Cancelling an online purchase in Ireland: the 14-day cooling-off
When you buy from a business online, by phone, by mail order or from a trader who calls to your door, Irish law gives you a cooling-off period during which you can cancel the contract without giving any reason. The rules are in Part 5, Chapter 5 of the Consumer Rights Act 2022 (sections 110 to 121), which implements the EU Consumer Rights Directive. For goods, the 14 days run from the day you receive them; for services and digital content, from the day the contract is concluded. If the trader failed to tell you about your right to cancel, the period is extended by up to 12 months.
When you cancel, the trader must refund everything you paid, including standard delivery, within 14 days of being told, although for goods it may wait until the goods are back or you show proof of return. You must send the goods back within 14 days and, unless the trader agreed otherwise or failed to warn you, you pay the cost of returning them.
The right does not cover every purchase: made-to-measure and personalised goods, perishable items, unsealed hygiene products, tickets for events on a specific date and several other categories are excluded. This guide explains how to cancel properly, what you can be charged, how to get your money back and what to do if the seller refuses.
Key facts
Deadline
You must tell the trader you are cancelling within 14 days of receiving the goods (or of concluding a service or digital content contract), extended by up to 12 months if you were not told about the right to cancel; the trader must refund within 14 days of your notice, and you must return goods within 14 days of cancelling.
What to do
- Check that the right to cancel applies. The cooling-off right applies to distance contracts (online, phone, mail order, catalogue) and off-premises contracts (for example, a sale at your home) between a trader and a consumer. It does not apply to purchases made in a shop, to private sales between individuals, or to second-hand items on a marketplace where the seller is not a trader; online marketplaces must tell you whether the seller is a trader (section 107). Part 5 also excludes financial services, residential lettings, package holidays, passenger transport and certain other contracts listed in section 97.
- Check whether your purchase is in an excluded category. Section 111 removes the right to cancel for, among others: goods made to your specifications or clearly personalised; goods that deteriorate or expire rapidly; sealed hygiene or health goods unsealed after delivery; sealed audio, video or software unsealed after delivery; newspapers and magazines (except subscriptions); goods inseparably mixed with other items; urgent repairs you requested; auctions; and accommodation, car rental, catering and leisure services booked for a specific date or period, such as hotel nights and concert tickets. Services fully performed with your express consent and acknowledgement are also excluded.
- Work out the deadline. For goods, the cancellation period ends 14 days after the day you (or a person you nominated, other than the carrier) take physical possession. For an order delivered in several parts, it runs from receipt of the last item; for regular deliveries, from the first. For services and digital content, it ends 14 days after the contract is concluded. If the trader did not give you the required information on the right to cancel, section 114 extends the period by 12 months; if it gives the information later, you have 14 days from receiving it. Contracts concluded during an unsolicited home visit or an organised excursion have a 30-day period.
- Tell the trader clearly and keep proof. Under section 115 you can use the model cancellation form the trader must provide, or any clear statement, such as an email: "I am cancelling my contract for [item], order number [x], received on [date]." Send it before the deadline expires; it is enough that you sent it in time. If the trader offers an online form, it must acknowledge receipt without delay on a durable medium. Simply returning the parcel or refusing delivery is not always treated as notice, so always send a written statement and keep the sent email or proof of posting, because the burden of proving cancellation is on you.
- Return the goods within 14 days. Unless the trader has offered to collect them, you must send the goods back or hand them over within 14 days of telling the trader you are cancelling (section 118). You pay the direct cost of return unless the trader agreed to pay or failed to tell you before the contract that you would have to. For bulky goods delivered to your home at the time of an off-premises sale, the trader must collect at its own expense. Pack the goods carefully, use a tracked service and keep the receipt, since the trader may withhold the refund until it receives the goods or your proof of sending.
- Handle the goods only as you would in a shop. You may examine the goods to establish their nature, characteristics and functioning, as you could in a shop, but you are liable for any diminished value caused by handling beyond that (section 118(6)). Trying on clothes or checking that a device switches on is normally fine; wearing clothes outside, using a coffee machine for weeks or removing hygiene seals is not. The trader can deduct the loss in value, but not if it failed to inform you about the right to cancel. You are not liable for wear caused by ordinary inspection.
- Check the refund. Section 117 requires the trader to refund all payments, including the cost of standard delivery, within 14 days of being told of the cancellation, using the same payment method unless you expressly agree otherwise and without any fee. If you chose express or premium delivery, only the cost of the cheapest standard delivery must be refunded. For services you asked to start during the cooling-off period, you may be charged a proportionate amount for what was supplied before you cancelled (section 119). Any ancillary contract, such as a linked credit agreement or an add-on service, ends automatically when you cancel (section 121).
- Escalate if the trader refuses. Write a final email citing sections 112 to 118 of the Consumer Rights Act 2022 and giving 7 days to refund. If you paid by card, ask your bank for a chargeback; PayPal and similar services have their own buyer-protection processes with short time limits. For a trader in another EU member state, Iceland or Norway, the European Consumer Centre Ireland can intervene free of charge. The CCPC gives information and enforces the law against traders but does not resolve individual complaints. For an Irish trader, you can apply through the District Court small claims procedure (currently up to €2,000, fee €25; check the current figures with the Courts Service).
What to watch out for
- Confusing cancellation with a faulty goods claim. The 14-day cooling-off right is for change of mind; if the goods are defective you also have separate rights to repair, replacement or a refund under Part 2 of the 2022 Act.
- Missing the deadline by counting from the order date. For goods the 14 days run from delivery, but for services they run from the contract date, and starting a service early can reduce or remove your refund.
- Returning goods without written notice. A parcel sent back without a clear cancellation statement can lead to disputes about whether, and when, you cancelled.
- Using the goods too much. Excessive handling allows the trader to deduct for diminished value, and for sealed hygiene items, opening the seal can remove the right altogether.
- Buying from private sellers or from traders outside the EU. The cooling-off right does not apply to private sales, and enforcing it against a trader outside the EU and EEA is often impractical.
- Booking date-specific leisure services. Concert tickets, hotel rooms, car hire and restaurant bookings for a specific date are excluded, so cancellation depends on the trader's own terms.
Legal basis
Frequently asked questions
Can I return something I bought online in Ireland if I change my mind?
Yes, in most cases. If you bought from a trader online, by phone or by mail order, you can cancel within 14 days of receiving the goods without giving a reason, under the Consumer Rights Act 2022. You must tell the trader in writing and return the goods within a further 14 days.
Who pays the return postage?
You do, unless the trader agreed to pay or failed to tell you before you ordered that you would have to bear the return cost. The trader must refund the original standard delivery charge, but not the extra cost of express delivery you chose.
How long does the seller have to refund me?
The trader must refund within 14 days of being told you are cancelling. For goods, it may wait until it receives them back or you provide proof that you sent them, whichever comes first. The refund must use the same payment method unless you agree otherwise, and no fee may be charged.
What purchases can't be cancelled?
Exclusions include personalised or made-to-order goods, perishable items, unsealed hygiene products and sealed software or media, newspapers, urgent repairs you requested, items bought at auction, and date-specific services such as hotel stays, event tickets, car hire and catering.
Does the 14-day cooling-off period apply to purchases in a shop?
No. The statutory cooling-off right only covers distance and off-premises contracts. A shop's own returns policy for unwanted items is voluntary, though if it is advertised the shop should honour it. Faulty goods are covered separately, whether bought in a shop or online.
What if the website never told me about the right to cancel?
Then the cancellation period is extended by 12 months under section 114. If the trader gives you the information during that time, you have 14 days from receiving it. You also cannot be charged for diminished value caused by handling the goods.
Can I cancel a service after it has started?
Yes, within 14 days of the contract, but if you asked for the service to start during the cooling-off period you must pay for what was provided up to cancellation. If the service has been fully performed with your express consent and acknowledgement, the right to cancel is lost.
Does the right apply when I buy on a marketplace like eBay or Adverts?
Only if the seller is a trader. Online marketplaces must tell you whether the seller is a trader or a private individual. Purchases from private individuals are not covered by the cooling-off right.
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