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Return of cosmetics to the store: when you can return cosmetics and perfumes, which cosmetics are non-refundable. We return cosmetics to the store Is it possible to change cosmetics

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What is enshrined in legislation

It should be clearly understood that cosmetics, the quality of which fully meets the requirements, based on the norms enshrined in Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of January 19, 1998 No. 55 “On approval of the Rules for the sale of certain types of goods, the list of durable goods that are not covered by the buyer's requirement to provide him free of charge for the period of repair or replacement of a similar product, and a list of non-food products of good quality that cannot be returned or exchanged for a similar product of a different size, shape, dimension, style, color or configuration "can not be returned or exchanged in within 14 days from the date of purchase.

Remember! Everything changes if significant shortcomings were identified in the purchased cosmetics, or the seller did not provide all the necessary and reliable information about the cosmetic.

Such a case will fall within the scope of Article 18 of the Law of the Russian Federation of 07.02.1992. No. 2300-I "On consumer protection".

Based on the norms of the above article, a citizen who has purchased a cosmetic product and found significant shortcomings in it has the right to demand from the seller:

  • replace the purchased cosmetic product with another one produced under the same brand;
  • replace the purchased cosmetic product with an equivalent one, but produced under a different brand. In this case, the exchange will be accompanied by an appropriate recalculation. If the cosmetic product received by exchange costs more, then the citizen must pay extra to the seller, and if it is cheaper, then the seller returns the difference to the citizen;
  • reduce the cost of the purchased cosmetic product in proportion to the detected shortcomings;
  • terminate the contract under which the cosmetic product was purchased and return the money paid in full.

Attention! Our qualified lawyers will assist you free of charge and around the clock on any issues.

How to return quality cosmetics

Even in the case when a citizen has not violated the integrity of the packaging of a cosmetic product and has a financial document confirming the fact of purchasing cosmetic products, it will not be possible to return them to the seller.

In simple terms, if the quality of the purchased cosmetic products meets all the requirements, but for some reason the purchased cosmetics simply did not suit the citizen, it cannot be returned or exchanged. The seller, on completely legal grounds, will refuse to carry out such a procedure.

Return of defective cosmetic product

If a citizen has purchased a cosmetic product, the quality of which does not meet the requirements, then the law will stand up to protect the interests of the citizen.

Please note! There are several cases when a cosmetic product can be returned:

  • the expiration date of the cosmetic product at the time of its purchase has expired, and the citizen did not notice this;
  • the actual shade of the cosmetic product (hair dye, varnish, mascara, lipstick, and so on) turned out to be different from the shade declared by the manufacturer on the package;
  • the actual properties of the cosmetic product do not correspond to the properties declared by the manufacturer on the packaging. For example, on the packaging of the cream it was written that this cosmetic product has no smell. But after opening the package, it was found that the cosmetic has a pronounced unpleasant odor;
  • when selling a cosmetic product, the seller hid reliable information about the properties of the cosmetic product from the citizen or did not provide reliable information in full. For example, information was hidden that a cosmetic product can cause an allergic reaction, as a result of which damage was caused to the health of a citizen;
  • there is no marking on the packaging of the cosmetic product, which, in accordance with the norms of the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union "On the safety of perfumery and cosmetic products" (TR TS 009/2011), approved by the decision of the Commission of the Customs Union of 23.09.2011. No. 799 "On the adoption of the technical regulations of the Customs Union", must be applied to the packaging. In accordance with the above regulations, the packaging must contain information on the composition of the cosmetic, manufacturer and country of origin, release date and expiration date. In addition, the packaging should contain information about the precautions that should be observed during the use of the cosmetic product. All information must be printed on the packaging in Russian;
  • as a result of an independent examination, it was found that the composition of the cosmetic contains ingredients dangerous to the life and health of consumers.

Based on the norms enshrined in Article 18 of the Law of the Russian Federation of February 7, 1992 No. 2300-I"On Protection of Consumer Rights", a citizen who has bought a cosmetic product, the quality of which does not meet the established requirements, has the right to demand from the seller:

  • replace the cosmetic product that turned out to be of poor quality with exactly the same, the quality of which will meet the established standards;
  • replace a defective cosmetic product with an equivalent with an appropriate recalculation;
  • reduce the cost of a low-quality cosmetic product. Note that the cost reduction should be commensurate with the identified shortcomings;
  • terminate the contract under which the defective cosmetic product was sold and return the money paid for the cosmetic product.

Get it back within 14 days

Important! Cosmetic products can only be returned in the following cases:

  • the quality of the purchased products does not meet the requirements for the quality of this type of product;
  • cosmetic products have led to a side effect (for example, caused a severe allergic reaction), the possibility of which was not declared by the manufacturer;
  • Ingredients that differ from those declared by the manufacturer were identified in the composition of the cosmetic product. For example, the manufacturer stated that only natural components were included in the composition of the released cosmetic product, but later components of clearly artificial origin were found in the composition of the cosmetic product;
  • The cosmetic product purchased by the citizen turned out to be counterfeit.

Attention! If within 14 days from the date of purchase of the cosmetic product, a citizen has identified at least one of the above reasons for the return, then you can safely go to the store where the cosmetic product was purchased and demand a return or exchange.

How to return a cosmetic product if the receipt is lost

Based on the norm enshrined in part 5 of article 18 of the Law of the Russian Federation of 07.02.1992. 2300-I “On Protection of Consumer Rights”, the absence of a financial document confirming the fact of purchasing a cosmetic product by a citizen cannot in itself become a basis for refusing to carry out an exchange or return procedure.

But this does not mean at all that a citizen will be able to return a cosmetic product, the quality of which meets all the requirements.

A high-quality cosmetic product cannot be returned or exchanged even on the day of purchase. The rule on the possibility of returning goods of good quality within 14 days from the date of purchase does not apply to cosmetics.

If a citizen purchased a certain cosmetic product in a store and when he came home he decided that he did not like the smell of the cosmetic product, then it would be impossible to return the cosmetic product on this basis.

The same applies to cases when a citizen who has purchased a cosmetic is suddenly not satisfied with other characteristics, for example: volume, type of packaging.

ATTENTION! View the completed sample of the application for the restoration of the check:

Can I return cosmetics if the packaging is not opened?

If a citizen can prove that the quality of the cosmetic product contained inside the closed package does not meet the requirements for the quality of this product, then a return will be possible.

However, practice clearly shows that it is impossible to establish how the quality of a cosmetic product in a sealed package meets the requirements without violating the integrity of the package.

True, there is one exception here. It concerns the expiration date, information about which is applied to the packaging.

Note! However, if a citizen decides to refuse a cosmetic product for reasons that are not related to its quality, then it will be impossible to do this regardless of whether the package with the cosmetic product is opened or the integrity of the package is preserved. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Return of cosmetics to the online store

For citizens who have purchased cosmetics through the Internet information and telecommunications network, the return process will be much simpler.

Remember! In accordance with the norms of the current legislation of the Russian Federation, any product purchased through the Internet information and telecommunications network can be returned to the seller within 7 days from the date of receipt. It does not matter what reasons caused the return of the goods.

In the event that the seller did not notify the citizen about the procedure for returning the goods purchased through the Internet information and telecommunication network, the period for the return is increased to three months.

If the goods were purchased by a citizen via the Internet, then the only condition that must be met for the exchange is to preserve the presentation.

This rule applies to any purchases made through the Internet information and telecommunications network, including purchases of cosmetics.

Thus, a citizen who bought a cosmetic product via the Internet can return it within 7 days from the date of receipt without explaining the reasons.

ATTENTION! View the completed sample claim for the return of goods purchased in the online store:

Watch the video. Return of good quality goods:

Conditions for the return of cosmetics

Before going to the store and attempting to return a previously purchased cosmetic product, a citizen should carefully examine the packaging of the cosmetic product and consider whether there are legal grounds for issuing a return.

The law will protect the rights of a citizen, but only if the citizen himself does not violate the norms established by law. Therefore, if there are no legal grounds for returning a cosmetic product, it is better not to even try to return it.

But if there are legal grounds for issuing a return, you can safely go to the store and demand that legitimate requirements be met.

Important! Legal grounds for returning or exchanging a cosmetic product include:

  • at the time of sale, the cosmetic product has expired, and the citizen did not know this, or the seller intentionally concealed information about the expired cosmetic product;
  • the characteristics of the cosmetic product indicated on the packaging differ significantly from the actual characteristics. For example, one color of lipstick is indicated on the package, and the actual color has a significant difference;
  • the parameters of the cosmetic product declared by the manufacturer differ from the actual parameters. For example, on the packaging of the cream it is stated that there is no smell, but in fact the cosmetic product has a pronounced unpleasant odor;
  • the package does not contain comprehensive information about the ingredients that make up the cosmetic product, as well as recommendations for using the cosmetic product;
  • the marking applied to the packaging of the cosmetic does not meet the requirements established by the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union "On the safety of perfumes and cosmetics" (TR CU 009/2011), approved by the decision of the Commission of the Customs Union dated 23.09.2011. No. 799 "On the adoption of the technical regulations of the Customs Union "On the safety of perfumery and cosmetic products". Among the most frequent violations is the lack of information on the packaging in Russian about the expiration date of the cosmetic product, the composition of the cosmetic product, the manufacturer and place of production of the cosmetic product;
  • lack of information about the passage of cosmetic research and certification.

The presence of any of the above violations gives the citizen the legal right to seek the return of a previously purchased cosmetic product from the seller.

Please note! If the seller does not want to bring the case to trial, he will have to satisfy one of the following legal requirements of the citizen:

  • based on the shortcomings of the cosmetic product identified by the citizen, reduce the cost. The cost is reduced in proportion to the identified shortcomings;
  • return to the citizen the funds paid by him for the purchase of the returned cosmetic product;
  • exchange a cosmetic product that turned out to be of poor quality for exactly the same, only of the appropriate quality;
  • exchange a low-quality cosmetic product for an equivalent one with a recalculation.

The chances of reaching a pre-trial settlement of the issue are quite high. This is especially true in cases where the cost of the returned cosmetic product is not very high.

What are the steps to start a refund?

Unfortunately, quite often sellers refuse to satisfy the legitimate demands of citizens for the return or exchange of cosmetics that turned out to be of poor quality. Especially often refusals happen when it comes to expensive cosmetics, and negotiations for their return or exchange are conducted not with the store management, but with ordinary employees.

Employees will do everything to reduce the store's losses. After all, losses will significantly affect their wages. Therefore, if a citizen was denied satisfaction of legal requirements for the return or exchange of cosmetic products of inadequate quality, you should not enter into a senseless dispute.

Remember! It is necessary to start acting in full accordance with the requirements of the current legislation of the Russian Federation:

  • First of all, it is necessary to confirm the fact that a citizen purchased a low-quality cosmetic product in a particular store. For confirmation, you can use various financial documents confirming the payment, as well as eyewitness statements drawn up in accordance with the requirements of the current legislation of the Russian Federation;
  • think over and write a pre-trial claim. A correctly executed claim must contain information about the fact of the purchase with detailed characteristics of the purchased cosmetic product. About how the actions of the seller infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of a citizen. It should be as clear as possible to formulate the requirements that you expect from the store. It is necessary to refer to specific norms of the current legislation confirming the legitimacy of the requirements put forward. If an examination was carried out, the results of which confirm the fact that the quality of the purchased cosmetic does not meet the requirements, the results of the examination should be attached to the claim;
  • the claim should be sent to the management of the store where the low-quality cosmetic product was purchased, by any available means.

Most often, especially when it comes to chain stores, they prefer to satisfy a well-written claim. This is explained by the fact that bringing the case to trial can cause serious reputational costs for the entire network as a whole.

But if the claim filed by the citizen is drawn up illiterately, or the seller's representatives suspect fraud, the claims will be denied.

If the requirements set forth in the claim were not satisfied, the citizen should contact the territorial division of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare, and also begin preparing a lawsuit in court.

Pre-trial claim to the seller

If, during oral negotiations with the store employees, the citizen failed to obtain the return of the defective cosmetic product, it is necessary to draw up and send a written claim to the store.

Important! The claim must include the following information:

  • on the circumstances of the purchase by a citizen of a cosmetic product, including the date and time of purchase;
  • about specific shortcomings of a cosmetic product discovered by a citizen;
  • about the ways of resolving the situation that has arisen, offered by the citizen.

A sample pre-trial claim can be easily found on the Internet.

Please note! A well-formed pre-trial claim must include:

  • information about the full legal name of the store where low-quality cosmetics were purchased. It is advisable to indicate the position and surname of the person to whom the claim is sent;
  • information about the last name, first name and patronymic of the citizen filing the claim. Below are the addresses of registration and actual residence. Be sure to include a contact phone number;
  • both of these items are written in the upper right corner.
  • the name of the document is written in the center of the sheet: “Pre-trial claim”;
  • then the main part of the claim is drawn up. Here, in as much detail as possible, and as briefly as possible, the circumstances under which the cosmetic product was purchased, and how it turned out that its quality did not meet the requirements, are stated;
  • after that, it is necessary to clearly formulate the requirements that the citizen seeks to meet;
  • a detailed list of materials attached to the claim.

The claim is drawn up in two copies, each of which is sealed with the citizen's handwritten signature indicating the transcript and date of signing. One copy of the claim is sent to the store, and the second remains in the hands of the citizen.

If, after the expiration of the period allotted by the current legislation of the Russian Federation for consideration of the claim on the merits and satisfaction of the requirements, the store does not satisfy the requirements put forward by the citizen, then in order to protect the legitimate rights and interests, you will need to apply to the courts.

The copy of the claim remaining with the citizen will serve as confirmation of compliance with the mandatory claim procedure.

ATTENTION! View the completed sample claim for the return of cosmetics:

Return of cosmetics

Photo by Getty Images

Makeup is a beautiful weapon for any woman. Creams, mascara, blush, pencils, shadows - every month, girls pay tidy sums for all these beauty accessories. Well, beauty requires sacrifice. Ladies are ready to pay for youth, long eyelashes and seductive scarlet lips. But what if expensive cosmetics turned out to be of poor quality? How to return cosmetics to an unscrupulous seller?

What the law says

According to Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 55 of 01/19/1998, perfumery and cosmetic products of good quality cannot be exchanged or returned within 14 days. Return of cosmetics is possible if the mascara or lipstick turned out to be defective or if the necessary and reliable information about the product was not provided during the purchase. Article 18 of the Consumer Rights Protection Law clearly states what can be done if deficiencies are found in cosmetic products:

  • demand the replacement of this product with a product of the same brand (model and (or) article);
  • demand the replacement of this product for the same product of a different brand (model, article) with a corresponding recalculation of the sale price;
  • demand a commensurate reduction in the sale price of the purchased goods;
  • refuse to fulfill the contract of sale and demand the return of the amount paid for the goods.

How to return cosmetics

Now the question arises, how to return cosmetics to the store? To do this, it is necessary to order an independent examination, which must prove that the defect is a manufacturing defect, and not the result of improper use. You need to have time to return the cosmetics within the warranty period.

The law always stands on the side, but to solve the problem - is it possible to return cosmetics to the store, the answer is unequivocal: a quality product is non-refundable.

The ideal safety of items, confirming checks, will not help the buyer.

But a number of legal norms, together with some nuances, provide an opportunity to return low-quality products.

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What can be referenced

Before going with claims, in order to find out whether it is possible to return cosmetics to the store according to the law, you should pay attention to the packaging, read the warranty periods, suddenly the products were at home until they expired. The law fully protects the interests if it is endowed by the manufacturers with a marriage.

Full protection requires the following conditions:

  • During the purchase, it was not noticed that the period for using this product had expired, the seller did not indicate this fact.
  • The designation of the color on the packaging box, the shade of dyes, lipsticks, varnishes do not correspond to reality.
  • The description in the instructions contradicts the actual signs, these may be statements about the absence of odors in a cosmetic product, but in fact the cream smells unpleasant.
  • There is no complete information about the product with its possible contraindications, useful properties, rules of use indicating caution, as a result, harm to the health of the consumer is caused.
  • Incorrect product labeling, non-compliance with technical regulations. It notifies that the packaging of cosmetics must contain complete information about the manufacturer, the date of production, what substances the product is made of and how long it is good for use. If the product is sold in Russia, then the instruction in Russian must be provided.
  • Since cosmetics contain various components, there must be confirmation that this product has passed research, an expert opinion allows its mass use.

The buyer, having put forward only one of these violations, will be able to return the marketable products listed as non-returnable.

By agreeing to an amicable settlement of the dispute, the seller will have to fulfill one of the following points:

  • change a product from the same row
  • replace the product with a refund of the price difference
  • refund in full
  • to reduce the price

Such a settlement of the conflict is ideally possible, especially if the purchased item is inexpensive.

How to start a return


The seller does not always make concessions when selling expensive goods, for the possible reason that the owner of the outlet will deduct losses from the seller.

The consumer needs to ask the institution whether it is possible to return the cosmetics to the store according to the law of the Russian Federation and begin to act in stages in case of refusal.

They consist of the following:

  • You need to find documentary evidence of the purchase of cosmetic products in this supermarket, checks, waybills will do.
  • Preparation for going to court contains the collection of written evidence; an oral agreement between the seller and the consumer will not work, which can always be abandoned in the future. It is desirable to draw up correctly with the designation of the necessary information about the purchased products, a description of the reasons on the basis of which the purchase is returned. It is necessary to indicate the desired result, put forward your requirements, and provide links to legislative points, violation of the norms. It may be necessary to conduct an examination, then the extract is attached to the application.
  • It is better to give the filing of a claim personally into the hands of the management of the trading establishment, if there are witnesses to attach their testimony.

In large retail chains, they will immediately notice the validity of the requirements put forward, they will make concessions, as they value their image, they do not need scandals, they can cost a lot for further activities. Only unconvincing statements, suspicion of fraud lead to a refusal.

In this case, the buyer is left with an appeal to a higher organization that exercises control over the relationship between merchants and customers, this is the filing of a claim with and in the court.

Practical examples


Each dispute among the organizers of trade and their client base is special, individual, therefore, judicial practice has not singled out a single characteristic line.

The Judicial Collegium, when they have to consider such applications, take into account the peculiarities of each clerical work.

Practical examples so far prove to others that consumer rights have been violated, when citizens are trying to restore justice, they go through a network of bureaucratic procedures.

It is often found that the legal illiteracy of people plays a big role on the side of the sellers, which is what the sellers use, shove expensive low-quality goods into their customers, and use various tricks.

The interests of a large trading network are protected by a staff of qualified specialists who effectively use a veiled legal language that is incomprehensible to the common man.

But on the opposite side, the distributors have consultants who are ready to help the buyers deceived by the stores, draw up a competent claim, which will raise the chance to win the return procedure, not only the lost funds for the goods, but also the legal costs incurred through the fault of the defendant.

Judicial practice has provided the following example:

  • purchase of a cosmetic product at a price of 60 thousand rubles
  • the seller assured 100% natural products, standard for all quality standards
  • the package did not contain Russian translation

The last point confirms the regulatory violation of the technical standards approved by the Customs Union. After self-translation of the inscriptions in the instructions, it was revealed that the cosmetic product contains harmful substances with allergic components, which caused a rash on the skin. The seller had to answer for an inaccurate description of an expensive product that harmed the health of his client.

The buyer acted in accordance with all the rules for submitting a claim, sent a statement describing the problem, but did not receive a response from the seller. The result was a judgment in favor of the consumer, in addition, the judge issued a verdict on the mandatory payment of a penalty for ignoring the submitted requirements, and compensation for moral damage.

In any case, whether the product is under warranty or not, you need to:

  • check the product for quality
  • to prove any condition of the product, only an expert commission is capable of issuing its opinion

The examination establishes whose fault in the damage to cosmetics is actually, from here it is determined who bears the costs. If the buyer is not involved in the deterioration of the quality of the product, then he has the right to take his money. When the goods are damaged by the consumer, warehouse expenses and expert work are borne by him.

It should be noted that all manipulations with the return of products must take place no later than 14 days after purchase, otherwise the refusal will follow lawfully from all sides.

How to return cosmetics bought on credit is presented in the video:

Ask your question in the form below

By law, every citizen has the right to return the purchased product if he did not suit it in terms of characteristics, size, dimensions, color, style, configuration, properties, and he can do this within fourteen days from the date of purchase. But many people forget that the same law provides for a list of goods to which this rule does not apply.

This is a wide range of products, which also include cosmetics and perfumes. Therefore, before making a purchase of a cosmetic product or decorative cosmetics, it is necessary to carefully familiarize yourself with the product, consult with the seller, select the desired product according to all the characteristics and only after that buy, since it will not be possible to return it back in the future for no apparent reason.

Cosmetics, decorative cosmetics and perfumery belong to the category of goods that cannot be exchanged or returned for no apparent objective reason. Even if the buyer kept the receipt, all labels, did not open the package, the seller will not accept this product back. You can return the money for the purchased cosmetics only if it turned out to be of inadequate quality.

For example, a customer might not notice in a store that a cosmetic product had expired and only found it at home. In this case, the seller is obliged to return the cost of the goods to him or exchange for another. A situation may arise when the buyer purchased a lipstick, varnish or other cosmetic product that had one color on the package, but in fact turned out to be different.

Here, the buyer also has the right to contact the store with a return or exchange, as he received false information about the purchased product, and the seller does not have the right to refuse the buyer in his requirements. Thus, the buyer has the right to exchange or return cosmetics if the product turned out to be of poor quality, it has expired, or the seller did not provide all the information about the product to the buyer, in connection with which he received the wrong product that he needed.

According to the federal law "On Protection of Consumer Rights", the buyer has the right to exchange a low-quality product for a similar one, to replace such a product with any other with a recalculation of the cost, to reduce the cost of the product, to return the money for the purchased product.

The seller is obliged to accept the goods from the buyer if:

  • the package does not contain a complete indication of all data about the product: the lack of information about the manufacturer, expiration date, legal representative, place of manufacture, composition, date of manufacture, precautions. In addition, all information must be indicated in Russian, as this is the official language adopted on the territory of the Russian Federation;
  • if the buyer did not receive all the necessary information from the seller, in connection with which, the purchase turned out to be unsuitable for him. This may be information about the color of the product, about the features of use, about the properties of the cosmetic product. If the seller provided incorrect information about the product, thereby misleading the client, in connection with which he purchased a product that does not suit him in terms of its parameters and properties;
  • if the cosmetic product contains harmful substances and components, then the chance of a refund from the buyer increases, since they will be identified as a result of any examination. According to the requirements of the law, the buyer has the right to refuse goods that contain substances and components hazardous to his health.

How can I return goods from the category in question?

You can return or exchange a cosmetic product only if it turned out to be defective or defective, it is impossible to refuse the product just because you didn’t like it according to the law of the Russian Federation.

In order to return a low-quality cosmetic product back to the seller, the buyer needs to write a claim and conduct an independent examination, which will determine whether the product is really of poor quality or whether this is the wrong way for the buyer to use it.

The buyer needs to take care to have time to return such a product before the expiration date for a cosmetic product, since the expiration date for such products passes quickly enough.

If the examination shows that the purchased product really does not meet the norms and quality standards, then the buyer can safely apply to the store with the expert opinion and demand a refund, as well as reimbursement of the cost of the examination.

In what cases is it impossible to return such products?

The buyer has no right to return the cosmetic product back to the store if it did not suit him in terms of color, smell, characteristics or other parameters. In order to return a cosmetic product to the buyer, good reasons are needed, such as marriage, expired shelf life or non-compliance with quality standards.

The buyer will not be able to return the cosmetic if the cosmetic differs and meets all quality standards, the product was sold to the buyer in compliance with all the rules and requirements of the sale, the product packaging contains all the data that must be present on the product in accordance with laws and regulations.