Can I reject a custom-built PC for a full refund?

QI ordered a custom-built computer from Mesh for £976. It’s going to be a special present and I needed it on a specific date. But I got an email two days before delivery saying Mesh couldn’t meet this date and it might take much longer. Can I cancel my order? And will money be taken off my refund because the PC has been built to my specifications? Michael Doran

AYes, Michael can cancel this order. Although retailers have up to 30 days to deliver goods, Michael and Mesh agreed on a specific date that can’t now be fulfilled.

However, Michael raises an interesting point about goods customised to a personal specification. Typically, under the Consumer Contract Regulations (CCRS), buyers can’t cancel these goods because companies won’t be able to re-sell them. But from a legal perspective, modifying a computer doesn’t count as being customised because the components – graphics card, hard drive and so on – are generic products, and can be re-sold separately, or added to another custom-built computer. This makes them different to, say, a bespoke suit or engraved jewellery. So Michael should get a full refund from Mesh.

That said, be aware that the CCRS do include far more rights for sellers than the Distance Selling Regulations, which they replaced in 2014. For example, sellers can now deduct money from a refund if goods have been used or boxes opened. The aim of this was to give the retailer some protection if goods “couldn’t be sold as new”. However the definition of ‘use’ and what’s a fair amount to deduct is open to interpretation. For example, some retailers say it counts as ‘use’ if you switch on a laptop, and take 30 per cent off any refund. This area of the CCRS needs far more clarification.