How long is the cooling-off period for online shopping?
Return deadline approaching
You have 7 days left to return the Zalando order from November 20.
When you buy something online in the EU, you have a fourteen-day cooling-off period, counted from the day you receive your order. Within those fourteen days you tell the shop you are withdrawing from the purchase. After that you have another fourteen days to actually send the parcel back.
Those two periods are often mixed up. There really are two: first you notify, then you send. So you do not need to have the parcel in the post within fourteen days, as long as you have told the shop within fourteen days that you are sending it back.
When the period starts
How the period runs
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Day of receipt
The cooling-off period starts when you, or someone on your behalf, receive the parcel. Not on the day you ordered.
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Notify within fourteen days
A message through the shop's return form, by email or through your account is enough. Keep a copy.
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Send within fourteen days
After notifying, you have another two weeks to hand in the parcel. Keep the proof of sending.
If you order several items that are delivered separately, the period only starts when you receive the last one. For a subscription with regular deliveries, the first delivery counts.
Where the cooling-off period does not apply
- Products made to measure or to your own specification
- Perishable goods and products that go off quickly
- Sealed products that are not suitable for return for health or hygiene reasons, once you have broken the seal
- Sealed audio and video recordings or software, once you have broken the seal
- Newspapers and magazines, except for subscriptions
- Tickets and travel for a specific date
For everything else: trying is fine, using is not. You can look at and try on an item as you would in a shop. If you go further than that, the shop may deduct an amount for the loss in value.
What the shop has to do
The shop has to tell you about your right of withdrawal before you buy. If it does not, the cooling-off period is extended by up to twelve months. It also has to tell you in advance if you pay the cost of sending items back; if it says nothing about that, the shop pays. Many shops offer a longer return period of their own, such as thirty days, but they cannot offer less than the legal fourteen.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to give a reason when I send something back?
No. Within the cooling-off period you can withdraw from the purchase without giving a reason. The shop may ask why, but you do not have to answer.
Does the cooling-off period apply if I collect my order in the shop?
If you bought the item in the shop itself, there is no legal cooling-off period; anything the shop offers then is its own policy. If you ordered and paid online and only collect in the shop, it usually still counts as an online purchase, but check the shop's terms, because the details can differ.
Can I try on clothes before I send them back?
Yes. You can check an item as you would in a shop: trying it on is fine, wearing it is not. If there are clear signs of use, the shop may keep back part of the amount.
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Checked on 28 October 2026