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Purchases · Italy
Checked 2026-09-30

💶 I returned my order but got no refund: what now in Italy?

Short answer

After you withdraw from an online purchase the shop must refund everything you paid, including the standard delivery cost, within 14 days of your notice — at the latest once it has the goods back or your proof of sending. If it doesn’t, demand it in writing with a final date.

⏱ Deadline14 days from your withdrawal notice (the shop may wait for the goods or your proof of sending).

📜 Your rights

EUThe EU rule

EU consumer law applies in every EU country. Your country writes it into its own law — the national rule is below.

  • The shop must refund all payments received, including the standard delivery cost, without undue delay and within 14 days of being told of your withdrawal (Art. 13(1) Directive 2011/83/EU).
  • The refund uses the same means of payment you used, unless you agreed otherwise, and must be free of charge for you (Art. 13(1)).
  • The shop does not have to refund the extra cost of a more expensive delivery option you chose (Art. 13(2)).
  • For goods, the shop may withhold the refund until it has the goods back or you have shown proof of sending, whichever comes first (Art. 13(3)).
  • You are only liable for a loss in value caused by handling the goods beyond what was needed to check them (Art. 14(2)).
Official source: publications.europa.eu · Checked 2026-09-30

The rules in Italy

After you withdraw, the trader must refund all payments, including standard delivery costs, within 14 days of being informed, using the same payment method. The trader may wait until the goods are back or you prove you sent them.

  • You must return the goods within 14 days of notifying your withdrawal. You pay only the direct cost of return, unless the trader agreed to pay it or did not tell you that you have to. (normattiva.it)
  • If you chose a more expensive delivery than the cheapest standard option offered, the trader does not have to refund the extra cost. (normattiva.it)
Law: artt. 56 e 57 D.Lgs. 206/2005 (Codice del consumo)
Official source: normattiva.it · Checked 2026-09-30

🪜 Step by step

  1. Collect your proofYour withdrawal notice and its date, the proof of postage or delivery of the returned goods, the order confirmation.
  2. Work out the due date14 days after the shop received your notice, or — if later — the day it got the goods back or your proof of sending.
  3. Send a formal demandUse the letter below: it states the law and gives a final date.
  4. Paid by card?Ask your card issuer whether it offers a chargeback for goods returned and not refunded. That is the card scheme’s procedure, not a legal right.
  5. EscalateNo payment by your final date: the bodies under “If the trader does not answer”.

✉️ Your letter

Information, not legal advice. FFCheck is independent and not affiliated with any authority, court or company. The letter is a template filled with your details: you check it and send it yourself.

Fill in your details. The letter appears on this page: copy it into an e-mail or the trader’s contact form, or print it. Nothing you type is stored.

Name of the shop or company
e.g. “1 pair of running shoes, size 42”
Your full name
Optional, but a letter by post needs it.
Language of the letter

🧭 If the trader does not answer

Give the trader the time in your letter. Then, in this order:

An out-of-court dispute body (ADR) can settle it. The trader has to tell you which ADR body covers it (on its website, terms or in its reply).

Elenco organismi ADR — Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in ItalyOfficial list of consumer ADR bodies: joint negotiation bodies and chamber-of-commerce conciliation.🔗 mimit.gov.it
Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM)Acts against unfair commercial practices and unfair contract terms; accepts online reports.📞 800.166.661 🔗 agcm.it

Trader in another EU country? The European Consumer Centre helps for free.

Centro Europeo Consumatori Italia (ECC-Net Italia)Free help with disputes against traders in another EU country.📞 +39 06 44238090 🔗 ecc-netitalia.it
Giudice di paceCivil court for claims on movable goods worth up to €10,000.🔗 giustizia.it

European Small Claims Procedure: for cross-border claims up to €5,000, a written procedure without a lawyer. e-justice.europa.eu

The EU’s online dispute resolution platform (ODR) closed on 20 July 2025. Use the bodies on this page instead.

📇 Every office for this in Italy →

❓ Frequently asked questions

Can the shop give me a voucher instead?

Only if you agree. The law says the same means of payment you used, unless you expressly agreed otherwise.

Can the shop keep the delivery cost?

It must refund the standard delivery cost. It may keep only the extra you paid for a more expensive option you chose.

The shop says the goods came back used. What now?

It may deduct only the loss in value from handling beyond what was needed to check them, and it has to explain the deduction. It cannot simply refuse the refund.

📎 Sources

Checked: 2026-09-30

🔎 What people search

  • “refund not received after return Italy”
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🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Related

↩️Return an online order→📦Order not delivered→💳Unauthorised payment→🛠️Faulty goods→📇Every office for this in Italy→

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