The 14-Day Right of Withdrawal in France (Droit de Retractation)

Buy something online in France and change your mind, and the law gives you a straightforward exit: the right of withdrawal, or droit de retractation. Under Article L221-18 of the Code de la consommation, you have 14 days to cancel a distance or off-premises purchase and get your money back, without giving any reason and without penalty. It is one of the strongest and simplest consumer protections in French law.

The catch that trips people up is where it applies. The 14-day right is tied to how you bought, not merely that you bought. It covers distance contracts (online, phone, mail order) and off-premises contracts (a doorstep or trade-fair sale), because in those situations you could not examine the goods in a shop first. It does not apply to an ordinary in-store purchase. When a physical shop lets you return an item you simply decided against, that is commercial goodwill, a policy the shop chooses to offer, not a legal right you can insist on.

Information last verified on 22 July 2026. This page presents general legal information, not legal advice.

What the right of withdrawal covers

The right of withdrawal is set out in Article L221-18 of the Code de la consommation, part of the rules on distance and off-premises contracts (Articles L221-18 to L221-28). It gives a consumer 14 calendar days to withdraw from the contract, return the goods, and be refunded, without having to justify the decision and without paying a penalty.

It applies to two categories of purchase:

• Distance contracts: anything bought without the seller and buyer being physically together, above all online shopping, but also telephone and mail-order sales.
• Off-premises contracts: sales concluded away from the trader's usual premises, such as a doorstep sale, a home demonstration, or a stand at a fair.

The logic is that in these situations the buyer could not inspect and try the goods in a shop before committing, so the law grants a cooling-off period to compensate. This right comes from EU consumer law (Directive 2011/83/EU) and so exists in a similar form across the European Union, though the national text controls the detail in France.

Why it does not apply in a shop

This is the misconception worth stating plainly. There is no general legal right to change your mind about something you bought in a physical store. If you buy a jacket at a shop and decide the next day you do not want it, the shop is under no legal obligation to take it back for a refund, because you were able to see and try it before buying.

Many retailers do accept returns or offer exchanges as a matter of policy, and that is genuinely useful, but it is a commercial choice governed by the shop's own terms, which it can set, limit, or withdraw. It is not the droit de retractation. The 14-day legal right attaches to distance and off-premises selling. (A separate matter is a faulty in-store item: that is covered not by withdrawal but by the legal guarantee of conformity.)

The 14-day clock and how to withdraw

The period is 14 calendar days. For goods, it runs from the day after you (or someone you nominate) take physical possession of the item; for a service, from the day after the contract is concluded. Where an order is delivered in several shipments, the clock generally starts when the last item arrives.

To exercise the right, you must tell the trader of your decision to withdraw within the 14 days, using the trader's withdrawal form or any other clear, unambiguous statement of your decision. You do not have to give a reason. It is enough that your notice is sent before the deadline; it does not have to arrive within it. After notifying, you normally return the goods within 14 days, and you may have to bear the cost of return shipping unless the trader agreed to cover it or failed to tell you that you would pay.

A powerful backstop protects buyers who were not informed of the right. If the trader did not provide the required information about the right of withdrawal, the period is extended by up to 12 months. If the trader supplies that information during the extension, a fresh 14 days runs from the day it is provided.

The exceptions: when there is no withdrawal right

Article L221-28 lists purchases that are excluded from the right of withdrawal even when bought at a distance or off-premises. The main ones are:

• Custom-made or clearly personalised goods produced to the consumer's specifications.
• Sealed goods that cannot be returned for hygiene or health reasons once unsealed, such as cosmetics or intimate items opened after delivery.
• Perishable or quickly deteriorating goods, such as fresh food and flowers.
• Downloaded digital content on a non-physical medium where performance began with the consumer's prior express consent and an acknowledgement that the right is thereby lost.
• Services fully performed before the end of the 14 days, where the consumer gave prior express consent to start.
• Newspapers and magazines (other than subscription contracts), and sealed audio, video, or software unsealed after delivery.
• Accommodation, transport, car hire, catering, and leisure services booked for a specific date or period.

These exceptions are specific and limited. A trader cannot invent new ones, and a general "no returns" statement does not remove a withdrawal right that the law grants.

Getting your refund

Once you have validly withdrawn, Article L221-24 requires the trader to reimburse all sums paid, including the standard delivery charge, within 14 days of being informed of your decision. The trader does not have to refund the extra cost if you chose a more expensive delivery method than the cheapest standard option offered; only the standard rate is owed.

The trader may hold the refund until it has either received the returned goods or received proof that you sent them back, whichever is earlier. If the trader is late, the amount owed increases automatically, with the surcharge rising the longer the delay continues. The refund should normally be made using the same means of payment you used, unless you agree otherwise.

If a purchase is faulty rather than simply unwanted, the legal guarantee of conformity and the hidden-defects warranty (vice cache) are the tools to use, and they run on their own, longer timelines. The right of withdrawal is about changing your mind, not about defects. This guide is part of the France consumer rights section; for the broader picture, see our France law overview.