CANBERRANS are being urged to know their consumer rights when buying any last-minute Christmas gifts.

The ACT government says while businesses are not legally obligated to provide a refund or exchange for change-of-mind purchases, many businesses offer flexible returns policies over the holiday period.

Under consumer law, a customer can choose a refund or exchange if an item has a major problem.

This is when the item:

• is unsafe;
• has either one serious problem or several smaller problems that would stop someone buying the product if they knew about them beforehand;
• is significantly different from the sample or description; or
• doesn’t do what it was said it would do, or what the customer asked for and can’t be easily fixed.

In Australia, gift cards are required by law to have a three-year expiry date, however, it is still important to check the terms and conditions of a gift card before purchasing.