What is Distance Selling Regulations?

Full Definition

Distance selling regulations -- now contained in the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, which replaced the earlier Distance Selling Regulations 2000 -- give consumers who buy goods or services without meeting the seller face to face, such as online, by phone, mail order or through a TV shopping channel, a statutory 14-day "cooling-off" period in which they can cancel the contract and obtain a full refund, without needing to give any reason. For goods, the 14 days generally runs from the day the consumer (or someone they nominate) receives the item, and the consumer then has a further 14 days from cancelling to actually return the goods; sellers must refund the price paid, including standard delivery costs, within 14 days of receiving the returned goods or evidence they have been sent back, though they can deduct an amount for any diminished value caused by the consumer handling the goods more than necessary to establish their nature and function. Certain goods and services are exempt or have modified rules, including bespoke or personalised items made to the consumer's specification, perishable goods, sealed audio/video/software once unsealed, and services the consumer has expressly asked to begin and which are then fully performed within the cancellation period. Sellers must also give clear pre-contract information, including the existence of the cancellation right and how to exercise it, and if they fail to provide this information the cancellation period can be extended by up to 12 months. The regulations sit alongside separate protections such as Section 75 credit card protection and the retailer's own returns policy, giving distance-sold consumers stronger statutory rights than a typical in-store purchase, where there is no general legal right to cancel simply because of a change of mind.

See Also