Have you purchased goods and services from the website of a seller based in another European country? If you are unhappy with your orderyou can change your mind within at least 14 days: this is called the right of withdrawalor cooling off.

The right of withdrawal is a period during which you can cancel an online purchaseeven if you have already paid. Before concluding a contractthe seller must inform you of the existence of the right to withdraw and its limitsor of the absence of a right to withdraw.

Thanks to the European directive 2011/83, you have at least a 14-day right of withdrawal following online or distance purchases. It concerns purchases made:

• on the Internet,
• by mail order,
• during door-to-door sales,
• through teleshopping,
• outside the establishment of the seller (during a door-to-door sellingat the workplacein a community centreduring organised excursionsetc.).
• in a shop following an invitation from the retailer to visit the premises.

No. In principleyou only have a right of withdrawal for purchases made at a distance and outside the shop (see above)

But even at a distanceyou do not always have a right of withdrawal. This is the case for:

• Seasonal housing for non-residential purposestransporting goodsrenting carscatering or services related to leisure activities if the contract includes a specific date or period of execution (ex. tripsplane ticketsconcerts...);
• Emergency maintenance or repair work you have expressly ordered;

For specific goodsyou do not have a right to withdrawal either:

• custom-order or personalised items (ex. engraved jewelryphoto album);
• goods that spoil or perish quickly;
• goods which have been unsealed after delivery by you and which cannot be returned for reasons of hygiene or health protection;
• sealed audio or visual recordings, or software that has been unsealed after delivery.

Since the European directive 2002/65/CE of 23 September 2002 concerning the distance marketing of financial servicesyou havedepending on the type of financial service you are subscribed toa right of reflection or withdrawal from 10 to 30 days.

The following are considered "financial services":

• online banking,
• consumer credit,
• some types of insurance,
• investments ...

You benefit from a right of withdrawal even with products on salesecond-hand or out of stockprovided that it is a remote or off-store purchase. For sales in shopsask the shop owner. More information on sales.

Throughout the EUyou normally have a minimum of 14 days to change your mind about your purchase. Your seller can offer a longer period but not a shorter one (otherwise it is an unfair term).

This period is extended by 1 year from the expiry of the initial 14-day period if you have not been informed of the right to withdrawal by your seller. In the meantimeif the seller informs you of your right to withdrawalthe period expires 14 days following the notice.

The cooling off period begins the following day:

• of the delivery of the goods;
• the conclusion of the contract for the provision of services  and contracts for the supply of watergaselectricity or digital content.

The seller should inform you about the existenceconditionsperiod and modalities for exercising your right of withdrawal and provide you with a model withdrawal form.

You do not have to justify yourself to the seller but you must inform the seller of your decision to withdraw.

• Contact your seller in writing and keep a copy. Use the withdrawal form provided or write a clear message about your wish to withdraw. Prefer registered letters or e-mails with acknowledgement of receipt because in the event of a dispute you must be able to prove that you have withdrawn within the time limit.

• Return your order within 14 days maximum, if the professional does not offer to pick it up. You must make sure you send the item to the right address. In some casesthe return address is not the same as the one from which the package came. If you are not surecheck the general conditions of sale or ask the seller for the procedure (return addressreturn referenceetc.). Check if they provided you with a return label. In all casesthe items must be carefully packed. It is possible to use the original packaging if it is solid and still in good conditionbut this is not mandatory. Do not hesitate to take pictures of both the good and the package before sealing and mailing it.

The European Directive on consumer rights establishes that the consumer may have to pay the return shipping costs in case of withdrawal. If you were not informed of your obligation to cover the return shipping costs in advance, the seller is responsible for paying the fees.

For off-premises contractswhere the goods are delivered to the consumer's homethe trader shall collect the goods at his own expense if they cannot be sent back by post in the normal way.

The seller is obliged to reimburse you for the full amount you have paidincluding standard delivery charges (unless you have chosen a more expensive method of deliverysuch as express delivery).

If you return only part of your orderyou will be refunded the price of goods returned + delivery fees in proportion to the number of items returned.

The seller must reimburse you no more than 14 days after being informed of your decision to withdraw. If the seller is retrieving the itemthey may delay the reimbursement until the item is picked upor until they receive proof that you have sent the item back.

In case of late reimbursementif French law applies to your contractyou can request interests according to a specific scale.

The seller should reimburse you through the same payment method you used for the purchase unless you agree to a different method which does not result in additional fees. So if you paid by credit cardthe seller cannotin principlereimburse you by check or voucher/credit on your customer account.

For services which have begun with your agreement before the expiry of the right of withdrawalif you still wish to change your mindyou must pay the seller an amount corresponding to the service provided until you decide to withdraw. This amount shall be proportionate to the total price of the service. If the total price is excessivethe amount shall be calculated on the basis of the market value of what has been provided.

If you purchase goodsyou have the right to examine them under conditions comparable to those in a store. So you do not have the rightfor exampleto wear a dress one evening or to watch the World Cup on a new video projector and send it back the next day. On the other handthe seller cannot oppose you a depreciation of the item if you have only tried it to make sure of its sizeits good working,  etc.

To prevent thisthe European Digital Service Act (DSA) requires platforms targeting European consumers to verify professional sellers before displaying ads.

If you can't reach a seller or provider through the marketplacewe recommend contacting the marketplace directly for their details. If the marketplace declinesfeel free to contact us.

Platforms to which the DSA applies and that don’t verify professional sellers before posting ads risk fines of up to 6% of their global annual revenue.