Right of withdrawal
Ångerrätt - Engelska
Having a right of withdrawal by law means that you have 14 days to withdraw from a purchase that you made online, by phone or outside the company’s business premises, such as in door-to-door sales.
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Translated page: This text has been translated from Swedish. The text and appearance of the page may look different from the original page.
What does the right of withdrawal mean?
When you use your right of withdrawal by law, you no longer have any obligation to pay for the good or service. If you have already paid, the basic principle is that you should get back the entire amount you paid.
The withdrawal period, meaning the time you have to withdraw from the purchase, is 14 days. If you bought a product, the withdrawal period begins counting the day after you collected the product. If you bought a service, the period begins counting the day after you entered the agreement – for example, when you accepted the company’s offer, placed an order or signed an agreement.
When do you have the right of withdrawal?
Your right of withdrawal by law applies when you buy something at a distance, meaning without meeting the company. This applies, for example, in telemarketing and online purchases. You also have a right of withdrawal when you buy something outside the company’s business, such as in door-to-door sales. If the company sells goods at a trade fair or market, it can also count as sales outside their business premises, but not always.
No right of withdrawal in stores
By law, you have no right of withdrawal when you buy something in a store or on site in the company’s premises. However, some companies offer free returns or a right of replacement. Free returns and the right of replacement are optional to offer, which means that the company itself chooses its rules.
Your right to inspect the product
If you buy a product, you have a right to inspect it in the same manner as you have the opportunity to do in a physical store. But in some cases, the company may have a right to compensation because the product decreased in value. This is usually called a depreciation deduction. Such a deduction is only relevant if you have examined or used the product more than necessary.
If you buy a pair of shoes, you have the right to try on the shoes to see if they fit. But if you, for example, use the shoes outdoors, the company may have the right to make a deduction to clean the shoes.
Notify the company that you changed your mind
In order for you to be able to prove that you changed your mind, it is best to notify the company in writing, such as by email. There are no special requirements on how you should word yourself beyond that it must be clear that you want to exercise your right of withdrawal.
If you received a withdrawal form from the company, you can use it if you want. If you send the form by letter to the company it is good to photograph the form or take a copy so that you still have documentation that you withdrew from the purchase.
The company does not need to confirm your notification of the right of withdrawal for it to apply. So you do not lose your right of withdrawal if the company does not answer you. What is important is that you can prove that you changed your mind and that you did so within 14 days.
Send the product back to the company
When you withdraw from a purchase, you need to send back the product to the company’s return address. You must yourself pay for the return freight, on condition that the company has informed you of this in connection with the purchase. It is usually stated in the company’s terms about the cost for the return freight and how to send the product back.
The withdrawal period can be extended
Normally, you have 14 days to exercise the right of withdrawal, but depending on the information you received in connection with the purchase, the withdrawal period can be extended.
By law, the company must give you the following information on the right of withdrawal in order for the 14 days to begin counting:
That there is a right of withdrawal
How much time you have to change your mind
What to do to withdraw from the purchase
Give you a standard form you can use when you want to withdraw from the purchase or inform you where you can find such a form.
If the company has not given you the information on all points, you can change your mind even if more than 14 days have passed. So your withdrawal period can be extended. The withdrawal period can be extended by one year at most.
It is the company that must be able to prove that you have received all the information on the right of withdrawal. If, for example, you shop online, it is common for the information to be in the terms on the company’s website.
Your written approval is required in telemarketing
For phone sales, by law, the company must get your written approval for the agreement to be valid. This applies if the company phones you, or if you were encouraged by the company to phone them. If you have not approved the agreement in writing, it is invalid and you have no payment obligation to the company. If you phone a company on your own initiative to buy something, a written agreement is not required.
How should a written approval be made?
A written approval can have various formats. For example, you can:
Sign a paper sent to you in the post
Approve electronically by email or text message
Approve by Bank ID
The approval must take place after the call so that you have time to think about the offer. So it is not OK for the company to encourage you to approve the offer during the call.
Dispute an invoice if you have not provided written approval
If the company demands payment from you even though you have not approved of the offer in writing, you can protest and point out that there is no agreement.
Exceptions to the right of withdrawal
There are a few goods and services that are exempt from the right of withdrawal. A few examples are:
All kinds of travel, such as air, rail and bus travel
Hotel stays or letting of lodging
A specially made product that was made based on your description
A product that can rapidly deteriorate or become too old, such as certain kinds of food
Products with a broken seal cannot be returned due to health or hygiene reasons, such as underwear
Services that take place on a certain day or during a set time period, such as car hire, serving/catering, cultural events, sports events or some other similar leisure activity.
Construction of a building or other permanent facility on land or water, such as the installation of drainage
Regular delivery of food, such as delivery of grocery bags
A service that has been completed if you agreed that the service begins to be performed and that there is no right of withdrawal once it has been completed
Digital content, such as programs, apps, games or music, that are delivered digitally, if you agreed that the deliver takes place that way and that you do not have a right of withdrawal
An urgent repair or maintenance measure in your home if the visit takes place on your initiative and the repair or maintenance measure is connected with this.
If you and the company do not agree
If you need guidance, you can contact Hallå konsument [Hello Consumer]. We are a national information service that can provide information on your rights and what options you have to make progress. We provide independent guidance and therefore cannot assess your individual matter, resolve disputes or contact companies for you.
Contact information to Hallå konsument
If you and the company do not agree, you can in many cases file a report with the National Board for Consumer Disputes (ARN) to have the dispute tried. It is free of charge.
Read more about filing a report on the ARN website
To be able to file a report to ARN, the company must have said partly or entirely no to your requirement, or has not responded at all.
Source: KonsumentverketECC Sverige
Proofread: 9 February 2022
This page was funded by the European Union's Consumer Programme (2014-2020). ECC Sweden is a part of the European Consumer Centres Network, but also a part of the Swedish Consumer Agency’s information service Hello Consumer. At ECC Sweden, consumers who made cross-border purchases within the EU, Iceland, Norway or the UK can get free help and advice from our legal advisers.
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