▶️ Can I get a refund on downloaded content or streaming?

With conditions

Quick answer

Conditional — yes before you start, no the moment streaming or download begins with your consent. Under the Consumer Contracts Act no. 16/2016 a consumer generally has a 14-day right to withdraw from a distance contract. But for digital content not supplied on a physical medium — downloaded games, films, music, apps and streaming — there is an exception: the right lapses the moment delivery begins if you consented to it and acknowledged that you thereby lose the period. The myth many rely on: that they always have 14 days to get a refund on downloaded content. That is wrong — once you press "play" or "download" with consent, the deal is done. This applies only to a change of mind; if the content is faulty, does not work or is not as described, you still have a right to a fix or a refund. A subscription to a streaming service is a separate matter and follows the rules on cancellation and automatic renewal.

📋 The rules

The general rule is a 14-day right to withdraw from a distance contract without a reason (Act no. 16/2016).
For digital content without a physical medium the right lapses when delivery begins, provided you gave clear consent and acknowledged that the period ends.
The seller must obtain your consent and tell you the right will be lost — if they do not, you keep the 14-day period despite the download.
The distinction is everything: a change of mind is not protected once streaming starts, but a fault in the content is protected regardless.
Faulty or wrongly delivered content gives a right to repair, re-delivery or a refund under general consumer rules, not just within 14 days.

🔓 Exceptions

Content on a physical medium (a boxed game, a DVD) follows the ordinary 14-day right, though a broken seal can matter.
If the seller did not obtain consent to start delivery within the period, the consumer keeps the right to withdraw despite the download.
Subscriptions to a streaming service follow the rules on cancellation and automatic renewal rather than a return right on each individual title.

⚠️ Penalties & fines

The practical consequence is simple and often costly: if you began a download or stream with consent you get no refund even if you regret the purchase, and the amount — whether a single game or a film — is lost. On the other hand, a seller who failed to obtain consent or hid that the right would lapse may have to refund, because the 14-day right then still stands. If the content is faulty and the seller refuses to fix it, you can dispute the card transaction with your issuer and turn to Neytendastofa, which supervises trading practices and can impose daily fines on companies that ignore the rules. The hidden cost lies in the haste: many apps combine "buy" and "start playing" in a single click, so the consumer waives the period without realising. Read what you are agreeing to before you press the button, and keep the receipt in case the content turns out to be faulty.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

Can I get a refund on a game I downloaded?

Not if you began the download or play with consent and acknowledged that the return right thereby lapsed. If, however, you were not given that information or consent was not obtained properly, you keep the 14-day right despite the download.

Do I have a 14-day return right on all digital content?

The general rule is a 14-day right to withdraw from distance sales, but digital content without a physical medium is an exception once delivery begins with your consent. The right therefore lasts only until you start using the content, not a full two weeks after streaming or download has begun.

What if the content does not work or is not as described?

Then it is not a change of mind but a fault, and you have a right to a fix, re-delivery or a refund under general consumer rules. That right does not lapse just because you started using the content, because a fault is different in kind from regretting a purchase afterwards.

Does this also apply to streaming subscriptions like music or TV?

A subscription to a streaming service is about cancellation and automatic renewal rather than a return right on individual titles. You cancel such a service under its terms, but the individual songs or episodes that are streamed count as delivered content that is not returned afterwards.

Can the seller charge me even though I never opened the content?

If you did not begin the download or stream, you keep the 14-day right and may withdraw without a reason. If you started using it with consent the deal is done, so the key point is whether delivery had begun, not whether you finished watching or listening.

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