Q: A few weeks ago, I visited a local fair, where I was approached by a sales representative who was promoting solar panels. This person convinced me to place an order and so I paid a €100 deposit. A few days later, I changed my mind and decided not to continue with the purchase of the solar panels.

So I contacted the sales representative I was dealing with and asked her to cancel the order and give me my deposit back. She said she would check with her boss if this was possible. Am I entitled to my deposit?

A: Since the deposit was paid at the fair, this is not considered to be a door-to-door sale or a distance sale. Therefore, such sales contracts do not have a cooling-off period, during which you can change your mind and cancel the sale.

Thus, the seller is not obliged to accept your request to cancel the sale and give you back the deposit paid. In such situations, consumers must try and reach an amicable solution with the seller.

You may perhaps ask the seller to give you a credit note, which you can use on a different product you may need. However, this is completely voluntary as the law does not provide any remedies in such cases.

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