Refund of payment when you withdraw from an online purchase
The seller shall reimburse any payments received from you without delay and no later than 14 days after the seller receives your notice of withdrawal.
The notice of withdrawal shall be deemed received as follows:
- E-mail: If the notice of withdrawal is sent by e-mail, the notice shall be considered as received when it arrives in the seller’s inbox.
- Online form: If the notice of withdrawal is submitted using an online form, the notice shall be considered as received as soon as the customer has completed the form and sent it to the seller.
- Customer account: If the notice of withdrawal is submitted via a customer account in an online store, the notice shall be considered as received as soon as the customer has submitted it through the system.
- Letter or parcel: If the notice of withdrawal pertains to returning a product by post, the notice shall be considered as received when the seller receives the returned shipment. If no detailed information on the date on which the notice of withdrawal was received is available, the seller shall be deemed to have received the notice on the seventh day after it was sent.
The seller does not have to refund any payments until they have received the returned goods or until you have provided proof of having returned the goods, for example by means of a return receipt. As payments must be refunded at the latest within 14 days after the consumer has submitted the notice of withdrawal, the seller can usually wait for the returned goods to arrive before refunding your payment.
- If the goods have been substantially changed or decreased in volume in your possession, you do not have the right to have the full payment refunded. Examining or trying out goods purchased online
- If you have chosen some other method of delivery than the least expensive one, such as express delivery, the seller is not obligated to refund the extra costs caused by this.
If the seller does not refund you at the latest within14 days after receiving the notice of cancellation or the returned goods, you are entitled to overdue interest.
Refund method
When refunding you, the seller must use the same method of payment you used when you made the payment. The payment may be refunded using other methods, such as a gift voucher, only if you agree to this. The seller may not charge you for any costs related to refunding you.
- For example, if you used online banking services to pay for your purchase, the refund must be paid to the bank account indicated by you. Similarly, a credit card payment is refunded to the card in question.
- If the seller does not have your account number they can, for example, use a payment order, i.e. a cash transfer, to refund you. In such case, you will receive by post a notification of the cash transfer and instructions for redeeming it.
If the seller refuses to refund yuou
If the seller does not refund you at the latest within 14 days after receiving the notice of withdrawal and you used a credit card to pay for the purchase, you can contact the credit card company to ask for your refund. You may not request the credit card company to reimburse you for an amount that is higher than what you initially paid to the credit card company.
If you did not pay with a credit card, you can file a complaint with the seller. The Complaint Assistant will help you file a complaint if the cancellation has not been successful or your money has not been refunded.
If you cannot reach an understanding with the online retailer, you can contact the Consumer Advisory Services for advice. The processing of your case usually requires information about the opposing party’s view.
The Complaint Assistant – Problems with the right of cancellation and refund of payment in the sale of goods
You can use this assistant to issue a complaint to the seller if the cancellation has not been successful or your money has not been refunded.