Right of Withdrawal and Refunds: Your Rights When You Buy Online in the EU
Buying online means buying without seeing or touching the product. That is why EU law gives you rights you do not always have in a shop: the right to change your mind, to be refunded for an order that never arrives, to obtain a remedy for a faulty product. But these rights have conditions and exceptions, and they do not apply to every seller. Here is the essentials, in plain words. This text is informational and does not replace legal advice; details vary slightly by country.
Key takeaways
- You have 14 days after receipt to withdraw from a distance purchase from a trader, without giving a reason.
- The right of withdrawal does not apply between private individuals.
- Some purchases are excluded: personalised goods, dated event tickets, perishable food, and so on.
- Undelivered parcel: after a reminder, you can cancel and ask for a refund.
- A legal guarantee of conformity applies on top, for at least two years on new goods.
The 14-day withdrawal period
When you order at a distance (website, app, phone) from a trader, you can withdraw within 14 days, without giving a reason and without penalty. For goods, the period starts when you receive them (or the last item, for multi-parcel orders). For services, it starts when the contract is concluded.
To exercise it, tell the seller clearly: the standard withdrawal form, an email or a letter are enough. Keep proof of sending. The seller must then refund you within 14 days of being informed; it may wait until it has received the goods back or proof that you sent them. The refund includes the price paid and the initial standard delivery cost. Return costs are yours unless the seller failed to inform you of that rule or agreed to bear them.
You then have 14 days to send the goods back. Handle them carefully: the seller can claim a deduction if you used them beyond what was needed to check their nature and functioning.
When the trader has not clearly informed you of your withdrawal right, the period is extended by up to twelve months.
When the right of withdrawal does not apply
It does not apply between private individuals: buying from an individual on a classified-ads platform does not give you these 14 days. On a marketplace, the seller's status matters: a professional seller is bound by the rules, a private individual is not.
Even with a trader, some purchases are excluded, notably:
- goods made to your specifications or clearly personalised;
- goods liable to deteriorate quickly (perishable food);
- sealed goods that cannot be returned for health or hygiene reasons once unsealed;
- sealed audio, video or software once opened;
- tickets for leisure events on a specific date or period (concerts, shows, dated accommodation);
- services fully performed before the end of the period, with your prior agreement;
- digital content supplied immediately, when you agreed to give up your right.
Undelivered parcel: what you can do
The seller must deliver by the agreed date or, failing that, within 30 days of the order. If it does not, you can ask it in writing to deliver within an additional reasonable period. If delivery still does not happen, you can terminate the contract and ask for a refund within 14 days. Keep the order, payment confirmation, exchanges and tracking. They will help with your bank, a mediation or a dispute. For a parcel marked “delivered” that you never received, first ask the carrier and the seller for proof of delivery.
Faulty or different product: the legal guarantee
Independently of the withdrawal right, a professional seller is liable for the lack of conformity of what it sells. For new goods, the EU legal guarantee lasts at least two years from delivery, and a defect appearing in that period is presumed to have existed at delivery. You can ask for repair or replacement and, if that is not possible, a price reduction or refund. This guarantee is free and separate from any commercial warranty offered by the brand. In some countries the presumption period for second-hand goods is shorter. Between private individuals, a hidden-defects regime may apply instead, with stricter conditions.
How to enforce your rights, step by step
- Write to the seller: describe the problem, cite the right you rely on and set a reasonable deadline. Keep a record.
- Contact the platform's support if you bought on a marketplace: many offer buyer protection.
- Use mediation: in many countries traders must provide details of an alternative dispute resolution body.
- Report the trader to your national consumer authority.
- Contact your bank if you paid by card and the order was not delivered or the seller stopped answering. A chargeback may be possible depending on your card scheme and the case; it is not an automatic right.
- For a purchase from another EU country, the European Consumer Centres network can help you free of charge.
If the seller has vanished and the site looks like a scam, go straight to What to Do After an Online Scam.
Before you buy: habits that protect you
- Read the returns policy before paying: period, costs, conditions. A missing or unreadable policy is a warning sign.
- Check the seller's identity and legal notice (see How to Check a Company Before You Order).
- Pay by card rather than bank transfer or money order, which offer no protection.
- Keep every confirmation, screenshot and exchange.
- Photograph the parcel when you open it if the product looks damaged, and note reservations with the carrier.
Frequently asked questions
When does the 14-day period start?
On receipt of the goods for a goods purchase, and on conclusion of the contract for a service. For multi-parcel orders, on receipt of the last one.
Do I have to give a reason?
No. You do not have to give a reason or pay a penalty within the legal period.
Who pays the return shipping?
In principle the buyer, unless the seller did not inform you of this rule or offers to pay.
Can I withdraw from a purchase on a second-hand marketplace?
Not from a private individual: there is no right of withdrawal. You have it against a professional seller under distance-selling rules.