Can I return an online purchase in Finland?
Yes — 14 days, no reasons needed. The distance-selling withdrawal right gives you 14 days to cancel an online purchase without justification, counted from receiving the goods. Notify the seller expressly — a form or an email — because simply not returning or not collecting the parcel is not a withdrawal. The goods go back within 14 days of the notice, and your money must be refunded within 14 days, original delivery charges included. Two things slip past most buyers: the seller may charge return postage if that was disclosed before the purchase — and you may examine the goods only as you would in a shop, not take them into use.
📋 The rules
- EU consumers hold a 14-day distance-selling withdrawal right without justification — counted from receiving the goods.
- Withdrawal must be declared expressly (form, email) — not returning or not collecting a parcel isn't a withdrawal.
- Goods go back within 14 days of the notice; the seller refunds payments (original delivery included) within 14 days.
- Return postage may fall on the buyer if disclosed pre-purchase — 'free returns' is a perk, not law.
- Buyers answer for diminished value when use exceeded examination — try it like in a store, don't use it for a week.
🔓 Exceptions
- No withdrawal right for: custom-made goods, sealed hygiene and food items once opened, unsealed recordings and software, accommodation and event tickets for specific dates, promptly delivered digital content with consent.
- Buying from private individuals (marketplace users) sits outside consumer protection — the Sale of Goods Act and your agreement govern.
- Value reduction is its own carve-out from a full refund: use that exceeded examination (a washed garment, an installed device) lets the seller deduct from the sum repaid.
⚠️ Penalties
The seller's risk: delaying a refund brings penalty interest and a Consumer Disputes Board case whose recommendations are followed almost always. The buyer has two risks. First, liability for diminished value if the goods were used beyond what shop-style examination allows — the drop in value can be deducted from the refund. Second, outside the EU the withdrawal right may not exist at all, so the return depends entirely on the seller's voluntary policy.
📎 Sources
- Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority · Right of withdrawal in e-commerce (14 days) →
- Finlex · Consumer Protection Act 38/1978 (ch. 6) →
- Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority · Online shopping — consumer rights →
❓ Frequently asked questions
Do the 14 days run from ordering or delivery?
From receiving the goods. After notifying the seller you have a further 14 days to ship them back — two separate deadlines, not one.
Who pays the return?
The seller may leave return postage to you if it was disclosed before the purchase; otherwise it is theirs. Original delivery charges are always refunded, at the cheapest delivery option's rate.
Can I return a product I tried?
Yes — examining goods as you would in a store is allowed. Signs of use, such as a washed garment or an installed device, entitle the seller to deduct a value reduction from your refund.
Does the right cover Chinese webshops?
EU sellers yes. A non-EU seller isn't bound by EU rules, although many offer returns voluntarily — buy from EU stock when the ability to return matters to you.
Is it enough to just not collect the parcel?
No — leaving a parcel uncollected is not a withdrawal notice. You must declare the withdrawal expressly by form or email, or the sale stands and you may owe the return costs.
🔎 What people search
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