Terms and conditions for a lighting and electrical retailer selling online

Electrical goods carry safety rules, warranties from manufacturers and a risk that customers install them badly. The terms have to say that products comply and must be installed by someone competent, run returns for goods that break in transit and cannot be resold once unboxed, separate a fault from an installation error, and deal with the retailer's obligations when a customer wants to recycle the old one. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Online lighting, electrical, smart home and appliance retailers in England and Wales selling light fittings, bulbs, sockets, switches, heaters and connected devices to consumers, and to trade customers on account.

What matters in electrical retail terms

Safety compliance and installation

Electrical products must meet the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 and carry the UKCA or CE marking those Regulations require, and the terms should say that the retailer's products do and that instructions are supplied. Installation should be by a competent person, and where work must be certified or notified under Part P of the Building Regulations 2010 the terms should say that the customer is responsible for arranging it. A product installed contrary to the instructions or by someone who did not know what they were doing is not a faulty product, and the terms should say so.

Returns, packaging and unboxed goods

A consumer may cancel within fourteen days of delivery under regulation 30 of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and return the goods at their own cost if the terms said so, and the retailer may reduce the refund for goods handled beyond what is needed to inspect them, which for electrical goods includes items that have been installed, wired or used. The terms should ask for original packaging where possible and say that missing accessories are deducted.

Faults, the consumer's rights and manufacturer warranties

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 goods must be of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose, with a short-term right to reject within thirty days under section 22 and then repair or replacement, and the retailer cannot exclude that against a consumer. The terms should say that a manufacturer's warranty is in addition to those rights and is claimed as the manufacturer provides, that the retailer may ask for the product back to assess a fault, and that damage from surges, misuse or installation errors is not a fault.

Bulbs, consumables and compatibility

Bulbs, batteries and other consumables have a service life, and the terms should say that failure within the expected life is a fault and failure beyond it is not, that compatibility of bulbs, dimmers and smart devices with the customer's existing installation is the customer's to check against the specifications given, and that products are described by their technical specifications.

Recycling, prices, information and trade

Retailers of electrical goods have obligations under regulation 42 of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 to take back customers' old equipment on a like-for-like basis or to join a distributor take-back scheme, and the terms should say what the retailer offers, whether take-back on delivery or another route. Prices shown include all mandatory charges under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, card payments carry no surcharge under the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012, the company's registered details are shown, and the privacy notice governs customer data. Trade customers buy on account with interest on late payment under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

A customer's fitting failed and it turns out it was wired by a friend. Is it faulty?

If the terms say installation must be by a competent person and that damage from installation errors is not a fault, and the evidence shows a wiring error, no. Where the product itself was defective, the consumer's rights apply regardless of who fitted it.

Can we refuse a return of a light that has been installed?

The customer can still cancel within fourteen days, but the terms can reduce the refund for goods handled beyond inspection, and an installed and wired fitting has been used. Say so at checkout and in the terms.

Do we have to take back a customer's old kettle?

Retailers of electrical goods have obligations on customers' old equipment, and the terms should say how you meet them, whether by take-back or another arrangement. Check what applies to your sales.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for an electrician
• Terms and conditions for a refurbished electronics seller

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.