If your gift was purchased in a physical store, the store determines what applies to open purchase and exchange rights. Some have open purchase for only a few days, while others may have it for a whole year.
Stores are under no obligation to take back or exchange your Christmas gift, but many have generous rules around Christmas.
Generally, the product must be unused for the right of return or exchange to apply, the Swedish Consumer Agency points out. If you have opened the packaging or removed the labels, you may not be allowed to return or exchange.
If there is something wrong with the Christmas gift - perhaps it is broken or not working properly - you always have the right to complain according to the Consumer Purchase Act.
For things purchased online, there is a 14-day right of withdrawal, and it is governed by law and is not something that companies can decide on themselves. Perhaps the most common is that we buy online, but it also applies to things purchased from telemarketers or if the company comes to your home.
Have you received something used as a Christmas present? If it was purchased from a company, the same rules apply as for new goods.
If it is purchased by a private individual, it looks different. Then the Consumer Sales Act does not apply and there is no statutory right of withdrawal. Instead, it is the contract that governs, i.e. what the buyer and seller have agreed on. And if they have not agreed on anything in particular, the rules in the Sales Act apply.
One tip is to always examine the item when buying from a private individual and preferably write an agreement about what you have agreed on about price and condition.
