📦 Do I have to pay for or return goods I never ordered?

Quick answer

No — you owe nothing for, and need not return, goods you never ordered. If goods or a service you did not ask for arrive, you are off the hook: you need not pay a króna, and your silence is not consent. This follows from the Consumer Contracts Act no. 16/2016, and sending unsolicited goods and then demanding payment is a banned trading practice under Act no. 57/2005, which Neytendastofa enforces. The myth some sellers exploit: that if you do not reply or return the item you have "agreed" and must pay. That is wrong — inaction does not bind you, and you have no duty to pay postage, to return the goods at your own cost or to store them indefinitely. This does not apply to an obvious mistake — a parcel meant for a neighbour — where it is reasonable to let the sender know. A demand, a collection letter or a threat over unsolicited goods is a sign of an offence, not a debt you have incurred.

📋 The rules

A consumer is not obliged to pay for goods or a service they did not order (Act no. 16/2016).
Silence or inaction is not consent — failing to reply or to return the item does not bind you to a purchase.
Sending unsolicited goods and demanding payment is a banned, coercive trading practice under Act no. 57/2005.
You have no duty to return the goods at your own cost, nor to pay shipping or return postage.
Neytendastofa supervises this and can ban the practice, order corrections and impose daily fines on the seller.

🔓 Exceptions

An obvious mistake — a parcel meant for someone else — calls for letting the sender know rather than keeping it; this is not unsolicited selling.
If you did in fact order the item, even if you do not remember, an ordinary sales contract and a duty to pay apply.
Subscriptions and trials you signed up for yourself are not unsolicited; there cancellation and what you confirmed at sign-up govern.

⚠️ Penalties & fines

The weight falls on the seller, not the consumer. A consumer who ignores unsolicited goods incurs no debt, and no collection letter, reminder or threat of a default listing changes that. A company that sends unsolicited goods and demands payment breaches Act no. 57/2005; Neytendastofa can ban the practice, order corrections and impose daily fines until the order is met, and repeated breaches can lead to heavier penalties. If the seller tries to register the claim as a default, the consumer can object and demand correction, because no valid claim exists. The hidden cost for the consumer is psychological rather than financial: fear of collection makes some people pay for goods they never ordered. The best defence is to reply in writing that this is an unsolicited delivery and keep a copy — that stops collection and supports a complaint to Neytendastofa if needed.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

Do I have to pay for goods I never ordered?

No, you are not obliged to pay for unsolicited goods or a service, and your silence does not count as consent. Sending goods and then demanding payment is a banned trading practice, so the claim is invalid even if it comes with an invoice or a reminder.

Do I have to send the goods back?

You have no duty to return unsolicited goods at your own cost, nor to pay shipping in either direction. You do not have to make a trip to the post office or store them indefinitely, because the responsibility for retrieving the goods lies with the sender.

What if I get a collection letter?

A collection letter changes nothing about the fact that the claim is invalid when the goods were unsolicited, and you incur no debt by not replying. The wisest step is to reply in writing that this is an unsolicited delivery and keep a copy, because that stops the collection and supports a complaint to Neytendastofa.

Does this apply if the parcel was sent by mistake?

An obvious mistake, such as a parcel meant for another recipient, is not unsolicited selling, and then it is reasonable to let the sender know. The difference lies in the seller's intent: unsolicited selling aims to get you to pay, while a mistake is about getting goods to the right place.

What can Neytendastofa do?

Neytendastofa supervises trading practices and can ban unsolicited deliveries with a payment demand, order corrections and impose daily fines. You can send the agency a complaint with a copy of the delivery and the collection letter, which strengthens the case against a company that repeats the practice.

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