The short answer: made-to-measure blinds cannot normally be returned because you have changed your mind, but you keep every statutory right if the blind is faulty, damaged or not what you ordered. The difference between those two situations decides who pays, so it is worth understanding before you buy.
Why the cooling-off period does not apply
When you buy online or by phone, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 normally give you 14 days from delivery to cancel for any reason. That right has a specific exemption for goods made to the consumer's specification or clearly personalised. A blind cut to your window's width and drop is the textbook example: it was manufactured for one window in one home, and the retailer cannot resell it. So there is no automatic right to return a made-to-measure blind because the colour disappoints, the room has been redecorated or you simply no longer want it.
Most retailers will still let you amend or cancel an order before it enters production, and made-to-measure orders can go into production quickly. If you change your mind, contact the retailer immediately rather than waiting.
Faulty or not as described: your rights survive in full
The exemption only removes change-of-mind cancellation. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, any blind must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described, and that applies to bespoke goods exactly as it does to ready-made ones. A blind with a flawed weave, a failing mechanism, the wrong fabric, or sizes that do not match the ones on your order confirmation is the retailer's problem to fix. Broadly, you can reject clearly faulty goods for a refund within 30 days of delivery; after that the retailer can offer a repair or replacement first, with a refund or price reduction if that fails. Transit damage counts too, so inspect blinds when they arrive and report problems promptly, in writing, with photos.
Mis-measured by you, or mis-made by them?
This is where most disputes sit, and the principle is straightforward: compare the blind against the sizes on your order confirmation.
- The blind matches your confirmation, but not your window. The retailer made exactly what was asked for, so there is no fault and no obligation to refund or remake. Contact them anyway: some blinds can be recut narrower, and many retailers offer goodwill remakes at reduced cost.
- The blind does not match your confirmation. That is a not-as-described product, and the full statutory remedies apply: remake, replacement or refund.
- Check the deductions first. If you gave recess sizes, most makers deduct a small allowance so the blind operates inside the opening. A blind slightly narrower than the recess figure you entered may be exactly right, so read the measuring guide before reporting it as wrong.
Guarantees and goodwill vary, so check before buying
Many retailers soften the strict legal position with their own schemes: a promise to remake a mis-measured blind cheaply or free within limits, a paid measuring guarantee, or simple case-by-case goodwill. These are voluntary policies, not rights, and they differ widely from shop to shop. Read the returns and guarantee pages before you order, and never assume one retailer's policy applies at another.
Ready-made blinds follow normal rules
A standard-size blind picked off the shelf is not personalised, so ordinary distance-selling rights apply: typically 14 days from delivery to cancel, then a further period to send it back, usually unused and in its original packaging. Check who pays the return postage, as that varies by retailer.
Samples are the cheap insurance
Because colour disappointment is not a fault, the sensible protection is a fabric sample held up in your own room before you commit, and careful measuring done twice. Keep your order confirmation, note how you measured, and photograph any problem as soon as the blind arrives. Calm, prompt, well-documented contact with the retailer gives you the best chance of a quick resolution, whichever side of the line your case falls.
Frequently asked questions
Can I return made-to-measure blinds if I change my mind?
Not usually. Goods made to your specification are exempt from the 14-day cooling-off right that covers most online purchases, so retailers do not have to accept change-of-mind returns on made-to-measure blinds.
If I measured my window wrong, can I return the blind?
There is no legal right to a refund if the blind matches the sizes you supplied. Contact the retailer anyway; some blinds can be recut and many shops offer goodwill remakes or measuring guarantees, but policies vary widely.
I have received the wrong size of blind. Can I return it?
Yes. If it does not match the sizes on your order confirmation it is not as described, and you are entitled to a remake, replacement or refund. Check the retailer's recess deductions first, as blinds made from recess sizes are deliberately cut slightly smaller.
Can I cancel a made-to-measure order after placing it?
Usually only before it enters production, which can happen quickly. Contact the retailer immediately and ask; once making has started most will not cancel or amend the order.
I don't like the colour of my blinds. Can I return them?
Colour disappointment is not a fault, so there is no right to return a made-to-measure blind for it. Order samples before buying and check them in your own room's light.
Do ready-made blinds have the same restrictions?
No. Standard-size blinds are covered by normal distance-selling rules, so you can typically cancel within 14 days of delivery and return them unused, though the retailer's policy sets the finer details.