French Distance-Sale Right of Withdrawal Procedure

Under Article L221-18 of the Code de la consommation, the 14-calendar-day period begins on the day you receive the goods. For a service contract it starts on the date the contract is concluded. If day 14 falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or French public holiday, the deadline is automatically extended to the next working day. Where an order is delivered in multiple shipments, the clock starts from receipt of the very last item (Article L221-18 §3).

No. Article L221-21 of the Consumer Code states that any unambiguous written declaration expressing your intention to withdraw is legally valid — an email, a recorded-delivery letter, or a dedicated online form all work equally well, provided you retain dated proof of sending. The standard form (formulaire type, Annex to Article R221-1) is a practical convenience, not a mandatory format for consumers. The obligation to provide it before the order rests solely with the seller.

The seller has 14 days from receipt of your withdrawal notice to refund the full purchase price plus the standard delivery charge originally paid (Article L221-24, Consumer Code). The refund may legitimately be held until the goods are returned or proof of shipment is provided. If the seller misses that deadline, the outstanding amount is automatically increased under Article L242-4: +10 % for delays up to 30 days, +20 % between 30 and 60 days, +50 % between 60 and 90 days, then +5 percentage points per additional month.

Article L221-28 of the Consumer Code lists 13 categories of exclusion, including: goods made to the consumer's specifications, perishable goods, unsealed audio recordings or software, newspapers, accommodation or transport contracts at a fixed date, and services fully performed with the consumer's express prior consent. Digital content not supplied on a physical medium is also excluded once delivery has started with the consumer's explicit agreement and express waiver of the withdrawal right (Article L221-28, 13°).

Under Article L242-3 of the Consumer Code, failing to meet pre-contractual information obligations related to the right of withdrawal exposes the seller to an administrative fine of up to €3,000 for individuals and €15,000 for legal entities. Refusing to reimburse on time additionally triggers the automatic progressive surcharges under Article L242-4. The consumer or the DGCCRF (Direction générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des fraudes — France's trading standards authority) may also bring an action for unfair commercial practices.

By default, return shipping costs fall on the consumer, but only if the seller clearly disclosed this before the order was placed (Article L221-23, Consumer Code). If that information was withheld, the seller bears those costs. Any contractual provision granting free returns is equally valid and takes precedence over the default rule. In all cases, the goods must be sent back within 14 days of communicating the withdrawal decision to the seller (Article L221-23 §1).