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 (2019/2161). 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.

If you want to know whether your own shop meets the basics, you can check your shop against the Consumer Rights Directive in 30 seconds with our free scan.

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 does not matter where your business is registered. If you sell to someone in the Netherlands, Germany or France, these rules apply.

The Omnibus Directive strengthened the original rules. It added stricter pricing transparency, tougher penalties and new rules for online marketplaces. If you have not 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, Article 6 of the Consumer Rights Directive requires you to provide specific information. This is called "pre-contractual information" and it is not optional. The headline duties are:

Missing even one of these can extend the withdrawal period from 14 days to 12 months. That is the penalty Article 10 of the directive 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, Article 8(7) of the Consumer Rights Directive requires you to 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 will 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. Under Article 9 of the directive, the clock starts on the day the customer receives the goods. For services, it starts when the contract was concluded.

When a customer withdraws, Article 13 requires you to refund the full purchase price including the original shipping cost within 14 days. Article 14 puts the cost of return shipping on the customer unless you agreed to cover it. You must have told them about that cost in advance, otherwise you owe it yourself.

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

The core rights of an EU consumer

The Consumer Rights Directive grants seven concrete rights that show up in every EU online sale. Use this table as a one-glance reference for your shop.

Delivery rules

The default delivery deadline is 30 days under Article 18 of the Consumer Rights Directive. If you have not 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 and demand a full refund.

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. Under Article 20 of the directive, if a package gets lost or damaged during transport, that is your problem and 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 are 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 under Directive (EU) 2019/771 on the sale of goods. This is different from a manufacturer warranty. It is a legal right that exists regardless of what the manufacturer offers.

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 in Article 7:17 of the Burgerlijk Wetboek, enforced by the Autoriteit Consument en Markt.

Price display and the Omnibus Directive

The Omnibus Directive added a rule that catches many shop owners off guard. Article 6a of the Price Indication Directive 98/6/EC, inserted by the Omnibus Directive (2019/2161), says that when you advertise a discount, you must show the lowest price you actually used in the 30 days before the discount as the reference point. You cannot 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.

Who enforces consumer rights in each country

Consumer protection is enforced at the national level. Each EU country has its own authority and its own style. The table below covers the four largest western EU markets.

The Omnibus Directive raised the ceiling. For widespread cross-border violations, fines can reach 4 percent of annual turnover under the new Article 13 of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 2005/29/EC. Beyond fines, customers who were not told about the withdrawal right get 12 months to return products under Article 10 of the Consumer Rights Directive.

Digital content and services

The directive also covers digital content. That means apps, downloads, streaming services and SaaS products.

For downloads and streaming. The withdrawal right applies. Article 16(m) of the Consumer Rights Directive lets the customer waive it if they give explicit consent before delivery starts and acknowledge they will 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 cannot hide the cancellation option behind phone calls or complex procedures.

Updates and security. For products with digital elements such as smart devices and connected products, Article 7 of Directive (EU) 2019/771 requires you to provide software updates that keep the product functioning and secure for at least 2 years.

Your order button matters too

The directive requires that your final checkout button clearly communicates a payment obligation. Article 8(2) of the Consumer Rights Directive does not allow a button that just says "Submit" or "Continue." See our order button requirements guide for the exact wording by country.

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 do not apply. 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 such as 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. You cannot shorten it below 14 days. Any contract term that reduces consumer rights below the directive's minimum is automatically void under Article 25 of the Consumer Rights Directive.

Do handmade or custom products have the same withdrawal right?

No. Article 16(c) of the Consumer Rights Directive exempts products made to the customer's specifications or clearly personalised from the withdrawal right. But the exemption is narrow. Choosing a colour from your standard range does not count as "personalised." The product must be genuinely made to order based on the customer's individual requirements.

What happens if I forget to tell the customer about the 14-day right?

Article 10 of the Consumer Rights Directive extends the withdrawal period from 14 days to 12 months when the seller fails to provide the required information. The clock only restarts to 14 days once you supply the missing information.

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.