Who pays return shipping after a withdrawal, by country
Austria, France, Norway, Spain and Sweden share one default: the consumer pays only the direct cost of sending the goods back, unless the trader agreed to pay or never told the consumer that the cost falls on them, and the goods must go back within 14 days of the withdrawal notice. Japan sets the cost by sales channel, with the buyer paying for mail-order returns and the seller paying for door-to-door returns. Australia’s statute for unsolicited agreements says nothing about who pays but gives the consumer a reasonable time and lets the supplier collect, failing which the goods become the consumer’s after 30 days.
| Country | Who pays the return cost | Deadline to send goods back | Bulky goods delivered to the home at signing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Consumer pays the direct cost, unless the trader agreed to bear it or did not tell the consumer about this duty | Without delay, at the latest 14 days after the withdrawal declaration; met if the goods are sent within the period | Trader collects at its own cost where the goods are not normally sent by post (contracts outside business premises) |
| Australia | Within a reasonable time, or the consumer tells the supplier where the goods can be collected | ||
| Spain | Consumer pays the direct cost, unless the trader agreed to bear it or did not tell the consumer it falls on them | Without undue delay, at the latest 14 calendar days after telling the trader of the withdrawal | Trader collects at its own cost where the goods cannot be returned by post (contracts outside the establishment) |
| France | Consumer pays the direct cost, unless the trader agrees to bear it or failed to tell the consumer it is theirs to pay | Without undue delay, at the latest 14 days after communicating the decision to withdraw | Trader collects at its own cost where the goods cannot normally be returned by post (contracts outside the trader’s premises) |
| Japan | Mail-order sales: the buyer pays. Door-to-door sales: the seller pays | ||
| Norway | Consumer pays the direct cost, unless the trader took on the cost or did not tell the consumer to pay it | Without undue delay, at the latest 14 days after the withdrawal notice is given | Trader collects at its own expense where the goods cannot normally be returned by ordinary post (contracts outside permanent business premises) |
| Sweden | Consumer pays, unless the trader agreed to bear it or did not give the consumer the required information on the cost | Without undue delay, at the latest within 14 days | Trader collects at its own cost where the goods were delivered to the home at signing and cannot suitably be returned by post (contracts outside business premises) |
Country by country
Austria
- Rule
- Fern- und Auswärtsgeschäfte-Gesetz § 15
- Applies to purchases and other contracts for acquiring goods that the consumer withdraws from under § 11(1).
- The consumer owes compensation only for a loss in value caused by handling beyond what is needed to check the goods, and never if the trader did not inform the consumer of the right.
- If the trader offered to collect the goods itself, the deadline does not apply.
so hat er die empfangene Ware unverzüglich, spätestens jedoch binnen 14 Tagen ab Abgabe der Rücktrittserklärung, an den Unternehmer zurückzustellenDie unmittelbaren Kosten der Rücksendung der Ware sind vom Verbraucher zu tragen; dies gilt nicht, wenn der Unternehmer sich bereit erklärt hat, diese Kosten zu tragen, oder wenn er es unterlassen hat, den Verbraucher über dessen Kostentragungspflicht zu unterrichten.hat der Unternehmer die Ware auf eigene Kosten abzuholen, wenn solche Waren wegen ihrer Beschaffenheit üblicherweise nicht auf dem Postweg versendet werden Australia
- Rule
- Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2) s 85
- Applies only to unsolicited consumer agreements (doorstep and telephone sales) terminated under section 82, not to ordinary online purchases.
- The text does not say who pays for the return, so that column is left blank.
- If the consumer asks the supplier to collect and the supplier does not do so within 30 days of termination, the goods become the consumer’s.
- Goods the consumer has already consumed need not be returned.
must, within a reasonable time: (a) return to the supplier under the agreement any goods(b) notify the supplier of the place where the supplier may collect the goodsthe supplier does not collect the goods within 30 days after the termination of the contract Spain
- Rule
- Ley General para la Defensa de los Consumidores y Usuarios art. 108
- If the trader offers to collect the goods, the consumer need not return them.
- The deadline is met if the goods are returned before the 14 days end.
- The consumer is liable for a loss in value only if caused by handling beyond what is needed to establish the nature, characteristics and function of the goods.
sin ninguna demora indebida y, en cualquier caso, a más tardar en el plazo de 14 días naturales a partir de la fecha en que comunique su decisión de desistimiento del contrato al empresarioEl consumidor y usuario sólo soportará los costes directos de devolución de los bienes, salvo si el empresario ha aceptado asumirlos o no le ha informado de que le corresponde asumir esos costes.el empresario recogerá a su propio cargo los bienes cuando, por la naturaleza de los mismos, no puedan devolverse por correo France
- Rule
- Code de la consommation art. L221-23
- The deadline does not apply if the trader offers to collect the goods itself.
- The consumer is liable only for a loss in value from handling beyond what is needed to establish the nature, characteristics and working of the goods, and only if the trader informed the consumer of the right.
sans retard excessif et, au plus tard, dans les quatorze jours suivant la communication de sa décision de se rétracterLe consommateur ne supporte que les coûts directs de renvoi des biens, sauf si le professionnel accepte de les prendre à sa charge ou s'il a omis d'informer le consommateur que ces coûts sont à sa charge.le professionnel récupère les biens à ses frais s'ils ne peuvent pas être renvoyés normalement par voie postale en raison de leur nature Japan
- Rule
- 特定商取引法 第九条第四項, 第十五条の三第二項
- The buyer-pays rule for mail order applies where the right of withdrawal exists; it does not apply if the seller stated a special term on withdrawal in its advertisement.
- The ingested text sets no return deadline, so that column is left blank.
- Door-to-door sellers also cannot claim damages, a penalty or payment for use of the goods after a withdrawal.
その引取り又は返還に要する費用は、購入者の負担とする その引取り又は返還に要する費用は、販売業者の負担とする Norway
- Rule
- Angrerettloven §§ 24, 25
- If the trader offered to collect the goods, the consumer may hand them over instead of sending them.
- Where collection was agreed and does not happen within three months of the notice, the goods become the consumer’s free of charge.
- The trader may claim compensation for a loss in value only if the consumer had been informed of the right.
Forbrukeren skal uten unødig opphold, og senest 14 dager fra melding etter § 20 ble gitt, sende varene tilbakeForbrukeren skal bare betale de direkte kostnadene ved å returnere varene. Den næringsdrivende skal likevel dekke disse kostnadene hvis denne har påtatt seg å betale disse eller ikke har opplyst forbrukeren om at forbrukeren skal betale returkostnadene. skal den næringsdrivende for egen regning hente varene, om disse etter sin art normalt ikke kan returneres med alminnelig postgang Sweden
- Rule
- Lag (2005:59) om distansavtal och avtal utanför affärslokaler 2 kap. 13 §
- If the trader offers to collect the goods, the consumer need not send them back.
- The consumer must compensate the trader for a loss in value only where the goods were handled more than needed, and only if the trader gave the required information on the right (2 kap. 15 §).
ska konsumenten utan onödigt dröjsmål och senast inom 14 dagar på egen bekostnad lämna eller sända tillbaka varan till näringsidkarenOm näringsidkaren har gått med på att stå för kostnaden för återsändande av varan eller inte har gett konsumenten information enligt 2 § första stycket 11 på det sätt som anges i 3 § eller 5 § första stycket, ska kostnaden bäras av näringsidkaren.I sådana fall ska näringsidkaren på egen bekostnad hämta varan. Countries not in this table yet
Germany: the ingested BGB sections (§§ 312-312k, 433-480) do not include § 357, which sets the cost of returning goods after a withdrawal; the only return-cost wording ingested (§ 475) concerns defective goods, so Germany is left out. Netherlands: the rules sit in Book 6 of the Civil Code, which is not ingested. The United States, United Kingdom and Canada are not covered because the statutes are not ingested.
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