Shopping online
When you buy goods or services online, by phone or by mail order, you are protected by the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. These give you additional rights alongside those in the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This guide explains what information businesses must provide, your delivery and cancellation rights, and what to do if problems arise. Most of these protections still apply in the UK, the EU, Iceland and Norway, although dealing with businesses based elsewhere can be more complex.
What information must a business provide?
Before you buy, a trader must give you clear and accurate information so you can make an informed decision.
Business address
Traders must provide a geographical address for their business. This is often found in the terms and conditions and does not have to be shown prominently.
A .co.uk website address or UK contact details do not necessarily mean the business is based in the UK. If it is difficult to find where a trader is based, enforcing your legal rights may be harder if something goes wrong.
Information before you buy
Before you place an order, the trader must clearly provide information about what you are buying and what you are agreeing to. This should include:
A clear description of the goods or services
Any additional charges, such as delivery or admin fees
The total price payable
Whether the contract is a one‑off purchase or a subscription
The length and ongoing cost of any subscription
Your cancellation rights and how to cancel
Much of this information is often included in the terms and conditions. While it may be tempting to accept them without reading, doing so may mean agreeing to terms that are not favourable or, in some cases, giving up your right to cancel a service.
Other rights the regulations provide:
Delivery rights
Unless you agree otherwise, goods should be delivered within 30 days of placing the order. If the trader fails to deliver within this time, you may have the right to cancel the contract and receive a refund.
Complaints and dispute resolution
Traders must provide details of their complaints process and say whether they are members of an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme.
In most sectors, ADR is voluntary. If a trader is a member of an ADR body, they should provide details of that organisation.
Cancellation Rights
The regulations give you a legal right to cancel most distance contracts within 14 days. This is commonly known as the “cooling‑off period”.
What is the 14‑Day cooling‑off period?
For goods, the 14‑day period starts the day after you receive them.
For services, it starts on the day the contract is agreed.
You can cancel for any reason within this period. If a service starts during the cooling‑off period, the trader must inform you that you will lose your right to a full refund once the service is fully completed. If you cancel after the service has started but before it finishes, the trader can charge for the work already carried out.
If a trader does not give you the required cancellation information, your right to cancel may be extended by up to 12 months.
To cancel, you must clearly inform the trader using a durable method such as email, letter or a cancellation form. If you return goods, you are usually responsible for the return costs unless the trader agrees to cover them. Any refund due must be paid within 14 days.
When you cancel a contract, any linked agreements, such as warranties or finance arrangements, are automatically cancelled.
When the cooling‑off period does not apply
The right to cancel does not apply to certain types of contracts, including:
Personalised or custom‑made goods
Goods that deteriorate quickly, such as food or flowers
Newspapers, magazines and periodicals
Passenger transport services
Accommodation, vehicle hire, catering or leisure services for a specific date
Urgent repairs or maintenance requested by the consumer
Contracts agreed at a live auction (online‑only auctions are not included)
Important Things to Remember
Payment buttons must be clearly labelled with wording such as “pay now” so it is obvious you are committing to pay. Pre‑ticked boxes for extras or add‑ons are not allowed.
These regulations apply only to consumer contracts and do not cover all purchases, such as gambling, financial services or property sales and lettings.
If a trader provides a customer helpline, it must not be a premium‑rate number.
Background
These protections come from the Consumer Rights Directive, which was implemented in the UK through the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. The UK’s exit from the EU has not reduced the consumer protections explained in this guidance.
Last reviewed 10 April 2026
