Can I return an item I bought online in Malta within 14 days?
Yes — you have 14 days to change your mind on an online purchase, without giving any reason. Under the Consumer Rights Regulations (S.L. 378.17), when you buy at a distance — online, by phone or off-premises — you have 14 days of withdrawal (cooling-off) to cancel and get a full refund. The period starts from the day you physically receive the item. The myth: that this applies to every purchase, including in shops. No — the 14-day right of withdrawal applies only to distance and off-premises sales; an ordinary shop purchase has no cancellation right just because you changed your mind. If the seller does not inform you of this right, the period is extended by 12 months. The refund must be made within 14 days of your notice, and you normally pay only the return postage.
📋 The rules
- On distance sales (online, phone) and off-premises, you have 14 days to withdraw with no reason.
- The 14-day period starts from the day you physically receive the item (for services, from the conclusion of the contract).
- If the seller does not inform you of the right of withdrawal, the period is extended by 12 months.
- The full refund must be given within 14 days of your notice to cancel; the seller may withhold it until it receives the item or proof of dispatch.
- You normally pay only the cost of returning the item, unless the seller agreed to bear it or did not inform you of it beforehand.
🔓 Exceptions
- Certain goods are excluded: custom-made or personalised items, perishables, and newspapers and magazines.
- Goods sealed for hygiene or health reasons, or sealed music, video and software, cannot be returned once opened.
- A purchase in a physical shop has no 14-day right of withdrawal; a return there is at the shop's goodwill only.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The rights tip in the consumer's favour, but the details are worth money. If the seller does not inform you of the right of withdrawal, not only is the period extended by 12 months, but the return cost falls on the seller instead of on you. The seller must give the full refund within 14 days of your notice, including the standard original delivery cost; if it delays or refuses, you can file a complaint. You may handle the item as you would in a shop, but excessive use that reduces its value can allow the seller to reduce the refund. Where the seller does not respect these rules, the consumer can turn to the MCCAA or, for a cross-border EU purchase, to the European Consumer Centre (ECC Malta). Keep the order confirmation, the dated cancellation notice, and the return-postage receipt as proof.
📎 Official sources
- MCCAA · consumer rights and online shopping →
- ECC Malta · distance-selling rights in the EU →
- Legislation Malta · Consumer Rights Regulations (S.L. 378.17) →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I return any item bought online within 14 days?
Generally yes, but there are exceptions. Custom-made goods, perishables, and items sealed for hygiene or music and software that have been opened do not fall under the right of withdrawal. For most ordinary products, though, the 14 days apply with no reason.
When does the 14-day count start?
From the day you physically receive the item in your hands, not from the day of the order. For service contracts the period starts from the conclusion of the contract, and for deliveries in several parts from the last piece to arrive.
Who pays the postage to send it back?
Normally the consumer pays the cost of returning the item, unless the seller agreed to bear it or did not inform you of it before the purchase. If you were not told about this cost, it falls on the seller, not on you.
The shop says I cannot return it after opening — is that true?
You can open and examine the item as you would in a shop without losing the right of withdrawal. But use that goes beyond a simple examination and reduces the value can allow the seller to reduce the refund by that amount.
Does this apply if I buy in a physical shop?
No. The 14-day right of withdrawal applies only to distance or off-premises sales. On a shop purchase, if you simply changed your mind, a return or exchange is at the shop's goodwill, not your right by law.
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