Return and warranty deadlines in the EU, UK and US
The deadlines you get after a purchase depend a lot on where you live and how you bought. This overview collects the main statutory periods in the EU, the UK and the US. It is general information, not legal advice, and shops can always offer you more than the law requires.
Short answer
In the EU, you can usually withdraw from online purchases within 14 days of delivery, and the seller is liable for faults for at least 2 years. In the UK, online purchases can be cancelled within 14 days, and faulty goods can be rejected for a full refund within 30 days. In the US, there is no general federal right to return goods: returns depend on the store’s policy, and written warranties are governed by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.
European Union
14-day right of withdrawal for online purchases
For distance and off-premises contracts, such as online shopping, you can withdraw within 14 days without giving a reason. For goods, the period starts on the day you, or someone you name, receive them. If the seller didn’t inform you about this right, the period is extended by up to 12 months. There are exceptions, for example made-to-measure items, perishable goods, and sealed hygiene products or software that you unsealed.
This right does not apply to purchases in a physical shop. There, any return is up to the shop’s own policy.
Legal guarantee of at least 2 years
The seller is liable for any lack of conformity that exists at delivery and becomes apparent within at least two years. Some countries go further: Spain, Portugal and Sweden, for example, set three years for new goods. For faults that appear within the first year, it is presumed that they already existed at delivery, and countries may extend that presumption to two years.
United Kingdom
14-day cancellation for online purchases
Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, you can cancel most online and phone orders from the moment you order until 14 days after you receive the goods. You then have another 14 days to send them back, and the trader must refund you within 14 days of receiving them or proof of return.
Faulty goods under the Consumer Rights Act 2015
If goods are faulty, not as described or not fit for purpose, you have a 30-day short-term right to reject them for a full refund. After that, you can ask for a repair or replacement, and if that fails, a price reduction or a final right to reject. For faults that appear within six months, it is presumed they were there at delivery. You can generally bring a claim up to six years after purchase in England and Wales, five in Scotland.
United States
Returns depend on the store
There is no general federal law that requires shops to accept returns. Each retailer sets its own policy, and some states require shops to display their policy clearly, otherwise a default rule may apply. Read the policy before you buy, especially for electronics, opened items and sale goods, which often have shorter windows or restocking fees.
Warranties
The federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act governs written warranties on consumer products: they must be clearly labelled as full or limited and their terms must be available to read. In addition, state law usually gives you an implied warranty of merchantability, meaning the product must work as an ordinary product of its kind should.
At a glance
Region
Change-of-mind return
Faulty goods
EU
14 days from delivery for online purchases; in-store depends on the shop
Seller liable for at least 2 years (3 in some countries)
UK
14 days from delivery for online purchases; in-store depends on the shop
30-day right to reject, then repair or replacement
US
Store policy
Written warranty terms plus state implied warranties
What this means in practice
Count from delivery, not from the order date, for EU and UK online purchases.
Keep the proof of purchase. Every one of these rights is easier to use with the receipt or order confirmation.
Write the dates down when you buy. Statutory periods are minimums; the shop’s own return policy may be longer, and your warranty document may cover more.
Slipbook can suggest a date counted from a statutory period for some countries. It always labels it as a suggestion, asks you to check the retailer’s terms and local rules, and saves a date only after you confirm it.
Sources
Directive 2011/83/EU on consumer rights, Articles 9, 10 and 16.
Directive (EU) 2019/771, Articles 10 and 11; Spain: Real Decreto-ley 7/2021; Portugal: Decreto-Lei n.º 84/2021; Sweden: Konsumentköplag (2022:260).
UK Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013; Consumer Rights Act 2015; Limitation Act 1980.
US Federal Trade Commission, “Businessperson’s Guide to Federal Warranty Law” (Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act).
