Withdrawal from a contract within 14 days
Short answer
A consumer may withdraw from a distance contract within 14 days without giving a reason. For goods the period runs from the moment they are taken over, for a service and for digital content from the conclusion of the contract. If the contract was concluded during an unsolicited visit or at a sales event, the period is 30 days. If the trader gave no information about the right of withdrawal, the period is extended by up to 12 months. The period is met if the consumer sends the notice at the latest on the last day.
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The right to withdraw without giving a reason compensates for the fact that a consumer buying at a distance did not see the goods and could not try them out. It requires no reason, no reservation and no consent from the trader.
Since 1 July 2024 the rules have been in Act 108/2024 Coll. on consumer protection. It replaced three pieces of legislation at once: Act 250/2007 Coll., Act 102/2014 Coll. on distance selling and Act 299/2019 Coll. Terms and notices that refer to any of them are out of date.
When the period starts to run
For goods, from the moment they are taken over. If a single order arrives in parts, the period runs from taking over the last part; for goods consisting of several pieces, from taking over the last piece; for repeated deliveries, from taking over the first delivery.
For a service and for digital content supplied otherwise than on a tangible medium, from the conclusion of the contract, which as a rule means from the order and not from delivery.
A contract for the supply of goods may be withdrawn from even before the period starts to run at all, that is immediately after ordering and before delivery.
When the period is 30 days and when 12 months are added
Thirty days apply if the contract was concluded during an unsolicited visit to the consumer or at a sales event, or in connection with them. These are the situations where the pressure to decide is strongest.
If the trader gave no information about the right of withdrawal at all, the consumer may withdraw within 12 months of the expiry of the original period. If the trader supplies the information later, a new 14-day or 30-day period starts on the day it is supplied, provided this happens during those 12 months.
Missing information therefore has a price: two weeks turn into more than a year during which the customer can return the goods.
How to withdraw and what is refunded
Any unequivocal statement in paper form or on another durable medium is sufficient. The form in Annex 2 to the Act may be used, but it is not mandatory. The period is met by sending the notice on the last day, not by its delivery.
The trader refunds all payments, including delivery costs, within 14 days of receiving the notice, using the same means of payment the customer used. In the case of goods the trader may withhold the refund until the goods come back or until the customer proves that they have been sent.
The consumer bears the cost of returning the goods if the trader informed them of this, and is liable for any diminished value of the goods beyond ordinary testing. If the consumer chose a more expensive delivery than the cheapest one offered, the difference is not refunded.
When the right of withdrawal does not arise
The Act lists the exceptions in § 19(1). They include goods made to the consumer's specifications, goods liable to deteriorate rapidly, goods in a protective wrapping that are excluded on health or hygiene grounds once the wrapping has been broken after delivery, newspapers, goods sold at auction, and accommodation, transport and catering at an agreed time.
For digital content the right lapses only where three things are met at once: supply has begun, the consumer gave express consent and declared that they had been informed of the loss of the right, and the trader provided confirmation on a durable medium. The missing third condition is the most common one; a tick box at checkout on its own is not enough.
For a service the right lapses only once the service has been fully performed, and again only if the customer consented in advance and was informed.
What the statute says word for word
The wording comes from the same verified corpus of statutes the Paragrafo advisor runs on. Every link opens Slov-Lex, the official register, so you can compare it yourself.
dodanie tovaru vyrobeného podľa špecifikácií spotrebiteľa alebo tovaru vyrobeného na mierudodanie tovaru uzavretého v ochrannom obale, ktorý nie je vhodné vrátiť z dôvodu ochrany zdravia alebo z hygienických dôvodov, ak ochranný obal bol po dodaní porušenýobchodník poskytol spotrebiteľovi potvrdenie podľa § 17 ods. 12 písm. b) alebo ods. 13 písm. b)Spotrebiteľ môže odstúpiť od zmluvy uzavretej na diaľku alebo od zmluvy uzavretej mimo prevádzkových priestorov obchodníka doAk obchodník neposkytol spotrebiteľovi informácie podľa § 15 ods. 1 písm. f) ani podľa odseku 2, spotrebiteľ môže odstúpiť od zmluvy uzavretej na diaľku alebo od zmluvy uzavretej mimo prevádzkových priestorov obchodníka do 12 mesiacov od uplynutia lehoty podľa odseku 1.Lehota na odstúpenie od zmluvy podľa odsekov 1 až 3 sa považuje za zachovanú, ak spotrebiteľ najneskôr posledný deň lehoty odošle oznámenie o odstúpení od zmluvy obchodníkovi.Obchodník je povinný do 14 dní odo dňa doručenia oznámenia o odstúpení od zmluvy vrátiť spotrebiteľovi všetky platby, ktoré od neho prijal na základe alebo v súvislosti so zmluvou uzavretou na diaľku, zmluvou uzavretou mimo prevádzkových priestorov obchodníka alebo s doplnkovou zmluvou vrátane nákladov na dopravu, dodanie, poštovné a iných nákladov a poplatkov.Spotrebiteľ je povinný do 14 dní odo dňa odstúpenia od zmluvy uzavretej na diaľku alebo od zmluvy uzavretej mimo prevádzkových priestorov obchodníka podľa § 19 ods. 1 zaslať tovar späť alebo odovzdať tovar obchodníkovi alebo osobe určenej obchodníkom na prevzatie tovaruCommon misconceptions
Withdrawal is confused with a defect claim
These are two entirely different institutes. Withdrawal within 14 days needs no reason and applies only to a purchase made at a distance or away from business premises. A defect claim is raised when the item is defective; it applies to a purchase in a shop as well and can be made years later, within two years of delivery under the Civil Code.
The condition that the goods must be in the original packaging
The Act knows no such condition. The consumer is liable only for a diminished value of the goods beyond the handling needed to establish their nature and functioning. Unpacking alone does not cancel the right of withdrawal.
Refunding only after the goods arrive, in the case of services
Withholding payment until the goods are returned is possible with goods. With a service or digital content there is nothing to return, so the 14-day period runs from delivery of the notice without any further condition.
A fee for withdrawal
Apart from the cost of returning the goods, any compensation for diminished value and the difference for more expensive delivery, the consumer incurs no further costs. The Act allows neither a handling fee nor a cancellation fee for withdrawal.
A refund as store credit
The money is refunded using the same means of payment the customer used. A voucher or credit is possible only if the customer agrees to it and bears no fee for it.
Frequently asked questions
Do the 14 days apply to a purchase in a bricks-and-mortar shop as well?
No. The right to withdraw without a reason attaches to a contract concluded at a distance or away from the trader's business premises. The Act does not grant it for a purchase in a shop; if a seller offers it, that is a voluntary service beyond the law.
Can an online shop exclude returns in its terms and conditions?
No. This is a statutory consumer right and any arrangement excluding or limiting it is invalid. The only exceptions are those listed in § 19(1) of Act 108/2024 Coll.
How does it work with a subscription or an online course?
That is a service or digital content, so the period runs from the conclusion of the contract. The right of withdrawal lapses only if all the conditions are met at once: supply has begun, the customer gave express consent and declared that they had been informed of the loss of the right, and received confirmation of this on a durable medium.
Does the consumer have to use the withdrawal form?
No. The model form is in Annex 2 to the Act, but any unequivocally worded statement is sufficient. The trader may not make withdrawal conditional on its own form.
Who proves that the consumer withdrew in time?
Under § 20(15) the burden of proving that the right of withdrawal was exercised lies with the consumer. It is therefore sensible to send the notice in a way that leaves a trace.
Documents this affects
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