Have you purchased goods and services from the website of a seller based in another European country? If you are unhappy with your order, you can change your mind within at least 14 days: this is called the right of withdrawal, or cooling off.

The right of withdrawal is a period during which you can cancel an online purchase, even if you have already paid. Before concluding a contract, the seller must inform you of the existence of the right to withdraw and its limits, or of the absence of a right to withdraw.

Thanks to the European directive 2011/83, you have at least a 14-day right of withdrawal following online or distance purchases. It concerns purchases made:

• on the Internet,
• by mail order,
• during door-to-door sales,
• through teleshopping,
• outside the establishment of the seller (during a door-to-door selling, at the workplace, in a community centre, during organised excursions, etc.).
• in a shop following an invitation from the retailer to visit the premises.

No. In principle, you only have a right of withdrawal for purchases made at a distance and outside the shop (see above)

But even at a distance, you do not always have a right of withdrawal. This is the case for:

• Seasonal housing for non-residential purposes, transporting goods, renting cars, catering or services related to leisure activities if the contract includes a specific date or period of execution (ex. trips, plane tickets, concerts...);
• Emergency maintenance or repair work you have expressly ordered;

For specific goods, you do not have a right to withdrawal either:

• custom-order or personalised items (ex. engraved jewelry, photo album);
• goods that spoil or perish quickly;
• goods which have been unsealed after delivery by you and which cannot be returned for reasons of hygiene or health protection;
• sealed audio or visual recordings, or software that has been unsealed after delivery.

Since the European directive 2002/65/CE of 23 September 2002 concerning the distance marketing of financial services, you have, depending on the type of financial service you are subscribed to, a right of reflection or withdrawal from 10 to 30 days.

The following are considered "financial services":

• online banking,
• consumer credit,
• some types of insurance,
• investments ...

You benefit from a right of withdrawal even with products on sale, second-hand or out of stock, provided that it is a remote or off-store purchase. For sales in shops, ask the shop owner. More information on sales.

Throughout the EU, you normally have a minimum of 14 days to change your mind about your purchase. Your seller can offer a longer period but not a shorter one (otherwise it is an unfair term).

This period is extended by 1 year from the expiry of the initial 14-day period if you have not been informed of the right to withdrawal by your seller. In the meantime, if the seller informs you of your right to withdrawal, the period expires 14 days following the notice.

The cooling off period begins the following day:

• of the delivery of the goods;
• the conclusion of the contract for the provision of services  and contracts for the supply of water, gas, electricity or digital content.

The seller should inform you about the existence, conditions, period and modalities for exercising your right of withdrawal and provide you with a model withdrawal form.

You do not have to justify yourself to the seller but you must inform the seller of your decision to withdraw.

• Contact your seller in writing and keep a copy. Use the withdrawal form provided or write a clear message about your wish to withdraw. Prefer registered letters or e-mails with acknowledgement of receipt because in the event of a dispute you must be able to prove that you have withdrawn within the time limit.

• Return your order within 14 days maximum, if the professional does not offer to pick it up. You must make sure you send the item to the right address. In some cases, the return address is not the same as the one from which the package came. If you are not sure, check the general conditions of sale or ask the seller for the procedure (return address, return reference, etc.). Check if they provided you with a return label. In all cases, the items must be carefully packed. It is possible to use the original packaging if it is solid and still in good condition, but this is not mandatory. Do not hesitate to take pictures of both the good and the package before sealing and mailing it.

The European Directive on consumer rights establishes that the consumer may have to pay the return shipping costs in case of withdrawal. If you were not informed of your obligation to cover the return shipping costs in advance, the seller is responsible for paying the fees.

For off-premises contracts, where the goods are delivered to the consumer's home, the trader shall collect the goods at his own expense if they cannot be sent back by post in the normal way.

The seller is obliged to reimburse you for the full amount you have paid, including standard delivery charges (unless you have chosen a more expensive method of delivery, such as express delivery).

If you return only part of your order, you will be refunded the price of goods returned + delivery fees in proportion to the number of items returned.

The seller must reimburse you no more than 14 days after being informed of your decision to withdraw. If the seller is retrieving the item, they may delay the reimbursement until the item is picked up, or until they receive proof that you have sent the item back.

In case of late reimbursement, if French law applies to your contract, you can request interests according to a specific scale.

The seller should reimburse you through the same payment method you used for the purchase unless you agree to a different method which does not result in additional fees. So if you paid by credit card, the seller cannot, in principle, reimburse you by check or voucher/credit on your customer account.

For services which have begun with your agreement before the expiry of the right of withdrawal, if you still wish to change your mind, you must pay the seller an amount corresponding to the service provided until you decide to withdraw. This amount shall be proportionate to the total price of the service. If the total price is excessive, the amount shall be calculated on the basis of the market value of what has been provided.

If you purchase goods, you have the right to examine them under conditions comparable to those in a store. So you do not have the right, for example, to wear a dress one evening or to watch the World Cup on a new video projector and send it back the next day. On the other hand, the seller cannot oppose you a depreciation of the item if you have only tried it to make sure of its size, its good working,  etc.

To prevent this, the European Digital Service Act (DSA) requires platforms targeting European consumers to verify professional sellers before displaying ads.

If you can't reach a seller or provider through the marketplace, we recommend contacting the marketplace directly for their details. If the marketplace declines, feel free to contact us.

Platforms to which the DSA applies and that don’t verify professional sellers before posting ads risk fines of up to 6% of their global annual revenue.