Sports Direct Returns - October 2026

This week on Watchdog, Amber Haque investigates complaints from customers who say Sports Direct has refused refunds for returned items, after claiming they sent back different products from those they originally ordered.

We meet Sarah from Sheffield who paid £72.99 plus postage for a pair of size six trainers online in March. However, she received a pair of men’s shoes in a size nine instead. After Sarah reported the mix-up, Sports Direct said it had investigated her complaint, reviewed CCTV footage and concluded the correct package had been sent. They also refused to issue a refund, send a replacement.

We also heard from Graham from West Sussex who returned a pair of football boots while Sports Direct claimed he sent back a pair of women’s trainers. Helen from Exeter, who returned a fleece but was also refused a refund after being told she had sent back a pair of gold sandals.

Finally, we meet with Denise from West Midlands who had returned a pair of trainers costing £70 plus postage back in June. Sports Direct not only rejected her refund request but claimed that the item she returned was not sold by the retailer and therefore would be sent back to her. She then received a worn dressing gown in the post.

When we wrote to Sports Direct, it said: It takes any customer concerns seriously. It said that, despite being provided with only a few days to respond, in the time available Sports Direct reviewed each of the alleged customer concerns brought to its attention by BBC Watchdog and found them to be unjustified, going on to say that disappointingly, the BBC had not adequately established the relevant facts. Sports Direct said it is satisfied that a robust and proper process is in place for managing returns.

It added that it recognises the industry-wide challenges retailers face of some customers abusing returns policies and the vulnerability of carrier returns, particularly those which do not have the customer affixing a returns label directly to their return package. It said that retail businesses small and large need support with the challenges of managing this huge issue, which urgently requires a closer review by our Government.

Finally, Sports Direct told us that fraudulent behaviour costing billions of pounds across the sector ultimately leads to increased costs for consumers, which the Prime Minister has been exercised about recently.