When you withdraw from an online purchase you have rights the shop cannot cut back: 14 calendar days to do it without giving any reason and without creating an account, a full refund —the product plus the delivery charges for the original delivery— to the same payment method, and a period of 14 days for the shop to return your money. Only some products are exempt by law.
14 days, no explanations
From when you receive the product you have 14 calendar days to withdraw from the contract, without having to give any reason. It is a consumer right in the European Union; the shop cannot ask you for a justification or put obstacles in your way.
No registration or login
The law prohibits requiring you to create an account or log in to withdraw. The only things you can be asked for are your email and your order number, to verify that the purchase is yours.
Full refund, to your payment method
The refund is full and includes:
- The price of the products you return.
- The delivery charges for the original delivery (the ones you paid when buying).
It is returned to you via the same payment method you used. The shop cannot force you to accept store credit instead (see "Exchanges and store credit: how they work"). The cost of returning the product may be at your expense, but only if the shop informed you of this clearly before the purchase.
The shop's time limit
The shop has 14 calendar days to refund you from when it receives your withdrawal notice, and it may wait until it has received the products (or your proof of dispatch) before paying. The detail is in "When will I get my refund?".
Exempt products
The law provides for exceptions to the right of withdrawal. Among others:
- Personalised or made-to-measure products.
- Sealed health or hygiene items, once opened.
- Digital content you have already started to use.
- Perishable products.
The shop must tell you which exceptions it applies. If your product falls under none of them, your right of withdrawal is intact.
Which law it is based on
Your right arises from Directive 2011/83/EU (with the online withdrawal function introduced by Directive (EU) 2023/2673), transposed in each country:
| Country | National rule |
|---|---|
| Spain | Royal Legislative Decree 1/2007 |
| France | Consumer Code (art. L221-21) |
| Germany | § 356a BGB |
| Portugal | Decree-Law 24/2014 |
To exercise it step by step, read "How do I withdraw from my purchase within 14 days?".