Cooling-off period

Q: Does the 15-day cooling-off period apply to any kind of contract, or does it only apply to door-to-door sales?

A: As consumers, we only have the luxury of changing our mind about a product purchased or a contract signed if the purchase is either made through a distant means of communication or from a door-to-door seller.

By law it is the seller who must inform us of our cancellation rights at the time of sale. In the case of doorstep selling, the door-to-door seller must provide us with a cancellation form with all the details on how to cancel the contract.

Should we opt to cancel the sale or order, any money paid should be returned to us. The law specifies that the reimbursement should be carried out as soon as possible, ideally within 30 days of the date of cancellation. The only charge that may be imposed on us is the direct cost of returning the goods.

In the case of doorstep sales, the 15-day cooling-off period starts to apply when we sign the contract of sale. In case of purchases made through a distant means of communication, the 15 days start from when we receive the goods ordered.

There are some exceptions that the cooling-off period does not cover. In case of doorstep selling, the right for cancellation does not apply if the overall price paid does not exceed €46.59.

With regard to distance purchases, there are some items which cannot be returned, such as made-to-measure goods, audio or video recording or computer software which are unsealed by the consumer, perishables, such as food and flowers, and services used by consumers before the end of the 15-day period.

Even contracts for accommodation, transport, catering or leisure services arranged for a specific date or within a specific period cannot be cancelled. The cooling-off period is a good safeguard when it comes to distance purchases and ‘persistent’ door-to-door selling, but the best prevention to avoid problems is to take time and to make sure we really want or need what we are about to purchase.