How do I return an online order in Austria?
You have 14 days to cancel an online or distance purchase without giving a reason. Tell the shop in writing, send the goods back within 14 days, and the shop must refund you, including the standard delivery cost.
📜 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.
- You can withdraw from an online or distance contract within 14 days without giving any reason (Art. 9(1) Directive 2011/83/EU).
- For goods, the 14 days start on the day you take physical possession of them; for several items delivered separately, of the last item (Art. 9(2)(b)).
- If the shop did not tell you about this right, the period ends only 12 months after the normal 14 days (Art. 10(1)).
- Any clear statement is enough, or the model withdrawal form; it counts if you send it before the period ends (Art. 11). Since 19 June 2026 online shops must also offer a “withdraw from contract here” function (Art. 11a).
- You send the goods back within 14 days of telling the shop; you pay the direct return cost only if the shop told you so in advance (Art. 14(1)).
- Exceptions include made-to-measure items and unsealed hygiene products, audio, video or software (Art. 16).
The rules in Austria
Under the FAGG you can withdraw from an online or distance purchase within 14 days without giving reasons. For goods the period starts when you (or a third party you named, not the carrier) receive the goods. No form is required; sending the notice in time is enough.
- If the trader did not inform you about the right of withdrawal, the period is extended by 12 months (§ 12 FAGG). If the information is given later, the period ends 14 days after you receive it. (ris.bka.gv.at)
- You may use the model withdrawal form (Annex I Part B FAGG). If the trader lets you submit it on its website, it must confirm receipt without delay on a durable medium (§ 13 Abs. 2 FAGG). (ris.bka.gv.at)
- New from 1 October 2026 (Verbraucherrechts-Änderungsgesetz 2026, BGBl. I Nr. 59/2026): for contracts concluded online after 30 September 2026, shops must offer a clearly labelled withdrawal function ("Vertrag widerrufen") throughout the withdrawal period (§ 13a FAGG). (ris.bka.gv.at)
🪜 Step by step
- Check the dateCount 14 days from the day the goods reached you. The letter only has to leave before the last day.
- Send the withdrawalUse the letter below, or the shop’s own withdrawal form or button. E-mail or the contact form is fine: keep a copy or a screenshot.
- Send the goods backWithin 14 days of your notice. Keep the proof of postage and the tracking number.
- Wait for the refundThe shop has 14 days from your notice, but it may wait until it has the goods back or your proof of sending.
- No refund?Use the letter for a refund that has not been paid, then the bodies under “If the trader does not answer”.
✉️ Your letter
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.
🧭 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).
Trader in another EU country? The European Consumer Centre helps for free.
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.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Do I have to give a reason?
No. The right to withdraw from an online or distance purchase needs no reason at all.
Can the shop refuse because the box is opened?
No. You may handle the goods as you would in a shop to check them. The shop can only claim a deduction for a loss in value caused by handling beyond that — except for sealed hygiene items, audio, video or software you unsealed.
Does this apply to a shop in another country?
Usually yes, if the shop directs its sales to consumers in your country: you then keep the protection of your own country’s consumer law.
📎 Sources
- ris.bka.gv.at →
- ris.bka.gv.at →
- publications.europa.eu →
- verbraucherschlichtung.at →
- konsumentenfragen.at →
- europakonsument.at →
- oesterreich.gv.at →
🔎 What people search
- “return online order Austria”
- “14 day return right”
- “withdrawal letter online purchase”
- “send back parcel refund”
- “cancel online order after delivery”
🧭 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.
⚠️ Readers report that something here may have changed — we are checking it.
✅ Thank you — this keeps the page up to date for everyone.