The 14-day right of withdrawal: ten myths and how it really works

"But the law lets you return anything within 14 days." Online shop staff hear this sentence every day. Almost as often, buyers hear the opposite: "The box has been opened, we do not take it back." Both statements are wrong.

The right of withdrawal is one of the strongest tools a consumer has. But it is not a free two-week rental, and it is not a favour from the seller either. The law says quite precisely what happens to the goods, the money and the delivery costs, and where inspection ends and use begins.

In this article we go through the most common myths one by one. Each is set against a provision of the law, an explanation by the Consumer Rights Protection Centre of Latvia (PTAC) or a real dispute heard in Latvia, Estonia or the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Why the right of withdrawal exists at all

In a shop you see the product, you can pick it up, switch on a display model and compare it with the one next to it. Online you see a photo and a description. To even out this difference, European Union law gives the buyer time to think after the goods are already in their hands.

In Latvia this right is set out in Section 12 of the Consumer Rights Protection Law (PTAL) and in Cabinet Regulation No. 255 "Regulations Regarding Distance Contracts". They implement Directive 2011/83/EU, so the basic rules are the same across the European Union. That is why disputes from Estonia or Germany are also useful for a buyer in Latvia.

The formula in the law is short: the consumer may withdraw from a distance contract without giving any reason (PTAL Section 12(1)). Everything else is detail, and it is in the details that myths are born.

Myth 1: "Any purchase can be returned within 14 days"

In reality: only what was bought at a distance or away from the seller's premises.

The right of withdrawal is tied to how the contract was concluded, not to the product. A distance contract is an agreement the buyer and the seller conclude without being in the same place: in an online shop, by phone or by e-mail (PTAL Section 10). If you buy a television at the till in a shop, the law gives no 14-day cooling-off period. The shop may take the goods back as a gesture of goodwill, but then the shop's rules apply, not the law's.

An important nuance: what matters is how the contract was concluded, not where the goods were received. If the order was placed in an online shop but the goods were collected from a warehouse or a shop, it is still a distance contract. An LV portāls explanation from 2025 puts it this way: what matters is not the delivery method but the fact that the purchase was made remotely.

The reverse also holds. In May 2026 the Estonian Consumer Disputes Committee rejected a buyer's complaint about a kitchen sink. The buyer had looked at a sample in the showroom and received advice there, and only the price quote came by e-mail. The Committee found that the contract was concluded in the shop, so the 14-day right did not apply.

One more thing: the right of withdrawal belongs to a consumer, that is, a natural person buying for their own needs. A company buying a refrigerator for its office cannot rely on these rules.

Myth 2: "The period starts on the day of the order"

In reality: for goods, the period starts on the day they reach your hands.

The withdrawal period is counted from the day the buyer, or a person named by the buyer who is not the carrier, received the goods. If one order contains several items delivered separately, it is counted from receipt of the last item (Regulation No. 255, paragraph 19). For services the period starts on the day the contract is concluded.

PTAC explains that counting in fact starts on the next calendar day, so the buyer always has at least 14 full days. The deadline is met if the notice is sent before the period ends (PTAL Section 12(2)). You may also withdraw before receiving the goods, for example if you have found a better offer.

If the seller did not inform you about the right of withdrawal

There is another, less known rule. The 14-day period applies only if the seller has informed the buyer about the right of withdrawal in the way the rules require (Regulation No. 255, paragraph 19). If not, the buyer may withdraw for one more year after the normal period ends (paragraph 20) and is not liable for any loss in value of the goods (PTAL Section 12(11)).

The phrase "goods can be returned within 14 days" is not enough. Before the order the seller must provide (Regulation No. 255, subparagraph 5.10):

• The conditions, time limit and procedure for withdrawal: how many days you have, when they start, whom to notify and how, where and how soon to hand the goods back.
• The withdrawal form, a model of which is annexed to the Regulation.
• Where on the website the withdrawal function is, if the contract is concluded on a website or in an app.

In an online shop this information in practice has to be given twice:

1. Before the purchase. Clearly, comprehensibly and in plain language (paragraphs 5 and 11). The withdrawal terms must be easy to find and read before the buyer confirms the order.
2. After the purchase. No later than at delivery the seller sends a confirmation of the contract with the same information "on a durable medium" (paragraph 17). That means an e-mail or a sheet of paper in the parcel, that is, text that stays with the buyer and that the seller cannot change later.

A link to the website alone is not enough. The Court of Justice of the European Union held in Case C-49/11 that where the information is accessible to the buyer only through a hyperlink to the seller's website, the seller has not "given" it and the buyer has not "received" it, and an ordinary website is not a durable medium. The judgment concerned the previous directive, but the durable medium requirement remains in the current rules.

The easiest way for a seller is to use the model instructions on withdrawal annexed to the Regulation. If they are filled in correctly, the information is deemed provided (paragraph 7).

A mistake can be corrected. If the seller sends the missing information within a year, the buyer has 14 days from the day of receiving it (paragraph 21).

In February 2024 the Latvian Consumer Dispute Resolution Commission decided a dispute in exactly this way. It concerned doors ordered by e-mail. The seller had given no information about the right of withdrawal, and the Commission ordered it to refund the 461 euro advance payment (decision No. 31-psrk).

Myth 3: "It is enough to send the goods back or not collect the parcel"

In reality: the seller must receive a clear statement, and it is you who will have to prove it.

The law requires you to inform the seller of your decision to withdraw by submitting a withdrawal form or another statement. And it adds that the consumer has to prove that the right of withdrawal was exercised (PTAL Section 12(2)). A parcel silently left uncollected, or a box sent back without explanation, is not reliable proof.

There are three safe ways: an e-mail, the seller's withdrawal form or an online button. Since September 2026 a seller who concludes contracts on a website or in an app must provide a withdrawal function labelled "Withdraw from contract" (in Latvian «Atteikties no līguma») or with a similar unambiguous wording. After you confirm, the seller must send, without delay, an acknowledgement stating the content, date and time of the withdrawal (Regulation No. 255, chapter on the withdrawal function).

You do not have to give a reason. The seller may ask, but an answer is not required and your right does not depend on it.

After the notice a new deadline starts: the goods must be handed over or sent back within 14 days at the latest (PTAL Section 12(5)). Keep the shipping receipt or the parcel locker confirmation.

Myth 4: "If the packaging has been opened, the goods are not accepted back"

In reality: opening the packaging does not take away the right of withdrawal.

You cannot assess a product without taking it out of the box. In an LV portāls explanation PTAC puts it simply: the consumer has the right to unpack the goods in order to examine them, but should not use them.

There are only two cases where opening the packaging itself has legal significance. The first: sealed goods that cannot be returned for health and hygiene reasons. The second: audio recordings, video recordings and computer software whose packaging has been opened (Regulation No. 255, sub-paragraphs 22.5 and 22.9). More on these below.

In Estonia, in January 2026, the Committee said it in one sentence in a dispute over an inhaler chamber: merely opening the packaging does not exclude the consumer's right to withdraw from the contract. The buyer had taken the product out of its bag to check whether it fitted their inhaler. The Committee ordered a full refund.

Is the original box mandatory? No, the law does not require it. Still, a television returned without its box is harder to transport safely and to resell, and this can affect the calculation of the loss in value. A practical tip: do not throw away the box and the packing materials for 14 days.

Myth 5: "You can use the goods for 14 days and then return them"

In reality: you may inspect, not use. The limit is the same as in a shop.

The law allows you to handle the goods as far as is needed to establish their "nature, characteristics and functioning" (PTAL Section 12(11)). The example in the recitals of the Directive is quite down to earth: you may try a garment on, but not wear it. PTAC's advice is even shorter: do not use goods you intend to return.

What does this look like with appliances? The European Commission's guidance says that a comparison with what the buyer can do in a shop is a good reference point, and gives examples. For audio and video equipment the buyer would normally be able to check the picture or sound quality. By contrast, household appliances such as kitchen appliances, whose actual use unavoidably leaves traces, could not be tested in practice. Configuring software on a computer is not inspection either, and the reasonable cost of resetting it can be counted as loss in value.

The table is a guide, not the text of the law: every dispute is assessed individually.

The grey area is switching the device on. PTAC's 2017 guidelines accept that electronics, a computer or a phone may be switched on for testing and that automatic software installation is not excessive use. The 2025 statement by PTAC and ECC Latvia is stricter: clothes can be tried on, but household appliances can be inspected visually.

A safe rule of thumb is traces. The more switching on leaves water, dust, food residue or scratches, the more it is use rather than inspection.

What this means in money

In Latvia, in spring 2025, PTAC and ECC Latvia mentioned window-cleaning robots: if the buyer washes the windows with the robot and then returns it, the online shop is entitled not to refund the full amount. How much exactly may be deducted is well illustrated by decisions of the Estonian Consumer Disputes Committee, which are publicly available.

• A robot vacuum cleaner for 705 euros. The buyer withdrew three days after delivery, but before that had vacuumed and mopped the flat. The seller first refused altogether, then wanted to deduct more than 135 euros of refurbishment costs. In January 2026 the Committee set the deduction at 10 %.
• An air conditioner for 149 euros. The buyer ran it with the water tank filled. The Committee found that this was already use, but reduced the 30 euros claimed by the seller to 20 euros for cleaning and repacking.
• A memory card for 264.50 euros. The buyer inserted it into a device to check it. The seller pointed to scratches and wanted to deduct up to 25 %. The Committee ordered a full refund, because inserting a card into a device is an ordinary and unavoidable check.
• A monitor with a cracked screen. The packaging was intact, an expert report found mechanical damage, and the buyer could not prove that it had not happened in their hands. The withdrawal was submitted in time, but in 2021 the Committee allowed the refund to be reduced to zero.

The conclusion cuts both ways. Used goods do not mean lost rights. But they do not mean a full refund either.

The Court of Justice of the EU drew both lines back in 2009 in the Messner case. A seller may not, as a general rule, demand payment for the use of goods during the withdrawal period. But compensation is permissible if the buyer used the goods in a manner incompatible with good faith and the prohibition of unjust enrichment.

Myth 6: "If the goods were used, the seller can refuse or deduct whatever it wants"

In reality: use does not take away the right of withdrawal, and liability covers only a justified loss in value.

For use, the law provides liability for the "loss in value of the goods", not loss of the right (PTAL Section 12(11)). A seller may refuse the return altogether only if the goods fall under one of the exceptions listed in the Regulation. PTAC's guidelines stress that this list is exhaustive and that damage, excessive use or missing original packaging are not on it.

Pre-set "tariffs" are not valid either. An LV portāls explanation from 2025 looked at an online shop's term saying that only 75 % of the amount is refunded on return. The answer: contract terms may not contradict the law (PTAL Section 6).

A Latvian example is the October 2025 decision on a baby stroller by the Consumer Dispute Resolution Commission. The buyer took a stroller bought online for a couple of hours' walk in the street, found that the canopy jammed, and withdrew from the contract. The Commission found that such wear is greater than from trying the product in a shop. But the seller had not justified and proven what price reduction should apply, and demanded 80 euros for the return. The Commission ordered a refund of the full amount, 191.98 euros, including the delivery fee.

The Estonian Committee takes a similar approach. The seller must justify and prove the amount of the loss in value, and may deduct only the loss in value itself, not its diagnostic, refurbishment or transport costs. In a dispute over a window-cleaning robot the seller claimed 30 %, but without evidence was left with 5 %.

In practice this means: the seller needs photographs and a clear calculation, the buyer needs photographs taken before shipping. If you cannot agree on the amount, the dispute is about the amount, not about whether the goods have to be accepted back at all.

Myth 7: "The money must be refunded immediately"

In reality: the seller has 14 days and may wait for the goods.

The money must be refunded without undue delay, and no later than 14 days from the day the seller received the notice of withdrawal (PTAL Section 12(6)). But the law gives the seller the right to withhold the refund until it has received the goods or the buyer has supplied evidence of having sent them back (PTAL Section 12(8)). If the seller itself offered to collect the goods, it may not withhold the money.

The real timeline looks like this.

1. You notify the seller of the withdrawal.
2. Within 14 days at the latest you hand over or send the goods.
3. The seller receives the goods or your proof of dispatch.
4. The money is refunded using the same means of payment you used, unless you have expressly agreed to another one. The seller may not charge a fee for the refund.

A gift card instead of money, without the buyer's express consent, is not a refund. This is how the Estonian Committee decided a dispute over shoes in 2025: the seller had to return 75 euros in money, not as a gift card.

Myth 8: "The shop always pays for shipping"

In reality: the seller refunds the way to you, the way back is usually paid by the buyer.

The refund includes the delivery costs you paid when ordering (PTAL Section 12(6)). The Court of Justice of the EU confirmed this back in 2010 in the Heinrich Heine case: in the event of withdrawal, delivery costs may not be charged to the buyer. There is one exception. If you chose a more expensive delivery than the seller's cheapest standard option, the difference is not refunded (PTAL Section 12(7)).

What counts as the cheapest standard delivery was clarified by PTAC in October 2026. A large online shop had stated that the cheapest option was free collection at its own store and therefore did not refund the parcel locker fee. PTAC pointed out that collecting goods at the trader's point of sale is not delivery, and ordered the practice to stop.

The direct cost of returning the goods is borne by the buyer (PTAL Section 12(9)). There are two exceptions: the seller has agreed to bear it, or did not inform the buyer in advance that the buyer has to bear it (Regulation No. 255, paragraph 10).

For bulky appliances this is no small matter. You cannot post a refrigerator or a washing machine, so the seller must state before the purchase how much returning it will cost (Regulation No. 255, sub-paragraph 5.11). Before you order a large appliance "to try it out", read that figure.

Services deserve a separate mention. If a service, such as connecting the appliance, has already been provided during the withdrawal period at your express request, you may have to pay a proportionate amount for the part performed (Regulation No. 255, paragraphs 18 and 23). If the seller did not inform you of this in advance or did not receive an express request, you do not have to pay for the service (paragraph 24).

Myth 9: "All goods can be returned" and "it does not apply to appliances"

In reality: exceptions exist, but the list is closed and narrow.

The exceptions are listed in paragraph 22 of Regulation No. 255. For a buyer in an online shop the most important ones are:

• goods made to the buyer's specifications or clearly personalised;
• goods that spoil quickly or are close to their expiry date;
• opened packaging of goods that cannot be returned for health and hygiene reasons;
• opened packaging of an audio recording, video recording or computer software;
• digital content whose supply has begun with the buyer's express consent and acknowledgement that the right of withdrawal is lost.

Household appliances and electronics are not on this list. A television, refrigerator, phone or computer can be returned under the right of withdrawal even if the box has been opened. Moreover, the seller must inform the buyer about an exception before the purchase (Regulation No. 255, sub-paragraph 5.13).

Hygiene goods: narrower than it seems

PTAC's guidelines say it directly: Latvian law has no separate category of "hygiene goods". The exception applies if three conditions are met at once. The goods were delivered in packaging, the packaging protects against a health or hygiene risk, and the buyer opened it after delivery. PTAC's example: a sealed razor set can be returned as long as it has not been opened.

In 2019, in the slewo case, the Court of Justice of the EU considered a mattress from which the buyer had removed the protective film. The Court held that a mattress does not fall under this exception. The exception covers only goods that, once unsealed, can no longer be sold for health or hygiene reasons because the seller cannot clean or disinfect them.

In January 2026 the Estonian Committee applied this approach to a hair styler costing 399 euros. The seller relied on hygiene, but the Committee noted that the manufacturer itself provides for cleaning the device, and ordered a full refund.

In Latvia, in November 2026, a PTAC representative said in the LSM publication «Nopirki austiņas, bet neder? Atdot tās var būt neiespējami» that in-ear headphones are one of the exceptions for which the right of withdrawal is in fact limited. So before buying, read the seller's note on such a product and do not open the sealed packaging unless you are sure of your choice.

Goods made to order

In 2020, in the Möbel Kraft case, the Court of Justice of the EU held that the exception applies regardless of whether the seller has already begun production. But "I ordered it specially for you" does not yet mean the goods are personalised.

In 2024 the Latvian Commission found that doors in standard sizes from the seller's own range are neither personalised nor a special order. In another case it ordered a refund for fabric cut from a roll. The Commission's annual report gives a benchmark: goods are clearly personalised if, for example, the buyer's name is printed on them.

Myth 10: "Faulty goods must be returned within the 14 days"

In reality: a defect is covered by a different legal mechanism with a different time limit.

The right of withdrawal is meant for the case where the goods are fine but you changed your mind. If the goods are damaged, do not work or do not match the description, this is a lack of conformity with the contract. A claim can be made within two years of delivery, and the seller must remind the buyer of this before the purchase (Regulation No. 255, sub-paragraph 5.14).

In the first 14 days the two routes overlap. If a defect in goods bought online shows up straight away, the buyer can choose: withdraw from the contract without explanation, or ask for repair or replacement. In 2025, in a dispute over batteries, the Estonian Committee said it plainly: the right to withdraw does not depend on whether the goods are defective.

After 14 days the claim for lack of conformity remains. There the buyer's position in the first year is strong: in 2024, in a case about a used car, the Latvian Commission recalled that the seller then has to prove that the goods conformed (PTAL Section 13).

One piece of advice works in both cases: check the goods as soon as you receive them. The risk of damage passes to the buyer at the moment the goods come into their hands (PTAL Section 30.¹). The monitor story above shows how hard it is to prove later that the screen did not crack in your home.

The manufacturer's warranty is a third, voluntary mechanism. It neither replaces nor shortens the rights set by law.

How it works in real life: nothing happens automatically

One more myth is about the process itself: I wrote a complaint, so everyone must start running. In fact every step has its own deadline, and the deadlines apply to both sides.

1. Notice. Within 14 days you notify the seller of the withdrawal and keep the proof.
2. Returning the goods. Within the next 14 days you hand over or send the goods and keep the receipt.
3. Inspection and refund. The seller examines the goods and refunds the money. If it believes the goods were used, it must justify why and by how much the value has fallen.
4. Written submission to the seller. If you cannot agree, write a submission stating your claim and its grounds. The seller must reply within 15 working days and give reasons for a refusal (PTAL Section 26.¹).
5. PTAC. If the reply does not satisfy you, within one year you may turn to PTAC, which helps to resolve the dispute (PTAL Section 26.²).
6. Consumer Dispute Resolution Commission. It hears disputes over goods priced from 20 to 14 000 euros. Its decision is a recommendation, with 30 days given for compliance. If the seller does not comply, PTAC puts it on a public "black list".
7. Court. The last step if the others have not produced a result.

How often does it come to that? PTAC data from its monitoring of distance selling show that from 1 January to 1 August 2025, 56 % of complaints received (108 of 192) concerned the right of withdrawal. When checking online shops' terms, PTAC found non-compliant clauses in the contracts of all the traders checked. One example is a requirement to return goods only in the original packaging.

The Commission received 376 complaints in 2025, compared with 217 the year before.

Where the law is not clear-cut

To be honest, not every question has a ready answer. On four points the explanations differ or there is no case law yet.

May the seller itself deduct the loss in value from the refund. PTAC's 2017 guidelines say that the seller's objections about excessive use do not release it from the duty to refund the money within 14 days, and that the dispute is to be resolved by negotiation or in court. In the 2025 statement PTAC and ECC Latvia write that the seller is entitled to deduct compensation from the amount to be refunded. What the two have in common: the amount must be justified, and the buyer may contest it.

How the loss in value is calculated. The law contains no formula. The European Commission's guidance mentions cleaning and repair costs and a justified loss where the goods can no longer be sold as new. While preparing this article we could not find a publicly available Latvian court judgment that sets out a calculation method.

Where inspection ends. Electronics may be switched on, PTAC advises only looking at household appliances, and the line between briefly switching on and use is assessed in each dispute separately.

Headphones and other devices worn against the body. PTAC regards in-ear headphones as an exception, but the Court of Justice of the EU has not ruled on such goods.

The weight of the sources also matters. PTAC's guidelines are the authority's opinion, not an official interpretation of the law. Decisions of the dispute commissions in Latvia are recommendations, not judicial precedents. What is binding is the law, the Cabinet regulations and court judgments.

Checklist

For the buyer

1. Before buying, read the return terms: how much returning costs and whether the product falls under an exception.
2. On receiving the goods, look them over straight away. If something is wrong, take a photograph.
3. Inspect the goods as you would in a shop. Keep the box, films and accessories.
4. Give notice of withdrawal in writing within 14 days and keep the confirmation.
5. Return the goods within 14 days of the notice. Photograph them before packing and keep the shipping receipt.
6. If the money has not been refunded or you disagree with a deduction, write a submission to the seller, then turn to PTAC.

For the seller

1. Before the purchase, inform the buyer about the right of withdrawal, the form and the cost of returning, and put the same text in the order confirmation e-mail. Otherwise the period is extended by a year and you will not be able to claim a loss in value.
2. Provide an online withdrawal function and acknowledge receipt of the withdrawal.
3. Do not require the original packaging as a condition for return and do not write fixed deductions into your terms.
4. Justify a loss in value with photographs and a calculation for the specific item.
5. Refund the money within 14 days, including the cheapest standard delivery.

In conclusion

The right of withdrawal is a balance. It lets the buyer make a mistake without losing money, provided the goods were only inspected. It gives the seller the right to get back goods that can be resold, or justified compensation. Myths appear when one side remembers only its own half of that balance.

How withdrawal works at 1Store.lv is described on the page "Returns and refunds".

This article is for information and does not replace legal advice. The legislation was checked in the version in force on 11 November 2026.