The Cancellation Right Assistant (Right to cancel the purchase of goods)

The right to cancel depends on any right to return goods or services granted by the seller

There is no statutory right to cancel a purchase in store sales. A purchase may be returned and cancelled if the vendor has granted the product a right to return. Because granting this type of right is voluntary in store sales, a vendor may specify the terms and conditions for returns, such as an eight or thirty-day right of return period.

A store may also require the presentation of a purchase receipt in cases where the buyer has been granted the right to return a product.

On The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority website, you can read more about the right to cancel goods purchases in various situations:
- Right to re­turn and ex­change
- Right of with­drawal in e-com­merce
- With­draw­ing and re­turn­ing tele­mar­ket­ing pur­chases
- El­derly peo­ple and con­sumer pro­tec­tion
- Chil­dren as con­sumers

The Complaint Assistant - Problems with the right of cancellation and refund of payment in the sale of goods

You can use this assistant to issue a complaint to the seller if the cancellation has not been successful or your money has not been refunded.

- The Complaint Assistant (opens in a new tab)

Cancellation is possible, but the vendor may require compensation for cancellation of the order

The product order may be cancelled if the ordered goods have not yet been delivered. However, cancelling an order constitutes a breach of contract, for which the seller is entitled to compensation.

The compensation must be reasonable, however, and correspond to the actual costs incurred by the vendor. Calculating a reasonable level of compensation is affected by, for example, the extent to which production has progressed, the time at which the cancellation was made, and the actual costs incurred by the vendor.

No cancellation right

Purchasing a product creates a contractual relationship which may not be changed unilaterally by either party. In other words, purchases made in a store or other point of sale may not be cancelled even if you change your mind.

If no agreement has been made on the return of faultless goods prior to the purchase and the vendor consents to accept a return, the vendor may be entitled to demand a reasonable cancellation fee.

On The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority website, you can read more about the right to cancel goods purchases in various situations:
- Right to re­turn and ex­change
- Right of with­drawal in e-com­merce
- With­draw­ing and re­turn­ing tele­mar­ket­ing pur­chases
- El­derly peo­ple and con­sumer pro­tec­tion
- Chil­dren as con­sumers

The Complaint Assistant - Problems with the right of cancellation and refund of payment in the sale of goods

You can use this assistant to issue a complaint to the seller if the cancellation has not been successful or your money has not been refunded.

- The Complaint Assistant (opens in a new tab)

There is no right to cancel for made-to-measure products

A made-to-measure product is manufactured or modified according to given specifications or to meet clearly personal needs.

Made-to-measure products include bespoke kitchen cabinets or goods.

Made-to-measure products do not include a vendor’s standard colour or model options or products using select standard parts.

Even in cases where there is no right to cancel, the consumer does, in some cases, have the right to withdraw from a contract:

• The consumer may claim that the contract is invalid if inappropriate or aggressive methods were used to influence the purchasing decision, which the consumer would not have made without being pressured. A typical example of pressuring a consumer involves taking advantage of the consumer’s fatigue, illness or weakness caused by old age.
• A contract is not binding if a minor purchases a product without parental consent or on credit. A minor may, however, purchase ordinary products of little significance with regard to their age and developmental level.
• A consumer may withdraw from a contract if the product in question has a significant defect that cannot be redeemed by any other means. Prior to terminating a contract, it must be determined whether the defect can be rectified by repairing, exchanging or reducing the price of a given product.

In door-to-door sales, custom-made products may have the right to cancel

The content of the website is based on legislation that is valid from January 1, 2023.

Custom-made goods do not usually have the right to cancel. However, in the case of door-to-door sales, the sale of custom-made goods may be cancelled no later than 14 days after the contract has been concluded if the contract has been concluded on a home visit not requested by the consumer.

A made-to-measure product is manufactured or modified according to given specifications or to meet clearly personal needs.

Made-to-measure products include bespoke kitchen cabinets or goods.

Made-to-measure products do not include a vendor’s standard colour or model options or products using select standard parts.

Even in cases where there is no right to cancel, the consumer does, in some cases, have the right to withdraw from a contract:

• The consumer may claim that the contract is invalid if inappropriate or aggressive methods were used to influence the purchasing decision, which the consumer would not have made without being pressured. A typical example of pressuring a consumer involves taking advantage of the consumer’s fatigue, illness or weakness caused by old age.
• A contract is not binding if a minor purchases a product without parental consent or on credit. A minor may, however, purchase ordinary products of little significance with regard to their age and developmental level.
• A consumer may withdraw from a contract if the product in question has a significant defect that cannot be redeemed by any other means. Prior to terminating a contract, it must be determined whether the defect can be rectified by repairing, exchanging or reducing the price of a given product.

On The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority website, you can read more about the right to cancel goods purchases in various situations:
- Right to re­turn and ex­change
- Right of with­drawal in e-com­merce
- With­draw­ing and re­turn­ing tele­mar­ket­ing pur­chases
- El­derly peo­ple and con­sumer pro­tec­tion
- Chil­dren as con­sumers

The Complaint Assistant - Problems with the right of cancellation and refund of payment in the sale of goods

You can use this assistant to issue a complaint to the seller if the cancellation has not been successful or your money has not been refunded.

- The Complaint Assistant (opens in a new tab)

The consumer does not have the right to cancel

The right to cancel does not apply to the following:

• A sealed audio or video recording or computer program which may not be returned after the seal has been opened (e.g. sealed CDs or DVDs).
• Sealed products that cannot be returned after opening the seal for health or hygiene reasons (e.g. contact lenses, moisturising creams and medications).
  

Even in cases where there is no right to cancel, the consumer may, in some cases, have the right to withdraw from a contract.

• The consumer may claim that the contract is invalid if inappropriate or aggressive methods were used to influence the purchasing decision, which the consumer would not have made without being pressured. A typical example of pressuring a consumer involves taking advantage of the consumer’s fatigue, illness or weakness caused by old age.
• contract is not binding if a minor purchases a product without parental consent or on credit. A minor may, however, purchase ordinary products of little significance with regard to their age and developmental level.
• A consumer may withdraw from a contract if the product in question has a significant defect that cannot be redeemed by any other means. Prior to terminating a contract, it must be determined whether the defect can be rectified by repairing, exchanging or reducing the price of a given product.

On The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority website, you can read more about the right to cancel goods purchases in various situations:
- Right to re­turn and ex­change
- Right of with­drawal in e-com­merce
- With­draw­ing and re­turn­ing tele­mar­ket­ing pur­chases
- El­derly peo­ple and con­sumer pro­tec­tion
- Chil­dren as con­sumers

The Complaint Assistant - Problems with the right of cancellation and refund of payment in the sale of goods

You can use this assistant to issue a complaint to the seller if the cancellation has not been successful or your money has not been refunded.

- The Complaint Assistant (opens in a new tab)

The right cancel has expired

Even in cases where there is no right to cancel, the consumer does, in some cases, have the right to withdraw from a contract:

• The consumer may claim that the contract is invalid if inappropriate or aggressive methods were used to influence the purchasing decision, which the consumer would not have made without being pressured. A typical example of pressuring a consumer involves taking advantage of the consumer’s fatigue, illness or weakness caused by old age.
• A contract is not binding if a minor purchases a product without parental consent or on credit. A minor may, however, purchase ordinary products of little significance with regard to their age and developmental level.
• A consumer may withdraw from a contract if the product in question has a significant defect that cannot be redeemed by any other means. Prior to terminating a contract, it must be determined whether the defect can be rectified by repairing, exchanging or reducing the price of a given product.

The right to cancel may still be valid

If the consumer is not informed of the terms, time limits and procedures concerning the exercise of the right to cancel, the cancellation period will end 12 months after the usual cancellation period has ended.

If the company amends the deficient terms that were first presented to the consumer, the cancellation period will end 14 days after the date when the consumer was provided with said information.

The consumer will be required to pay for any costs incurred by a return, provided that the vendor is not obligated to pay such costs. The consumer will not be required to pay return costs:

• if the vendor is obligated to pay for return costs.
• if, prior to placement of the order, the vendor has not informed the consumer that they will be responsible for paying any return costs as well as the amount of such costs in cases where it is not possible to return the goods by mail in a normal manner.

On The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority website, you can read more about the right to cancel goods purchases in various situations:
- Right to re­turn and ex­change
- Right of with­drawal in e-com­merce
- With­draw­ing and re­turn­ing tele­mar­ket­ing pur­chases
- El­derly peo­ple and con­sumer pro­tec­tion
- Chil­dren as con­sumers

The Complaint Assistant - Problems with the right of cancellation and refund of payment in the sale of goods

You can use this assistant to issue a complaint to the seller if the cancellation has not been successful or your money has not been refunded.

- The Complaint Assistant (opens in a new tab)

The right to cancel is valid

A consumer must submit a cancellation notice no later than 14 days after receiving their order or entering into an agreement.

If the last day of the cancellation period falls on a Saturday or a bank holiday, a cancellation notice may be made on the first weekday following that date.

The consumer will be required to pay for any costs incurred by a return, provided that the vendor is not obligated to pay such costs. The consumer will not be required to pay return costs:

• if the vendor is obligated to pay for return costs.
• if, prior to placement of the order, the vendor has not informed the consumer that they will be responsible for paying any return costs as well as the amount of such costs in cases where it is not possible to return the goods by mail in a normal manner.

On The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority website, you can read more about the right to cancel goods purchases in various situations:
- Right to re­turn and ex­change
- Right of with­drawal in e-com­merce
- With­draw­ing and re­turn­ing tele­mar­ket­ing pur­chases
- El­derly peo­ple and con­sumer pro­tec­tion
- Chil­dren as con­sumers

The Complaint Assistant - Problems with the right of cancellation and refund of payment in the sale of goods

You can use this assistant to issue a complaint to the seller if the cancellation has not been successful or your money has not been refunded.

- The Complaint Assistant (opens in a new tab)