Can I cancel a contract within 14 days?
For online, phone and doorstep sales, yes — you get a 14-day cooling-off right to cancel for any reason. For goods bought in a shop, there's no automatic cooling-off. The basis is the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, covering distance (online/phone/mail order) and off-premises (e.g. doorstep) sales. For goods, the 14 days run from the day after delivery; for services or digital content, from the day after the contract. You don't need a reason. There's a two-stage timing for goods: 14 days to tell the trader, then a further 14 days to send them back, with a refund within 14 days (including basic outbound delivery). You usually pay return postage only if the trader told you so. Several categories are exempt (bespoke, perishable, unsealed hygiene/media, started downloads). In short: yes for distance sales, not in-store.
📋 The rules
- Applies to distance and off-premises sales, not in-store
- 14 days from delivery (goods) or contract (services)
- No reason needed — notify clearly, keep proof
- Goods: 14 days to tell, then 14 days to return
- Refund within 14 days, incl. basic delivery
🔓 Exceptions
- Bespoke/personalised, perishable or unsealed hygiene goods
- Sealed CDs/DVDs/games once opened; started digital downloads
- Fully-performed services you asked to start within 14 days
⚠️ Penalties & fines
There's no "fine" — this is a right. The refund is 100% of the price plus basic outbound delivery; the only permitted deductions are a delivery upgrade difference and a diminished-value deduction if you handled the goods beyond what you'd do in a shop. You usually pay return postage, but only if the trader told you so before you bought — otherwise they cover it. A powerful protection: if the trader fails to tell you about the cancellation right, the 14-day window extends by up to 12 months. Beware a myth: "I have a legal 14-day right to return anything I buy in a shop" is false — the statutory cooling-off right covers distance and off-premises sales only, not ordinary in-store purchases (though a shop's own returns policy may be more generous). To cancel: notify the trader in writing within 14 days and return the goods.
📎 Official sources
- Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 — Part 3 →
- Citizens Advice — changing your mind →
- GOV.UK — accepting returns and giving refunds →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I cancel any contract within 14 days?
Not any contract. The 14-day cooling-off right under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 applies to goods and services bought at a distance — online, by phone or mail order — and to off-premises sales such as doorstep deals. It does not apply to ordinary purchases made in person in a shop, and several categories are exempt.
When does the 14 days start?
For goods, the 14-day period runs from the day after you receive them, or from the day the last item arrives in a multi-item order. For services and digital content, it runs from the day after the contract is made. You then have 14 days to notify cancellation, and a further 14 days to return goods.
Do I have to give a reason to cancel?
No. Within the cooling-off period you can cancel for any reason, including simply changing your mind. You should notify the trader clearly — by email, letter, their cancellation form or the model cancellation form — and keep proof. The trader must then refund you within 14 days of getting the goods back or your proof of return.
Who pays for return postage?
You normally pay to return the goods, but only if the trader told you so before you bought. If they didn't make that clear, they must cover the return cost. The refund itself must include the basic, cheapest standard outbound delivery you originally paid, though not a premium delivery upgrade.
What can't I cancel?
Exemptions include bespoke or personalised items, perishable goods, sealed hygiene products once unsealed, sealed CDs, DVDs or games once opened, and digital downloads once you've started them having waived the right. Fully-performed services that you asked to begin within the 14 days also can't be cancelled. In-store change-of-mind purchases have no statutory right at all.
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