New EU’s Right of Withdrawal in Online Trading

On the 13^th of June 2014 the new EU Consumer Rights Directive applied for all EU member states. The new law helps to make distance (online) selling in the EU easier. The most important change in your E-Shop is the new right for consumers to cancel an order, which came into force without a transition period. Keep reading to find out more about these changes and the easiest way you can implement it in your E-Shop.

The right for consumers to cancel an order (Right of Withdrawal) was implemented in order for all EU member states to have unified legal standards. The distance selling in E-Shops is becoming easier. The so far existing right to return the delivered product is no longer applicable, because of the new right to cancel an order. Customers are allowed to use this right within 14 days of receiving the product, within all EU member states.

Duties of the customer

Customers are no longer allowed to return products without giving notice. They have to inform the retailer that they are going to use the right of withdrawal.

Duties of the retailer

Retailers have to inform their customers about the new right of withdrawal before they complete the purchase. The information must be available at any time, even after completing the purchase.

The simplest realization

Add a new page in the menu of your Webnode-Shop with the title “Right of Cancellation” or “Right of Withdrawal”.

Example of how the menu of the shop can look like.

On this page, you can inform your customers about the right to cancel the order along with all necessary details. It is not required by law to add a predefined form for your customers in the shop. However, if you want to do so, we recommend you to insert “Right of Withdrawal” a form directly into the page.

Example of a directly inserted form in the E-Shop.

In this article you find a summary of the most important information regarding the consumer right of withdrawal. Have a look also in the European Guidelines 2011/83/EU.

If you have doubts or any questions, how this affects your business, please contact your legal assistant in order to apply these changes in your E-Shop. If you are interested in how to start your own eshop, read step by step guide.