Return & Cooling-Off Rights Checker

Free return and cooling-off rights checker. Answer a few questions to see whether you can cancel a purchase and get a refund under the EU or UK 14-day cooling-off rules, with the exceptions, and generate a cancellation letter. Runs in your browser.

Where did you buy it?

How did you buy it?

What did you buy?

What is it? (for the letter)

Seller name (for the letter)

Order date (optional)

You can cancel

You have the right to cancel this and get a refund, under the EU Consumer Rights Directive.

You have 14 days from the day you received the item to tell the seller you are cancelling, then a further 14 days to send it back.

You have the 14-day right to cancel under the EU Consumer Rights Directive

Because you bought this at a distance (online, phone or mail order) and it is not one of the exceptions, you can cancel within 14 days for any reason, even just changing your mind, and get a full refund.

Refund includes standard delivery

Your refund must include the original standard delivery charge. You usually have to pay the cost of sending the item back, unless the seller said they would cover it or did not tell you that you would.

Your cancellation letter

Dear [Seller name],

I hereby give notice that I cancel my contract for the following goods: [the item / service], ordered.

Under the EU Consumer Rights Directive, I am exercising my right to withdraw within 14 days. I will return the goods, and I ask you to refund the full amount paid, including the standard delivery cost, within 14 days.

Please confirm you have received this cancellation and let me know how to return anything if needed.

Yours faithfully,
[Your name]

This tells you about the cooling-off right to change your mind about a purchase, which is separate from your rights if something is faulty. The rules here cover the EU and UK, which both give a 14-day right to withdraw from most distance purchases, with the exceptions shown. The exact position can depend on the details of your contract and what the seller told you, so treat this as general information, not legal advice, and check the seller's terms and your national consumer authority if in doubt. Everything runs in your browser and nothing you enter is uploaded.

Changed your mind? You may have more right to a refund than you think

When you buy something online and it is not quite right, sellers often act as if a refund is a favour. Frequently it is not: it is the law. Both the EU and the UK give you a 14-day cooling-off period to cancel most distance purchases for any reason at all, even just changing your mind, and get your money back. The trick is knowing when it applies, because there is a specific list of exceptions. This free checker asks a few simple questions and tells you exactly where you stand, then writes the cancellation letter for you. It runs in your browser.

How it works

Say where and how you bought it (EU or UK, online or in a shop).
Pick what it was, and answer one or two follow-ups where they matter.
Get a clear verdict, your deadline, and a ready-to-send cancellation letter.

The 14-day right, and when the clock starts

For most things you buy online, by phone or by mail order from a business, you can cancel within 14 days and get a full refund, including the original standard delivery charge. For goods, the 14 days to tell the seller run from the day the item arrives, and you then get a further 14 days to send it back. For services and digital content, the 14 days run from the day you placed the order. Knowing which clock applies, and that it has already started, is often the difference between a refund and a "sorry, too late".

The exceptions that catch people out

The cooling-off right does not cover everything. Perishable goods, personalised or custom-made items, and bookings for travel or dated events are excluded outright. Sealed hygiene products like cosmetics and underwear, and sealed CDs, DVDs and software, lose the right once you open them, but keep it while sealed. Downloaded or streamed digital content loses the right once you start it, if you agreed to that. And for a service you asked to begin early, you can still cancel but may owe a proportionate amount for what you have used. This tool applies each of these rules to your answers so you are not guessing.

Changing your mind is not the same as a fault

This is the cooling-off right, which is about changing your mind on a purchase that is perfectly fine. It is completely separate from your rights when something is faulty: a broken, misdescribed or unfit item can be returned for a repair, replacement or refund regardless of the 14 days and regardless of whether you bought it in a shop or online. If that is your situation, use our faulty-goods rights checker instead. For simply changing your mind, this tool gives you the verdict and the letter. It is general information, not legal advice, and it runs entirely in your browser.

Good to know

Return & Cooling-Off Rights Checker, frequently asked questions

Do I have a legal right to return something I changed my mind about?

Usually yes, if you bought it at a distance (online, by phone or by mail order) from a business. Both the EU Consumer Rights Directive and the UK Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give you a 14-day cooling-off period to cancel most distance purchases for any reason and get a full refund, even just because you changed your mind. There is no such automatic right for things you buy in person in a shop. This tool asks how and what you bought and tells you where you stand.

How long is the cooling-off period?

14 days. For goods, the 14 days to notify the seller run from the day you receive the item, and you then have a further 14 days to send it back. For services and digital content, the 14 days run from the day the contract was made. Your refund must include the original standard delivery charge; you normally pay the cost of sending goods back unless the seller agreed to cover it.

What cannot be returned under the cooling-off rules?

There is a defined list of exceptions: perishable goods like food and flowers; personalised or custom-made items; sealed hygiene goods (cosmetics, underwear) once unsealed; sealed CDs, DVDs or software once unsealed; downloaded or streamed digital content once you have started it and agreed to lose the right; and travel, transport, accommodation and dated events. This tool applies these exceptions to your answers.

Does this apply to in-store purchases?

No. The 14-day cooling-off right only covers distance and off-premises purchases, not things you buy in person in a shop. For in-store buys you can only return non-faulty goods if the shop chooses to allow it, so check their returns policy. Your rights over faulty goods are completely separate and always apply, wherever you bought the item.

What is the difference between this and faulty-goods rights?

This is the right to change your mind about a purchase that is perfectly fine. Faulty-goods rights are different: if an item is broken, not as described or not fit for purpose, you can demand a repair, replacement or refund regardless of the cooling-off period and regardless of where you bought it. Use the faulty-goods rights checker for that situation.

Is this legal advice?

No. It is general information about the EU and UK cooling-off rules, to help you understand your position and write a cancellation letter. The exact outcome can depend on your contract and what the seller told you, so check the seller's terms and your national consumer authority if you are unsure. Everything runs in your browser and nothing you enter is uploaded.

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