EU Consumer Rights for Online Sellers: Plain-Language Guide

Every online shop selling to EU consumers must follow a single set of consumer protection rules. They come from the Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU), updated in 2019 by the Omnibus Directive. The rules cover everything from what you tell customers before they buy to what happens when a product breaks six months later.

This guide breaks down what those rules mean for your shop. No legal jargon. Just the requirements and what to do about them.

The Consumer Rights Directive in 30 seconds

The directive applies to any business selling goods, services or digital content to consumers in the EU. It doesn't matter where your business is registered. If you sell to someone in the Netherlands, Germany or France, these rules apply.

The Omnibus Directive (2019/2161) strengthened the original rules. It added stricter pricing transparency, tougher penalties and new rules for online marketplaces. If you haven't reviewed your shop since 2022, some changes may have slipped past you.

What you must tell customers before they buy

Before a consumer clicks that order button, you're required to provide specific information. This is called "pre-contractual information" and it's not optional. The full list includes:

• Your identity and address. Legal business name, geographic address and phone number. A contact form alone won't cut it.
• Total price including taxes. The price the customer sees must include VAT and all other charges. No surprises at checkout.
• Delivery costs. If shipping isn't free, the cost must be clear before the order is placed. Same goes for any other fees.
• Payment methods. Which payment options you accept must be visible before checkout begins.
• Withdrawal right. You must tell customers they have 14 days to cancel their purchase, and explain how the process works.
• Complaint handling. How customers can reach you with problems. An email address or phone number at minimum.
• Contract duration. For subscriptions, the minimum commitment period and cancellation terms.

Missing even one of these can extend the withdrawal period from 14 days to 12 months. That's the penalty the law prescribes for failing to inform.

For shops in the Netherlands, check our Dutch webshop compliance checklist for country-specific requirements including KVK and BTW number display rules.

The order confirmation

After a customer places an order, you must send a confirmation on a "durable medium." In practice, that means email. The confirmation must repeat all the pre-contractual information listed above, plus:

• A summary of what was ordered
• The total price paid
• How and when to exercise the withdrawal right
• A model withdrawal form (or a link to one)

An order confirmation that just says "Thanks for your order! We'll ship it soon" is not compliant. Most e-commerce platforms handle parts of this automatically, but few cover everything.

The 14-day withdrawal right

Consumers can cancel any online purchase within 14 calendar days. No reason needed. The clock starts on the day the customer receives the goods. For services, it starts when the contract was concluded.

When a customer withdraws, you must refund the full purchase price including the original shipping cost within 14 days. The customer pays for return shipping unless you agreed to cover it.

This topic deserves its own deep dive. Read our 14-day withdrawal right guide for the full details, including exceptions and common mistakes.

Delivery rules

The default delivery deadline is 30 days. If you haven't agreed on a specific delivery date with the customer, you must deliver within 30 days of the order. Miss that deadline and the customer gets the right to cancel.

State your expected delivery time clearly on product pages or during checkout. If delivery goes past 30 days without agreement, the customer can walk away and get a full refund.

Who bears the risk during shipping?

The seller does. If a package gets lost or damaged during transport, that's your problem, not the customer's. The risk only transfers to the buyer once they physically take possession of the goods.

This matters for your shipping insurance decisions. If you're sending uninsured parcels and one goes missing, you owe the customer a replacement or refund.

The 2-year legal guarantee

Every physical product sold to a consumer in the EU comes with a minimum 2-year legal guarantee. This is different from a manufacturer warranty. It's a legal right that exists regardless of what the manufacturer offers.

Here's how it works:

• The guarantee runs for 2 years from delivery
• It covers any defect that existed at the time of delivery (even if it only appears later)
• In the first year, the burden of proof is on you. If something breaks within 12 months, it's presumed to have been defective at delivery unless you can prove otherwise.
• After the first year, the customer must show the defect was pre-existing

When a product is defective under the guarantee, you must offer repair or replacement first. If that's not possible or takes too long, the customer can demand a price reduction or full refund.

Some countries go further. In the Netherlands, goods that should reasonably last longer (a washing machine, for example) might be covered beyond 2 years under Dutch "conformity" rules.

Price display and the Omnibus Directive

The Omnibus Directive added a rule that catches many shop owners off guard. When you advertise a discount, you must show the lowest price from the previous 30 days as the reference point. You can't inflate the "original" price to make a sale look better than it is.

This applies to crossed-out prices, "was/now" comparisons, percentage-off labels and seasonal sales. The ACM in the Netherlands and consumer authorities across the EU actively monitor this.

Read more about this in our Omnibus Directive pricing guide.

Digital content and services

The directive also covers digital content: apps, downloads, streaming services, SaaS products.

For downloads and streaming: The withdrawal right applies, but the customer can waive it if they give explicit consent before delivery starts and acknowledge they'll lose the right to withdraw. Functionality and compatibility must be described before the sale.

For SaaS and subscriptions: Auto-renewal terms must be transparent. Customers must be able to cancel at least as easily as they signed up. You can't hide the cancellation option behind phone calls or complex procedures.

Updates and security: For products with digital elements (smart devices, connected products), you must provide software updates for at least 2 years to keep the product functioning and secure.

Your order button matters too

The directive requires that your final checkout button clearly communicates a payment obligation. A button that just says "Submit" or "Continue" doesn't meet the standard. See our order button requirements guide for the exact wording by country.

Enforcement and penalties

Consumer protection is enforced at the national level. Each EU country has its own authority:

• Netherlands: ACM (Autoriteit Consument & Markt) can impose fines up to €900,000
• Germany: Wettbewerbszentrale and state consumer offices actively pursue violations
• France: DGCCRF monitors online shops and marketplaces
• Belgium: FOD Economie handles enforcement

The Omnibus Directive increased penalties across the board. For widespread cross-border violations, fines can reach 4% of annual turnover. Beyond fines, customers who weren't told about the withdrawal right get 12 months to return products.

Check your shop's compliance

You can run a free scan of your website to catch common compliance gaps automatically. The scan checks for missing business details, price display problems and other issues that affect both legal compliance and customer trust.

FAQ

Does the Consumer Rights Directive apply to B2B sales?

No. The directive only protects consumers, meaning individuals buying for personal use. If you sell exclusively to businesses, these rules don't apply. But if you sell to both consumers and businesses, you must comply for every consumer transaction.

What if my business is outside the EU but I sell to EU customers?

The rules still apply. If you target EU consumers (by offering prices in euros, shipping to EU addresses or advertising in EU languages), you must follow the Consumer Rights Directive. Marketplace platforms like Amazon and eBay increasingly require compliance from all sellers regardless of location.

Can I reduce the 14-day withdrawal period?

No. You can extend it (some shops offer 30 or 60 days as a competitive advantage), but you cannot shorten it below 14 days. Any contract term that reduces consumer rights below the directive's minimum is automatically void.

Do handmade or custom products have the same withdrawal right?

Products made to the customer's specifications or clearly personalized are exempt from the withdrawal right. But the exemption is narrow. Choosing a color from your standard range doesn't count as "personalized." The product must be genuinely made to order based on the customer's individual requirements.

Where can I find the official text of the directive?

The Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU) is published on EUR-Lex, the EU's official legal database. Search for "Directive 2011/83/EU" at eur-lex.europa.eu. The Omnibus Directive amendments are in Directive (EU) 2019/2161.