Can I return an online order in Hungary?
Yes — 14 days of thinking time, no reasons or excuses owed. For web-shop (distance) purchases you may withdraw within 14 calendar days of receipt — a clear statement suffices (email or the decree 45/2014 template), then you ship the product back within 14 days. The trader refunds everything within 14 days, including the basic delivery fee (return postage can be yours if disclosed upfront — and the trader may withhold the refund until the parcel or shipping proof arrives). If the shop failed to inform you of the right, the window stretches by 12 months. The classic exceptions: custom-made items, unsealed hygiene/health products, perishables, and downloaded digital content where you consented to instant delivery. And the two big myths: in-store purchases carry no such right (exchanges there are store policy), while testing is fine — diminished value from over-use is deductible though.
📋 The key rules
- 14 calendar days from receipt — no reasons needed
- Refund within 14 days, basic delivery fee included
- Return postage: yours if disclosed upfront
- Missing information: the window grows +12 months
- Testing is fine — over-use value loss is deductible
🔓 Exceptions
- Custom-made items, unsealed hygiene products, perishables, downloaded digital content
- Purchases from private individuals (marketplaces): no withdrawal right
- If the shop never told you about the right, the 14-day window stretches by 12 months
⚠️ Penalties
For the trader, failing to refund is a consumer-protection violation: conciliation boards can summon them, the consumer authority can fine, and the money is recoverable in court with default interest. Verbally refusing a lawful withdrawal changes nothing — the claim survives. On your side the risk isn't a fine but money: return postage can fall to you if it was disclosed upfront, value loss from use beyond an in-store try-out is deductible, and the trader may withhold the refund until the parcel or your proof of posting arrives.
📎 Official sources
- Government decree 45/2014 on distance contracts (HU) →
- Tudatos Vásárló · Withdrawal and warranties — the new rules (HU) →
- Adózóna · Mandatory warranty and consumer rights (HU) →
❓ Frequently asked questions
Must I justify the withdrawal?
No — the 14-day right is unconditional: a clear email ('I withdraw from the order') suffices, and the decree's template statement works too. They may ask for a reason; you need not give one.
Who pays return shipping?
If the shop disclosed it upfront, you do. The original, basic delivery fee always comes back to you though — only the surcharge you paid for express or premium delivery stays with the trader.
I tested the product. Can I still return it?
Yes — use matching an in-store try-out is fine and the right stays intact. Beyond that (worn shoes, assembled furniture) the trader may deduct the diminished value from your refund.
Does the 14 days apply in physical shops?
No — the withdrawal right belongs to distance selling: online and phone orders. In-store exchange policies are the shop's goodwill rather than statutory duty, and can be narrowed at any time.
What if the shop never mentioned the withdrawal right?
Then the 14-day window stretches by 12 months, so you can withdraw for well over a year. If the trader supplies the missing information later, the 14 days simply start running from that day instead.
🔎 What people actually search
Real search phrases for this topic.
- “withdrawal right 14 days hungary”
- “webshop refuses refund hungary”
- “return shipping who pays”
- “withdrawal statement template”
- “tested product return hungary”
- “no withdrawal information 12 months”