Singapore Lemon Law: a guide for online retailers

Singapore's Lemon Law protects shoppers who buy goods that are faulty or don't match what they were promised. It sits in Part 3 of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, or CPFTA, and it applies to online stores just as it does to shops. If a customer finds a fault within six months of delivery, the law assumes the item was faulty when it arrived, and they can ask you to repair or replace it, then for a refund or a lower price if that doesn't work.

This guide covers what the law includes, the six-month rule, the order remedies come in, what it doesn't cover, and what your return policy should say. It's written for ecommerce brands selling to customers in Singapore.

What is the Lemon Law in Singapore?

The Lemon Law is the common name for Part 3 of the CPFTA (sections 13 to 18 in the 2020 Revised Edition, previously sections 12A to 12F). It has applied to contracts made on or after 1 September 2012. The name comes from cars, where a "lemon" is a vehicle that keeps breaking down, but the law covers almost any goods a business sells to a consumer.

It applies when:

• you sell in the course of business and the customer is buying for personal use, not for a business
• the goods are the kind normally bought for private use
• the contract is a sale, a hire-purchase or a similar transfer of goods

Online purchases are covered. So are sale items, display stock and second-hand goods, although their quality is judged against their price and age. A pre-loved bag isn't expected to look new, but it shouldn't fall apart in a week either.

What counts as a faulty item?

The law talks about goods that don't "conform to the contract" at the time of delivery. In practice that means the item breaks an express promise you made, or one of the terms the Sale of Goods Act builds into every consumer sale:

• it matches its description, including your product page and photos
• it's of satisfactory quality: fit for its usual purpose, with a reasonable appearance and finish, free from minor defects, safe and durable
• it's fit for any particular purpose the customer told you about before buying
• it matches any sample you showed

A dress with a broken zip, a moisturiser that arrives separated, or shoes listed as leather that turn out to be synthetic all count. A dress that simply doesn't suit the customer doesn't.

The six-month rule

If a fault appears within six months of delivery, it's presumed to have existed when the item was delivered. The customer doesn't have to prove it. You can rebut the presumption if you can show the item was fine when it arrived, for example with evidence that it was damaged by misuse.

The presumption also doesn't apply where it doesn't make sense for the product. For perishables with a shelf life shorter than six months, it only runs to the end of that shelf life. And sending a replacement doesn't restart the six months.

After six months the customer can still claim, but they have to show the fault was there at delivery. That's harder to do, so most Lemon Law claims an online store sees will arrive within the first six months.

Repair, replace, then refund

The remedies come in two stages.

First, the customer can ask for a repair or a replacement. You have to provide it within a reasonable time, without causing them significant inconvenience, and you bear the costs, including labour, materials and postage. If one option is impossible or costs far more than the other, you can offer the other instead. A replacement is usually the practical choice for fashion, beauty and homewares.

Second, the customer can ask for a price reduction or a refund, but only if a repair or replacement isn't possible, or you didn't provide one within a reasonable time. Before switching, they have to give you a reasonable chance to fix things.

A few details matter for online stores:

• A refund can be reduced to reflect the use the customer has had, but if the item never worked, they should get a full refund.
• Refunds go back the way the customer paid. You can only give vouchers or store credit if the customer agrees, unless they paid with vouchers or credit in the first place.
• As the seller, you're responsible to the customer even if the fault is your supplier's. You can take it up with your supplier separately.

What the Lemon Law doesn't cover

• Damage caused by the customer, such as misuse, poor care or an unauthorised repair
• Normal wear and tear
• Faults you pointed out before the sale, or that a reasonable inspection would have revealed
• A special purpose the customer never mentioned
• Change of mind
• Services, and sales between businesses or between private individuals

If you sell an item with a known flaw, such as a sample with a small mark, say so clearly on the product page and the invoice. Disclosed faults aren't covered.

Is there a 7-day return rule in Singapore?

No. Singapore has no general legal right to return goods because a customer changed their mind, online or in store. The 7-day exchange you see at many shops is the shop's own policy. The only statutory cooling-off period is five working days for certain direct sales, such as door-to-door sales and timeshares, and it doesn't cover online checkout.

That may change. The Consumer Protection Review Panel, set up in 2025, has been looking at online commerce, and its remit includes whether to introduce mandatory cooling-off periods. Its public consultation ran in March and April 2026, and its recommendations were still due when this guide was written. If a cooling-off period does arrive, it will sit alongside the Lemon Law, not replace it.

Can you have a "no refunds" policy?

You can decide not to accept change-of-mind returns. You can't use your policy to take away Lemon Law rights. Under the Unfair Contract Terms Act, the quality and description terms in a consumer sale can't be excluded, and telling customers they have no refund rights when they do can be an unfair practice under the CPFTA. A sign or policy that says "no refunds under any circumstances" or "sold as is" won't stop a valid claim for a faulty item.

Wording like "no change-of-mind refunds on sale items" is fine. "All sales final" on its own is a problem, because it reads as though it covers faulty goods too.

How customers enforce the Lemon Law

Most claims start with the customer contacting you. If that doesn't resolve it, they can go to the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), which negotiates and mediates for its members. They can also file at the Small Claims Tribunals for claims up to S$20,000, or S$30,000 if both sides agree, within two years. Lawyers aren't involved there, and the filing fees are low.

The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) administers the CPFTA but doesn't take on individual disputes. It goes after businesses that persistently use unfair practices, and it can ask the courts to stop them.

In practice, a claim that ends up at CASE or a tribunal usually costs you more in time than the refund would have. A clear process for faulty returns is cheaper.

What your return policy should say

Keep two things clearly apart.

The first is what customers are entitled to when an item is faulty or not as described. Say plainly that they can ask for a repair or replacement, and a refund if that isn't possible, and that you'll cover return shipping for faulty items. Don't put a short time limit on it: your change-of-mind window doesn't limit Lemon Law claims.

The second is your change-of-mind offer, if you have one. This is where your own rules go: how many days customers have, what condition items need to be in, anything you exclude, and whether you give a refund, an exchange or store credit. Customers have no legal right to any of it, so you can set it however suits your business, as long as you stick to it.

Make both easy to find before checkout. The e-commerce standard TR 76, which Singapore's online platforms are encouraged to follow, also asks for return and exchange policies that are accurate and easy to understand.

Then keep records. Because the six months starts at delivery, keep proof of the delivery date for every order. For faulty claims, ask for photos, note what you found when the item came back, and keep the customer's messages. If you ever need to show an item was fine when it left you, that's the evidence you'll use.

Handling Lemon Law claims in Refundid

In Refundid, a faulty return and a change-of-mind return can follow different paths, based on the reason the customer picks. With return rules you can:

• ask for photos or a video of the fault before the return is lodged
• give faulty returns a free return label while change-of-mind returns pay for shipping
• send faulty returns to your team for review instead of approving them automatically
• route faulty items to a different location for inspection, away from your restock shelves
• lead with an exchange for the same item, so a replacement is the first thing the customer sees

Every claim is kept with its photos, notes and dates, so you have a record if a dispute goes further. One thing to set up deliberately: your returns portal checks your return window before the customer picks a reason, so make sure your policy tells customers how to reach your team about a fault that shows up after the window closes.

For the rest of what Singapore brands need, from instant refunds in SGD to drop-off at lockers near home, see returns management software for Singapore brands, or book a demo.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Lemon Law apply to online purchases in Singapore?

Yes. It covers goods bought online in the same way as goods bought in a shop, as long as a business sold them to a consumer for personal use.

Does the Lemon Law cover second-hand and sale items?

Yes. Second-hand, discounted and display items are covered, but their quality is judged against their price and age. Faults you clearly disclosed before the sale aren't covered.

How long does a customer have to make a Lemon Law claim?

Faults that appear within six months of delivery are presumed to have been there from the start. After six months the customer can still claim, but has to prove the fault existed at delivery. Claims at the Small Claims Tribunals must be filed within two years.

Do I have to give a refund for a faulty item?

Not straight away. The customer can first ask for a repair or replacement. They're entitled to a refund or price reduction if neither is possible or you don't provide one within a reasonable time.

Can I give store credit instead of a refund?

Only if the customer agrees. Lemon Law refunds go back to the original payment method, unless the customer paid with vouchers or store credit.

Who pays return shipping for a faulty item?

You do. The seller bears the necessary costs of a repair or replacement, including postage.

This is general information only and should not be considered legal advice. If you're not sure how the law applies to your business, talk to a lawyer.