Shopping from home: exceptions from the 'cooling off' period
Your right to cancel does not apply in certain circumstances, such as where the goods (or services):
- Are customised or perishable
- Have a price which is subject to fluctuation (for instance, in online share trading)
- Are newspapers, magazines or periodicals
- Are gaming or lottery services
- Are services which have begun with your consent before the end of the cooling-off period
Distance contracts cover most online shopping, but your home shopping rights conferred by the distance selling regulations do not apply to:
- Auctions
- Financial services, like banking or insurance (but financial services are covered by the e-commerce regulations when you shop online)
- Goods bought from a vending machine
- Goods or services bought using a public payphone
- Contracts for the construction and sale of land/buildings
While these particular goods or services are excluded from all the distance selling regulations, they are still covered by the e-commerce regulations.
The right to cancel
The provisions of the distance selling regulations relating to the right to cancel and the obligations to reimburse in the case of cancellation, do not apply to:
- Food, drink or other goods for everyday consumption "delivered by regular rounds men" (such as milk)
- Accommodation, transport, catering or leisure services to be provided on a specific date or within a specified period (such as airline tickets, hotel bookings or concert tickets)
While these goods or services are excluded from some of the distance selling regulations, again they are still covered by the e-commerce regulations.
Learn about your rights when shopping from home
