actually is.

OK, well I sent it back anyway and I want a refund now under the Consumer Contracts Regulations.

The Consumer Contracts Regulations requires that cancellation of contract be advised in a clear statement by you. If you do not cancel the contract in writing within the prescribed 14 day period then we are not obliged to take back goods or offer a refund. Anything we offer after that period is at our discretion and is a without prejudice goodwill gesture.

Why do you hide behind a legal term like 'without prejudice goodwill gesture?

We need to comply with the law. The Consumer Contracts Regulations are very clear regarding the 14 day cancellation period. We are not obliged to offer a refund or exchange goods after that time. We have also clarified this point with our local trading standards office. If we offer a refund or exchange after this time without referring to a 'without prejudice goodwill gesture' customers can (and have) declared that as we have gone against the law our complete Terms and Conditions are null and void.

We have learnt that we need to stick rigidly to the law – even if we want to be helpful. By not offering any assistance after the Consumer Contracts Regulations cancellation period has expired Active Alliance Limited trading as ActiveGPS.co.uk are complying with the law. By using the term 'without prejudice goodwill gesture' we can, if we wish, offer assistance without being accused of not complying with the law.

I have already sent something back without contacting you. Can you help me?

Please email us with the transaction details including product details along with your name and address and the reason for the return. We will allocate a returns number and request that you accept the associated return instructions. Depending upon whether it is still within the provisions of the Consumer Contracts Regulations we may agree to contact or visit the local delivery office and ask the staff if your package is awaiting collection.

I only want to return something to your official registered office address.

Our registered office address is the one which is registered at Companies House and is where official notices are to be served to Active Alliance Limited. No goods are stored and no orders are processed at the registered office. Whilst you are free to send anything to that address it may delay the processing of a returned product as it will need to be forwarded to a different returns processing centre, and it may first need to be collected from a delivery office – assuming that the delivery company have advised us that a package is awaiting collection. We would still recommend that you contact us to request a returns number as this will pave the way for your return to be expected and either accepted, forwarded or collected from a local delivery office.

Why didn't you advise me about your returns policy when I purchased?

Your receipt (which usually forms part of the folded address label within a plastic document holder) advises that you need to contact us BEFORE you return anything. We draw attention to our returns policy and include the following information:

"Please contact us BEFORE you return anything. Do NOT return any unwanted item to our registered office. Please see https://www.activegps.co.uk/returns-policy.htm".

Our returns policy forms part of our Terms and Conditions which apply to your contract with us. You have the opportunity to read our Terms and Conditions before purchasing.

A link to the page that you are reading now can be found at the foot of every page of this website. It is a requirement of the law that we also supply customers with our Terms and Conditions or returns policy via a durable medium. email is regarded as a durable medium since it cannot be altered once it has been sent to you. Similarly cancellation of contract should be via a durable medium. We ALWAYS acknowledge a cancellation of contract and/or a request to return a product for refund or exchange. If you telephone to cancel the contract we will ALWAYS request cancellation in writing via a durable medium as it is in your interest to have proof that you have clearly cancelled the contract. We email customers when we despatch an order. This email includes our Terms and Conditions and also, immediately below your tracking number, we do draw attention to our returns procedure and the Consumer Contracts Regulations cancellation period.

If you do not supply an email address we will send a copy of our return instructions along with information about the Consumer Contracts Regulations.

If you supply an invalid email address our despatch email will be returned whereupon we will telephone you seeking an alternate email address before your order is received. Although we are pro-active in checking that your email address is not 'bouncing' it is your responsibility to provide a valid and correct email address. We can only email you at the exact address which you give when ordering. If our email is not returned it will be deemed that it has been received. If you do not see our email it is almost certain that your email provider has automatically treated it as spam or junk and you will usually find that it is in your spam/junk folder.

I returned a map and you say that it has been opened. I sent it back sealed.

Opened mapping software supplied on any medium cannot be accepted for refund. The law does not allow the return of opened software for copyright and royalty reasons. We can only take back a map or software if it is still clearly factory sealed in the manufacturer's packaging. We video the opening of all returned packages so that there can be no dispute over the condition of a returned item.

I wonder if you could help me. I recently received a data cable for a 551 but realised I'd ordered the wrong one, requiring one with that accepts a sounder. Is the exchange policy area straight forward?

We accept exchanges within 14 days of purchase. The returned goods for exchange must be in perfect resaleable condition. If the cable has been uncoiled, or used in anywhere, an exchange on the cable will be at our discretion and may be returned to you at a fee of £9.99. Can you please confirm the condition of the Garmin GPSMAP 451, GPSMAP 551 Power/data Cable that you purchased from us? If the cable is unused, then we can do a straight exchange for you. You will need to pay;

the return postage costs (to return the cable purchased in error)
the second delivery (£4.29 Economy, £5.99 Standard or £9.99 Next Working day, at your decision)
£1 extra for the sounder version of the cable

If you would like to proceed with the exchange please confirm the condition of the Garmin GPSMAP 451, GPSMAP 551 Power/data Cable and we will send you appropriate return instructions and RMA number.

I returned unwanted goods complete and in perfect condition. Why have you advised me that you will not offer a full refund?

The Consumer Contracts Regulations allows for a deduction to be made if goods have been handled more than might be expected in a high street shop. All parts must be returned. We video the opening of all returned packages so that there can be no dispute over the condition of a returned item.

I sent a faulty product, which I purchased last year, to your repairs department, but it has been returned to me. Why?

We do not have any repairs facilities. It is the product manufacturer who repairs their own products. If you had contacted us to discuss the fault we would have advised where to return it, or who to contact. If we were expecting return from you we would have issued you with a unique returns number for inclusion on the address label. In the past we have had products returned to us that we had not actually sold. We advise that you always check from whom you purchased as we will not support customers who have purchased elsewhere.

I returned unwanted goods complete and in perfect condition. Why have you advised me that you will not offer a full refund?

I know my rights under the Distance Selling Regulations.

The Distance Selling Regulations no longer apply. They were replaced by the Consumer Contract Regulations for all purchases made on or after 13th June 2014.

If you wish to read the full regulations please visit: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/3134/contents/made

I didn't purchase from you online so I didn't read your online Terms and Conditions before buying. Therefore they don't apply to me and neither does the Consumer Contract Regulations.

We will have sent you a copy of our Terms and Conditions by email BEFORE the goods are received. If you do not agree with anything you have the opportunity to cancel your order BEFORE it is received. If you cannot give an email address we will have read out your cancellation rights to you at the time of purchase. For all telephoned orders we will also print a copy of your cancellation rights and returns information on the reverse of your receipt (the folded address label in the plastic document holder on the outside of your package also includes your receipt). We do not advertise in any media other than our own website. If you are purchasing from us it must be because you (or a friend or relative) have visited our website. A link to our Terms and Conditions and Returns Policy is on every page of the website.

I've changed my mind. You must give me a full refund. I opened it to try it out and the law says you must fully refund me.

The obsolete Distance Selling Regulations allowed for a refund without stipulating the condition of a return. The new law, introduced in 2014, the Consumer Contract Regulations, does require that we accept your cancellation within 14 days of you receiving your purchase. However, this law only allows you to inspect a product as much as you might be allowed in a shop. If, by handling (or using) your purchase, you diminish the value of a product, we can deduct money from any refund. If the product is returned in an unsalable condition we may reject the return and return it to you at your expense. You have a duty of care to ensure that goods are maintained in pristine condition whilst in your possession. The Consumer Contracts Regulations allows us to make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss of value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you. If a product is returned in perfect condition suitable for reselling then we will have no hesitation in reimbursing you. Ask yourself, 'would I have accepted this product if I had received it in the condition in which I am returning it?' If the answer is 'no' then we will almost certainly make a deduction from any refund. We will make a deduction from your reimbursement if the goods are returned incomplete or in a used or damaged condition, including the packaging.

Your returns policy is not fair. I didn't know all about the product until I received it. There are no instructions.

In common with many manufacturers the full product Instruction Manual is often only available online. We give a full and comprehensive description at our website. We provide images. If it is a main product e.g. a Speed Camera Detector, a Satnav or a Dashboard Camera, we usually provide a pdf copy of the full manufacturers' Instruction Manual towards the bottom of the product page. You have every opportunity to read our description along with the Instruction Manual. You do not need to open the box to find out about a product. We hide nothing - and you have every opportunity to read about your purchase before ordering, before receiving, before opening. If a product is return in unopened condition there will be no need for us to make any deduction from the value of that product. Ask yourself, 'would I have accepted this product if I had received it in the condition in which I am returning it?' If the answer is 'no' then we will almost certainly make a deduction from any refund. We will make a deduction from your reimbursement if the goods are returned incomplete or in a used or damaged condition, including the packaging.

There are no instructions with the accessory or map that I bought. I had to open it but then found that it wasn't compatible with my product.

The manufacturer expects that you do know something about the product for which you have purchased an accessory. An Instruction Manual will have been provided with your original purchase, or be available online to read, view and print. If you have lost it, we provide the same Instruction Manual online as a pdf file. If your product is not a current model every page of our website has a link to 'Discontinued Products'. You should be able to find your model's Instruction Manual via these pages. Please do not open an accessory or map without checking that it is compatible with your unit. For example, a vehicle power cable ordered for a Garmin nuvi 1490 will be supplied to fit a Garmin nuvi 1490. If you actually needed it for a Garmin nuvi 710 then it will not fit. If you have broken the box seal, uncoiled the cable, damaged the internal bag or damaged the packaging, then we may make a deduction from any refund. We do not prevent you from reading all about a product, map or accessory before purchase. In accordance with the provisions of the Consumer Contract Regulations we will make a deduction from your refund or offer to return your purchase to you (subject to you paying a delivery charge) if the item is not returned in the same condition in which it was supplied.

I shall not be returning the item but throwing it away. I think it was totally not necessary to quote all the rules and regulations. I would have thought it would have been sufficient to ask for me to give my name and address and details of the consignment.

We fully comply with the law. In addition we work closely with our local Trading Standards Department. It has been impressed upon us that we must advise consumers of their rights and obligations under the law - both before goods are received, and again when the contract is cancelled and goods are returned. If we do not supply this information then it leaves the conditions of return open to a vague interpretation of whether and how a return and refund will be processed. Your expectations may be completely different to that which is allowed by the Consumer Contract Regulations. For example, you may consider that you have 30 days to return a purchase, whilst the law stipulates 14 days. You may consider that the condition of a returned product is irrelevant whilst the law now allows us to make a deduction for damaged or missing parts. The law is there to protect both us, the retailer, and you, the consumer.

The full EU law to which we must comply is 'The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013'
This European law has been implemented by the UK Government and it can be read in full here: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/3134/contents/made

If you have any questions or queries regarding any aspect of the returns policy please email us or use the online form on our contact us page.

This page was last updated on: 14th November 2024