Am I allowed to return something I bought in Norway?
It depends how you bought the item, and why you want to return it. If you bought online, by phone or off-premises, you have a 14-day right of withdrawal under the Withdrawal Act — money back with no reason given. If you bought in a shop and simply change your mind, there is no statutory right of withdrawal, and that is the commonest misunderstanding. An exchange right in a shop is a voluntary offer, and the shop sets the terms itself. If the item is faulty, that is something else entirely: the complaint right under the Consumer Purchases Act runs for 2 years, or 5 years for goods meant to last significantly longer. You must notify the seller within a reasonable time of discovering the fault, and that period can never be shorter than 2 months.
📋 The rules
- Online purchase: 14-day withdrawal, no reason
- In-store purchase (change of mind): no statutory withdrawal
- In-store exchange is a voluntary offer
- Fault: complaint right 2 years, or 5 years
- Notify within a reasonable time, never shorter than 2 months
🔓 Exceptions
- Custom-made goods are excluded from withdrawal
- Sealed hygiene or health goods once opened are excluded
- Perishables, opened media and date-specific tickets are excluded
⚠️ Penalties & fines
This is civil law, not fines — but it costs the seller. If you use the right of withdrawal, the seller must refund what you paid within 14 days. The big trap for an online shop is the duty to inform: if it has not told you about the withdrawal right properly, the withdrawal period stretches from 14 days to 12 months, and you can pull out long after delivery. The Consumer Authority enforces the rules with orders and coercive fines. Where there is a fault, it is the 2 or 5-year complaint right that governs, regardless of the shop's own exchange policy.
📎 Official sources
- Consumer Authority · Online withdrawal →
- Withdrawal Act · Lovdata →
- Consumer Purchases Act · Lovdata →
❓ Frequently asked
Do I have a right to return something bought in a shop?
No, not if you simply change your mind — there is no statutory right of withdrawal for a purchase made in a physical shop. The exchange right many chains offer is a voluntary one, and the shop sets its own terms and time limit.
How long is the withdrawal right for an online purchase?
14 days from when you received the item, with no reason needed, and the seller must refund you within 14 days. If the seller has not informed you of the withdrawal right as the law requires, the period stretches to 12 months.
What applies if the item is broken?
Then it is not withdrawal but the complaint right that applies: 2 years, or 5 years for goods meant to last significantly longer. The complaint right applies whether you bought the item in a shop or online.
What is the difference between withdrawal and exchange?
Withdrawal is a statutory right for purchases made online, by phone or off-premises, and gets you your money back with no reason given. Exchange is a shop's voluntary offer on an in-store purchase, and there the shop sets the terms itself.
When must I complain about a fault?
Within a reasonable time of discovering it, and that period can never be set shorter than 2 months. The complaint must in any case come within the 2 or 5-year complaint period, or you lose the right to claim anything.
🔎 Common searches
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