The 14-Day Cancellation Right: How UK Online Returns Actually Work

A buyer messages on day nine: "I've decided I don't want it, can I send it back?" The item is not faulty. It matches the listing. They simply changed their mind. A newer seller's first instinct is often to say no, or to offer a return only if the buyer pays a restocking fee. In UK distance selling to consumers, neither answer is available to you in most cases, because a statutory right to cancel exists whether or not you agree to it.

This guide explains how that right works in practice: when the 14 days start and finish, what counts as cancelling, what you must refund and by when, who pays for the return, when you can deduct money because the goods lost value, which products are excluded, and what happens if you fail to tell the buyer about the right. It then sets the legal position against eBay UK's own returns pages, which are not always worded the same way. The rules come from the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 on legislation.gov.uk, GOV.UK guidance and Citizens Advice, and the eBay pages were read in October 2026.

1. The right, and who has it

Regulation 29 of the 2013 Regulations says a consumer may cancel a distance or off-premises contract at any time in the cancellation period, without giving a reason and without liability, except in the specific situations the Regulations list. Regulation 5 defines a distance contract as one concluded between a trader and a consumer under an organised distance sales scheme, without the trader and consumer being physically present together. An online shop, or an eBay business seller's listings, falls into that category.

Citizens Advice describes the same right for buyers: when you buy something you have not seen in person, you get a 14-day cooling-off period, and nothing needs to be wrong with the item to get a refund. It also says there is no cooling-off period for anything bought from a private individual, such as on a social media marketplace or an online auction site, and that businesses must tell you before you buy if an item has no cooling-off period, while private sellers do not have to.

On eBay, the position is the same in practice. eBay UK's Safety Centre says the rules cover distance sales, which includes internet sales. eBay's selling practices policy says these rules generally cover online sales through eBay, and that if a listing falls outside them the seller is generally not legally required to accept change-of-mind returns, though they may choose to offer them. If you sell as a business, as dropshippers do, the right to cancel is part of the deal. Our guide to business versus private selling on eBay sets out why.

These rights belong to consumers. The sections below assume you are selling to someone buying for personal use.

2. When the 14 days start and end

Regulation 30 sets the end of the cancellation period. For a sale of goods, it ends 14 days after the day on which the goods come into the physical possession of the consumer, or of someone the consumer named to take delivery who is not the carrier. Citizens Advice puts it as the period starting the day after the consumer receives the order, and the consumer must tell the seller within 14 days.

The regulation has special cases that matter for sellers who ship in several parts.

Two illustrative timelines show how this works. Dates are invented.

• Single parcel. The item is delivered on 3 November 2026. The period ends on 17 November 2026. A buyer who tells you on 10 November is in time. A buyer who tells you on 18 November is not, unless the period was extended (see section 8).
• Two parcels, one order. A bed frame is delivered on 3 November and the headboard on 6 November. The period for the whole order ends 14 days after the last item arrives, on 20 November. A buyer cannot be held to the earlier date for the frame.

3. What counts as cancelling

Regulation 32 says the consumer must tell the trader they have decided to cancel. They can do that using the model cancellation form in the Regulations or by making any other clear statement of the decision. A message through eBay saying "I want to return this for a refund" is a clear statement. You cannot insist on a particular form, and if you offer an online form the consumer does not have to use it. If they do, you must send an acknowledgement of receipt on a durable medium without delay, and the Regulations define durable medium to include paper or email.

A communication counts as in time if it is sent before the period ends. If there is a dispute, the Regulations put the burden on the consumer to show they cancelled within the period and in line with the rule. That is a reason to keep every message, and to answer them promptly.

Then the goods go back

Regulation 35 says the consumer must return the goods without undue delay and no later than 14 days after telling you about the cancellation. Citizens Advice describes the same two steps: tell the seller within 14 days of receiving the item, then send it back within another 14 days. Where the goods go matters. The Regulations say the consumer returns them to the trader's designated return address first, then its contact address, then any of its places of business. For a dropshipper, that means the returns address you set matters; it decides where the buyer sends the parcel, so set it deliberately rather than leaving the default. eBay's guidance for sellers says to add a return address to your listings and that, without one, returns go to your registered address.

4. What you must refund, and when

Regulation 34 sets the refund rules. In summary:

• You must refund all payments from the consumer, including delivery charges, subject to the cap described next and any lawful deduction.
• If the consumer chose a more expensive delivery method than the cheapest common and generally acceptable one you offer, the delivery refund is limited to the cheapest option's cost.
• The refund must be made without undue delay and no later than 14 days after the earlier of two events for a normal sale where you have not offered to collect: you receive the goods back, or the consumer provides evidence they sent them back.
• In other cases the 14 days run from when you are told of the cancellation.
• The refund must use the same payment method as the original, unless the consumer expressly agrees otherwise, and you cannot charge any fee for the refund.

GOV.UK's business guidance repeats the practical points: customers must tell you within 14 days of receiving the item, have another 14 days to return it, and you must refund within 14 days of receiving the returned item; you cannot deduct fees unless the item has been used or damaged; and standard delivery must be refunded, but if they chose a more expensive option you refund only the standard cost.

A worked refund

These are invented numbers. A buyer pays £120 for an item and £30 for express delivery. You also offer standard delivery at £15. The buyer cancels within the period, returns the item unused, and you owe the price plus the standard delivery charge. The refund is £120 + £15 = £135. The extra £15 for express is not refundable under regulation 34.

A worked timeline

The buyer tells you on 10 November 2026 that they are cancelling and posts the item on 20 November, with proof of posting. The goods reach you on 23 November. Because the earlier of the two events is the proof of posting on 20 November, the latest refund date is 14 days later, on 4 December 2026. You cannot wait for a supplier to credit you before refunding, because the legal deadline runs from your own receipt or the consumer's proof, not from anything a third party does. Our post on returns and refunds for dropshippers covers how to manage that cash flow.

Timing on eBay

The legal ceiling is 14 days, but eBay's pages use shorter targets. Its selling practices policy says refunds should normally be processed within 5 working days, and its page on handling return requests says that after you receive the item or agree to a refund you must refund within 2 business days, or eBay may refund automatically. The same page says you have 3 business days to respond to a return request. Treat the shortest as your working deadline.

5. Who pays to send it back

Regulation 35 says the consumer usually pays the direct cost of returning the goods. You pay if you agreed to, or if you failed to give the return cost information required by paragraph (m) of Schedule 2. Paragraph (m) says that, where applicable, you must state before the contract that the consumer will have to pay the cost of returning goods if they cancel, and for distance contracts where goods normally cannot be returned by post, you must state the return cost. The regulation adds that the consumer does not have to pay any other return costs, and does not pay for collection unless you offered to collect and they agreed to cover it.

Citizens Advice gives the buyer's side: if there is no pre-paid label, you may pay return postage if the seller told you so when you bought, and if they did not tell you, they must refund your postage. eBay's selling practices policy says a seller may make the buyer pay return postage only if the buyer was clearly told before the contract was made.

The cost rule matters most for bulky goods, where collection can cost far more than posting a parcel. Schedule 2 expects you to state the return cost up front where goods cannot normally be returned by post. Our guide to building a returns process covers the planning.

Where eBay's own pages differ

Read eBay's pages carefully, because they do not match. The selling practices policy says a seller may require the buyer to pay return postage if clearly told. The business seller policy, however, lists among prohibited practices charging restocking fees, keeping the original shipping fee on returns and charging buyers return shipping fees. The Regulations' rule matches the first. We cannot reconcile the two eBay pages from their text. If you plan to ask for return postage, check eBay's current wording and use the return policy fields in your listing, then be prepared for eBay to apply its own rules to your account whatever the law allows.

6. Deductions for loss in value

Regulation 34 lets you recover from the consumer, up to the contract price, any loss in value caused by handling the goods more than was needed to establish their nature, characteristics and functioning. It says handling goes beyond what is necessary if it exceeds what might reasonably be allowed in a shop. You can take the amount off the refund or ask for it separately. GOV.UK's version is simpler: customers can handle the item as they would in a shop, such as trying it on or opening the box to look.

The limits are as important as the rule:

• You can deduct only for loss in value from the handling. You cannot deduct a general "restocking" charge. eBay's selling practices policy says restocking or administration fees are not permitted, and that business sellers cannot insist that buyers return the item in a certain condition.
• You lose the right to deduct entirely if you failed to give the cancellation information required by paragraph (l) of Schedule 2.
• The deduction cannot exceed the contract price.
• Citizens Advice says sellers can ask the buyer to pay for damage caused by poor packaging, and that the buyer does not need the original packaging but it must protect the item.

Here is an illustration with invented figures, not a ruling. An item sold for £200 comes back with the buyer having removed it from the box and inspected it, which a shop would allow. No deduction is justified. In another case, a buyer has assembled and used a piece of furniture for weeks and it can no longer be sold as new. A deduction for the loss in value may be justified, and if your records show the item would have resold for £140, the loss is £60 and the refund of the price would be reduced accordingly. Photos taken on return help you show what you found. Whether any particular deduction is justified is a question of the facts, and a dispute may end up with eBay, the buyer's card issuer or a court.

eBay's own handling guidance for sellers says a seller may deduct from the refund if the item was used, altered or damaged, with guidance ranging from no deduction for excellent condition to 35 to 50 percent for poor condition, and that you cannot deduct for return postage, restocking or market losses.

7. What is excluded

Regulation 28 lists goods and services for which there is no right to cancel. For a goods seller the relevant ones are:

• Goods made to the consumer's specifications or clearly personalised.
• Goods liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly.
• Goods whose price depends on financial market fluctuations the trader cannot control.
• Newspapers, periodicals and magazines, except subscription contracts.
• Certain alcoholic drinks sold on specific terms.
• Contracts concluded at a public auction.

Regulation 28(3) adds three situations in which the right ends after delivery: sealed goods unsuitable for return for health protection or hygiene reasons if unsealed after delivery; sealed audio or video recordings or sealed computer software if unsealed; and goods that become inseparably mixed with other items after delivery.

Two cautions. First, a "public auction" has a narrow meaning in the Regulations: a transparent competitive bidding procedure where consumers attend or are given the possibility to attend in person, and the successful bidder is bound to purchase. Do not assume an online listing format takes you outside the rules. Second, the exception for personalised goods is about goods made to the consumer's specifications or clearly personalised. A product that is merely made to order from a standard range is a different question, and if your listings sell cut-to-size or made-to-measure items, read the exception carefully and say clearly in the listing what is and is not returnable. Citizens Advice notes that businesses must tell you before you buy if an item has no cooling-off period.

One caution on summaries: GOV.UK's business page lists goods and services worth £42 or less among things the rules do not apply to, but we found no £42 threshold in the Regulations' exclusion lists in regulations 6 and 28. Do not treat it as a way to refuse small online refunds.

8. If you do not tell the buyer about the right

Schedule 2 requires you to give, before the contract, the conditions, time limit and procedures for cancelling. GOV.UK's business guidance says you must tell the customer they can cancel up to 14 days after delivery, give a standard cancellation form if they can cancel, and that if you do not tell them they can cancel at any time in the next 12 months. If you tell them during that time, they have 14 days from when you did.

Regulation 31 states this precisely. If you give the information within 12 months starting from the first day of the 14-day period, the period ends 14 days after the consumer receives it. If you never give it, the period ends 12 months after the day it would otherwise have ended. Using the earlier example, delivered on 3 November 2026, the period would have ended on 17 November 2026, so without the information it would run to 17 November 2027. Citizens Advice describes the same position for buyers as a year and 14 days.

Failure also costs you the right to deduct for loss in value (regulation 34) and puts the return cost on you (regulation 35). The fix is to put the information in your listing and order confirmation. eBay's selling practices policy says business sellers must state in the listing whether items can be returned.

9. This is not the faulty-goods process

The 14-day cancellation right is about changing your mind. Faulty or misdescribed goods follow different rules. GOV.UK says you must offer a full refund if an item is faulty, not as described or does not do what it is supposed to, and that if an item is returned within 6 months you must repair or replace it unless you can prove it was not faulty when sold. It also says customers have up to 6 years to make a claim (5 years in Scotland). eBay's selling practices policy says faulty items under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 can be returned for a full refund within 30 days of receipt, with repair or replacement potentially applying after that. We cover that regime in the Consumer Rights Act post.

On eBay there is also the platform layer. eBay's page on return requests says that if an item arrived damaged, is faulty, does not match the listing or the wrong item was received, and the purchase is covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee, you must accept the return even with a no-returns policy. For change-of-mind returns, eBay says you only have to accept if your policy allows returns. That is eBay's platform rule. On our reading, the statutory right in this post applies in addition to what your policy says wherever the Regulations cover the sale. Our post on the difference between a refund and giving up looks at the commercial side of the same question.

10. The law and eBay UK side by side

The practical rule is to meet whichever is stricter. Where eBay's wording is stricter, it is a platform condition on your account; where the Regulations are stricter, it is the law.

11. What changes when you dropship

You are the seller on the listing, so the buyer's cancellation rights run against you, whoever ships the parcel. The period still runs from the buyer's possession and the refund deadline still applies to you.

1. Check the supplier's returns terms before listing, so that you know whether a change-of-mind return will be accepted back by them and at what cost. If the supplier does not accept them, that risk is yours and belongs in your pricing. Our fee calculator and the guide to pricing for dropshippers help you put a return allowance into the margin.
2. Set a return address deliberately, as in section 3.
3. Say what you want in the listing, including who pays return costs and for which goods, using eBay's return fields, so that the information is given before the contract.
4. Keep proof of delivery, messages and return photos, because the evidence decides disputes.

12. Common mistakes

• Charging a restocking fee. The Regulations allow only a deduction for loss in value from excess handling, and eBay says restocking fees are not permitted.
• Waiting for the supplier before refunding. The refund deadline runs from your receipt or proof of posting.
• Deducting without evidence or for normal handling. A deduction is for handling beyond what a shop would allow.
• Leaving the cancellation information out. It extends the period by up to 12 months and removes your deduction.
• Assuming a "no returns" line in the listing settles it. Check the Regulations first.

Sellhelm, the eBay dropshipping software this blog belongs to, prices every listing from your real fees; it is worth leaving room in each price for the refunds and return costs this post describes.

Sources and how we checked

Facts in this guide were checked against these official pages in October 2026. Rules and figures change, so confirm anything that affects a decision. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

• Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 5: definitions (legislation.gov.uk)
• Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 6: exclusions (legislation.gov.uk)
• Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28: exceptions to the right to cancel (legislation.gov.uk)
• Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 29: the right to cancel (legislation.gov.uk)
• Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30: cancellation period (legislation.gov.uk)
• Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 31: extension of the period (legislation.gov.uk)
• Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 32: how to cancel (legislation.gov.uk)
• Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 34: reimbursement (legislation.gov.uk)
• Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 35: return of goods (legislation.gov.uk)
• Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, Schedule 2: information requirements (legislation.gov.uk)
• Online and distance selling for businesses (GOV.UK)
• Accepting returns and giving refunds (GOV.UK)
• Changing your mind about something you have bought (Citizens Advice)
• Selling practices policy (eBay UK)
• Business seller policy (eBay UK)
• How to handle a return request as a seller (eBay UK)
• Know your rights (eBay UK Safety Centre)

Questions people ask