You only lose your cancellation rights if you start using the service before the cooling-off period expires.You only lose your cancellation rights if you start using the service before the cooling-off period expires.

Q: Does the cooling-off period also apply to online shopping?

A few days ago, I bought an internet subscription and the next day I decided to cancel the sale and exercise my cancellation rights.

The company did not accept my request to cancel the contract of sale, claiming it is covered through terms and conditions. Can the company do such thing?

A: First of all, yes, the cooling-off period applies to online shopping. As consumers, we can cancel the purchase of goods or services bought online and via other distant means of communication.

If the trader is locally based, consumers have 15 days to cancel the sale, but if the trader operates from another EU member state, consumers have at least seven days to cancel the sale.

You can only lose your cancellation rights if you start using the service purchased before the cooling-off period expires. Otherwise, you are legally entitled to cancel the sale and no terms and conditions or company policy can take away this right from you.

You should therefore inform the trader accordingly and if you do not manage to reach an amicable settlement, you can then file a complaint with the Office for Consumer Affairs, if the trader is locally based, or the European Consumer Centre Malta, if the trader operates from another EU country.

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