MAKE YOUR FREE Terms and Conditions for Sale of Goods to Consumers via a Website
What we'll cover
What are Terms and Conditions for the Sale of Goods to Consumers via a Website?
This document is GDPR compliant.
When should I use Terms and Conditions for the Sale of Goods to Consumers via a Website?
- you are selling goods to consumers (ie private customers who are not acting in the course of a business)
- you are selling from your website. If you are selling from your business premises, make Terms and Conditions for sale of goods to consumers instead
- you are selling goods to specification (eg personalised goods) or standard goods
- the goods you’re selling are of a type to which statutory cancellation rights apply
Sample Terms and Conditions for Sale of Goods to Consumers via a Website
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TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Please read all these Terms and Conditions.
As we can accept your order and make a legally enforceable agreement without further reference to you, you must read these Terms and Conditions to make sure that they contain all that you want and nothing that you are not happy with.
Application
- These Terms and Conditions will apply to the purchase of the goods by you (the Customer or you). (the Supplier or us or we).
- These are the terms on which we sell all Goods to you. By ordering any of the Goods, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. You can only purchase the Goods from the Website if you are eligible to enter into a contract and are at least 18 years old.
Interpretation
- Consumer means an individual acting for purposes which are wholly or mainly outside their trade, business, craft or profession;
- Contract means the legally-binding agreement between you and us for the supply of the Goods;
- Delivery Location means the Supplier's premises or other location where the Goods are to be supplied, as set out in the Order;
- Durable Medium means paper or email, or any other medium that allows information to be addressed personally to the recipient, enables the recipient to store the information in a way accessible for future reference for a period that is long enough for the purposes of the information, and allows the unchanged reproduction of the information stored;
- Goods means the goods advertised on the Website that we supply to you of the number and description as set out in the Order;
- Order means the Customer's order for the Goods from the Supplier as submitted following the step by step process set out on the Website;
- Privacy Policy means the terms which set out how we will deal with confidential and personal information received from you via the Website;
- Website means our website on which the Goods are advertised.
Goods
- The description of the Goods is as set out in the Website, catalogues, brochures or other form of advertisement. Any description is for illustrative purposes only and there may be small discrepancies in the size and colour of the Goods supplied.
- In the case of any Goods made to your special requirements, it is your responsibility to ensure that any information or specification you provide is accurate.
- All Goods which appear on the Website are subject to availability.
- We can make changes to the Goods which are necessary to comply with any applicable law or safety requirement. We will notify you of these changes.
Personal Information
- We retain and use all information strictly under the Privacy Policy.
- We may contact you by using e-mail or other electronic communication methods and by pre-paid post and you expressly agree to this.
Basis of Sale
- The description of the Goods in our website does not constitute a contractual offer to sell the Goods. When an Order has been submitted on the Website, we can reject it for any reason, although we will try to tell you the reason without delay.
- The Order process is set out on the Website. Each step allows you to check and amend any errors before submitting the Order. It is your responsibility to check that you have used the ordering process correctly.
- A Contract will be formed for the sale of Goods ordered only when you receive an email from us confirming the Order (Order Confirmation). You must ensure that the Order Confirmation is complete and accurate and inform us immediately of any errors. We are not responsible for any inaccuracies in the Order placed by you. By placing an Order you agree to us giving you confirmation of the Contract by means of an email with all information in it (ie the Order Confirmation). You will receive the Order Confirmation within a reasonable time after making the Contract, but in any event not later than the delivery of any Goods supplied under the Contract.
- Any quotation is valid for a maximum period of days from its date, unless we expressly withdraw it at an earlier time.
- No variation of the Contract, whether about description of the Goods, Fees or otherwise, can be made after it has been entered into unless the variation is agreed by the Customer and the Supplier in writing.
- We intend that these Terms and Conditions apply only to a Contract entered into by you as a Consumer. If this is not the case, you must tell us, so that we can provide you with a different contract with terms which are more appropriate for you and which might, in some respects, be better for you, eg by giving you rights as a business.
Price and Payment
- The price of the Goods and any additional delivery or other charges is that set out on the Website at the date of the Order or such other price as we may agree in writing.
- Prices and charges include VAT at the rate applicable at the time of the Order.
- You must pay by submitting your credit or debit card details with your Order and we can take payment immediately or otherwise before delivery of the Goods.
Delivery
- We will deliver the Goods, to the Delivery Location by the time or within the agreed period or, failing any agreement, without undue delay and, in any event, not more than 30 days after the day on which the Contract is entered into.
- In any case, regardless of events beyond our control, if we do not deliver the Goods on time, you can (in addition to any other remedies) treat the Contract at an end if:
- we have refused to deliver the Goods, or if delivery on time is essential taking into account all the relevant circumstances at the time the Contract was made, or you said to us before the Contract was made that delivery on time was essential; or
- after we have failed to deliver on time, you have specified a later period which is appropriate to the circumstances and we have not delivered within that period.
- If you treat the Contract at an end, we will (in addition to other remedies) promptly return all payments made under the Contract.
- If you were entitled to treat the Contract at an end, but do not do so, you are not prevented from cancelling the Order for any Goods or rejecting Goods that have been delivered and, if you do this, we will (in addition to other remedies) without delay return all payments made under the Contract for any such cancelled or rejected Goods. If the Goods have been delivered, you must return them to us or allow us to collect them from you and we will pay the costs of this.
- If any Goods form a commercial unit (a unit is a commercial unit if division of the unit would materially impair the value of the goods or the character of the unit) you cannot cancel or reject the Order for some of those Goods without also cancelling or rejecting the Order for the rest of them.
- We do not generally deliver to addresses outside England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channels Islands. If, however, we accept an Order for delivery outside that area, you may need to pay import duties or other taxes, as we will not pay them.
- You agree we may deliver the Goods in instalments if we suffer a shortage of stock or other genuine and fair reason, subject to the above provisions and provided you are not liable for extra charges.
- If you or your nominee fail, through no fault of ours, to take delivery of the Goods at the Delivery Location, we may charge the reasonable costs of storing and redelivering them.
- The Goods will become your responsibility from the completion of delivery or Customer collection. You must, if reasonably practicable, examine the Goods before accepting them.
Risk and Title
- Risk of damage to, or loss of, any Goods will pass to you when the Goods are delivered to you.
- You do not own the Goods until we have received payment in full. If full payment is overdue or a step occurs towards your bankruptcy, we can choose, by notice to cancel any delivery and end any right to use the Goods still owned by you, in which case you must return them or allow us to collect them.
Withdrawal and Cancellation
- You can withdraw the Order by telling us before the Contract is made, if you simply wish to change your mind and without giving us a reason, and without incurring any liability.
- You can cancel the Contract except for any Goods which are made to your special requirements (the Returns Right) by telling us no later than calendar days from the day the Contract was entered into, if you simply wish to change your mind and without giving us a reason, and without liability, except in that case, you must return to any of our business premises the Goods in undamaged condition at your own expense. Then we must without delay refund to you the price for those Goods which have been paid for in advance, but we can retain any separate delivery charge. This does not affect your rights when the reason for the cancellation is any defective Goods. This Returns Right is different and separate from the Cancellation Rights below.
- This is a distance contract (as defined below) which has the cancellation rights (Cancellation Rights) set out below. These Cancellation Rights, however, do not apply, to a contract for the following goods (with no others) in the following circumstances:
- goods that are made to your specifications or are clearly personalised;
- goods which are liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly.
- Also, the Cancellation Rights for a Contract cease to be available in the following circumstances:
- in the case of any sales contract, if the goods become mixed inseparably (according to their nature) with other items after delivery.
Right to Cancel
- Subject as stated in these Terms and Conditions, you can cancel this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
- The cancellation period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party, other than the carrier indicated by you, acquires physical possession of the last of the Goods. In a contract for the supply of goods over time (ie subscriptions), the right to cancel will be 14 days after the first delivery.
- To exercise the right to cancel, you must inform us of your decision to cancel this Contract by a clear statement setting out your decision (eg a letter sent by post or email). You can use the attached model cancellation form, but it is not obligatory. In any event, you must be able to show clear evidence of when the cancellation was made, so you may decide to use the model cancellation form.
- You can also electronically fill in and submit the model cancellation form or any other clear statement of the Customer's decision to cancel the Contract on our website . If you use this option, we will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a cancellation in a Durable Medium (eg by email) without delay.
- To meet the cancellation deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right to cancel before the cancellation period has expired.
Effects of Cancellation in the Cancellation Period
- Except as set out below, if you cancel this Contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).
Deduction for Goods Supplied
- We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any Goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you (ie handling the Goods beyond what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the Goods: eg it goes beyond the sort of handling that might be reasonably allowed in a shop). This is because you are liable for that loss and, if that deduction is not made, you must pay us the amount of that loss.
Timing of Reimbursement
- If we have not offered to collect the Goods, we will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than:
- 14 days after the day we receive back from you any Goods supplied, or
- (if earlier) 14 days after the day you provide evidence that you have sent back the Goods.
- If we have offered to collect the Goods or if no Goods were supplied, we will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to cancel this Contract.
- We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of the reimbursement.
Returning Goods
- If you have received Goods in connection with the Contract which you have cancelled, you must send back the Goods or hand them over to us at without delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate to us your cancellation of this Contract. The deadline is met if you send back the Goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You agree that you will have to bear the cost of returning the Goods.
- For the purposes of these Cancellation Rights, these words have the following meanings:
- distance contract means a contract concluded between a trader and a consumer under an organised distance sales or service-provision scheme without the simultaneous physical presence of the trader and the consumer, with the exclusive use of one or more means of distance communication up to and including the time at which the contract is concluded;
- sales contract means a contract under which a trader transfers or agrees to transfer the ownership of goods to a consumer and the consumer pays or agrees to pay the price, including any contract that has both goods and services as its object.
Conformity
- We have a legal duty to supply the Goods in conformity with the Contract, and will not have conformed if it does not meet the following obligation.
- Upon delivery, the Goods will:
- be of satisfactory quality;
- be reasonably fit for any particular purpose for which you buy the Goods which, before the Contract is made, you made known to us (unless you do not actually rely, or it is unreasonable for you to rely, on our skill and judgment) and be fit for any purpose held out by us or set out in the Contract; and
- conform to their description.
- It is not a failure to conform if the failure has its origin in your materials.
Successors and Our Sub-Contractors
- Either party can transfer the benefit of this Contract to someone else, and will remain liable to the other for its obligations under the Contract. The Supplier will be liable for the acts of any sub-contractors who it chooses to help perform its duties.
Circumstances Beyond the Control of Either Party
- In the event of any failure by a party because of something beyond its reasonable control:
- the party will advise the other party as soon as reasonably practicable; and
- the party's obligations will be suspended so far as is reasonable, provided that that party will act reasonably, and the party will not be liable for any failure which it could not reasonably avoid, but this will not affect the Customer's above rights relating to delivery and any right to cancel, below.
Privacy
- Your privacy is critical to us. We respect your privacy and comply with the General Data Protection Regulation with regard to your personal information.
- These Terms and Conditions should be read alongside, and are in addition to our policies, including our Privacy Policy () and Cookies Policy ().
- For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions:
- 'Data Protection Laws' means any applicable law relating to the processing of Personal Data, including, but not limited to the GDPR.
- 'GDPR' means the UK General Data Protection Regulation.
- 'Data Controller', 'Personal Data' and 'Processing' shall have the same meaning as in the GDPR.
- We are a Data Controller of the Personal Data we Process in providing Goods to you.
- Where you supply Personal Data to us so we can provide Goods to you, and we Process that Personal Data in the course of providing the Goods to you, we will comply with our obligations imposed by the Data Protection Laws:
- before or at the time of collecting Personal Data, we will identify the purposes for which information is being collected;
- we will only Process Personal Data for the purposes identified;
- we will respect your rights in relation to your Personal Data; and
- we will implement technical and organisational measures to ensure your Personal Data is secure.
- For any enquiries or complaints regarding data privacy, you can e-mail: .
Excluding Liability
- The Supplier does not exclude liability for: (i) any fraudulent act or omission; or (ii) for death or personal injury caused by negligence or breach of the Supplier's other legal obligations. Subject to this, the Supplier is not liable for (i) loss which was not reasonably foreseeable to both parties at the time when the Contract was made, or (ii) loss (eg loss of profit) to the Customer's business, trade, craft or profession which would not be suffered by a Consumer - because the Supplier believes the Customer is not buying the Goods wholly or mainly for its business, trade, craft or profession.
Governing Law, Jurisdiction and Complaints
- The Contract (including any non-contractual matters) is governed by the law of England and Wales.
- Disputes can be submitted to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales or, where the Customer lives in Scotland or Northern Ireland, in the courts of respectively Scotland or Northern Ireland.
- We try to avoid any dispute, so we deal with complaints in the following way: .
Attribution
- These Terms and Conditions were created using a document from Rocket Lawyer (https://www.rocketlawyer.com/gb/en).
Model Cancellation Form
To
I/We[*] hereby give notice that I/We [*] cancel my/our [*] contract of sale of the following goods [*] [for the supply of the following service [*], Ordered on [*]/received on [*]______________________(date received)
Name of consumer(s):
Address of consumer(s):
Signature of consumer(s) (only if this form is notified on paper)
Date
[*] Delete as appropriate.
About Terms and Conditions for the Sale of Goods to Consumers via Websites
Learn more about making your Terms and Conditions for the Sale of Goods to Consumers via a Website
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How to make Terms and Conditions for the Sale of Goods to Consumers via a Website
Making your Terms and Conditions online is simple. Just answer a few questions and Rocket Lawyer will build your document for you. When you have all the information about the terms you’ll use to sell your goods prepared in advance, creating your document is a quick and easy process.
You’ll need the following information:
Your business’ details
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Your business’ details (including its legal structure, website address, and contact details).
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Do you follow any codes of conduct (ie formalised sets of principles)?
Information about the goods you’re selling
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Do you supply goods which may not be suitable for return? For example, newspapers or goods sealed for sanitary purposes?
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If you make quotations, how long are they valid for?
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Do you provide any ‘after-sales services’ for customers? For example, installation or repair services?
Order management
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How will a customer indicate that they agree to your Terms and Conditions? For example, do they select a tick box?
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How do you deal with customer complaints? Do you have a complaints policy in place?
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Do you provide a guarantee with your goods?
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How long do consumers have to cancel their order (ie do you allow them longer than the statutory 14 days)?
Data protection and privacy
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What are the URLs of your privacy policy and cookies policy? If you don’t have these in place, consider making a Privacy policy and/or Cookie policy.
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Who is responsible for data protection compliance within your business?
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Common terms in Terms and Conditions for the Sale of Goods to Consumers via a Website
Terms and Conditions set out the legal basis on which a consumer purchases goods from a business. To do so, Terms and Conditions for the Sale of Goods to Consumers via a Website typically include:
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goods - goods are the items that you are selling to consumers. These Terms and Conditions set out provisions around what goods are available for sale. For example, they explain that the purchase of goods described on your website is subject to availability and that descriptions are for illustrative purposes only
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personal information - terms setting out consumers’ right to have their information treated fairly, and stating that they consent to certain communications from your business
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basis of sale - sets out how and when the contract of sale is formed between your business and a customer. This section explains at what point of the purchasing process an order is confirmed
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price and payment - these terms explain what payment is required and how this can be made
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delivery - provisions setting out expectations for when goods will be delivered and when exceptions may be made to these expected timeframes. This section also discusses what happens if you do not deliver the goods on time (eg the consumer’s right to a refund)
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risk and title - terms describing the point of the purchase process at which ownership of the goods is transferred to the consumer
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withdrawal - these terms explain the consumer’s right to back out of the purchase at any point before a contract is formed
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cancellation - these terms explain the consumer’s cancellation rights, including when and how a consumer can cancel a purchase and what happens if they do (eg the goods must be returned and the seller must provide a refund). They also explain when cancellation rights do not apply
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conformity - terms setting out a consumer’s right for their goods to meet the terms implied under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (eg that they must be of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose)
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guarantee - you may choose to offer a guarantee to consumers with their goods. This means that you provide a legal promise, usually asserting that the goods are of good quality and that, if they’re found not to be so, the manufacturer (or seller) will provide repairs or replacements. Details of any guarantees you offer should be included with your goods when they’re delivered
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successors and subcontractors - this section deals with what happens if the benefits of this contract (ie the rights and entitlements that it confers) are transferred (ie ‘assigned’) to another party. It explains that, if this happens, the party that transferred their benefits under the contract will remain responsible for their responsibilities under it
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circumstances beyond the control of either party - these clauses explain what happens if an unforeseen event outside of both the business’ and customer’s control occurs, which makes performance of the contract (eg delivering items or payment) impossible. They explain what each party may be liable for in this situation, and that such situations will not impact consumers’ rights related to delivery and cancellation. For more information, read Force majeure
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privacy - this section sets out the data protection rights and responsibilities applicable under the contract. This includes providing links to the business’ data protection policies
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excluding liability - this clause explains the limits to the business’ liability (ie responsibility) if the consumer experiences loss due to a fault in the goods they’re supplied with. This clause reduces the risk that the business is exposed to when contracting to supply goods and reduces the likelihood of the business having to pay damages (ie compensation) to a consumer if something goes wrong. This clause is written in a manner which is fair to the consumer, in compliance with the Consumer Rights Act 2015, so that it can be enforceable. For more information, read Limitation of liability clauses
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governing law and jurisdiction - this section explains which country’s legal system must be used to resolve any disputes. This is necessary as the legal systems of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are different
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complaints - these clauses set out the business’ procedures for customer complaints. This may help the business to avoid legal disputes, if it helps to resolve any issues before they reach the point of litigation
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codes of conduct - these are sets of principles that the business has committed to adhering to, for example, a set of moral and ethical standards
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model cancellation form - this short form, at the bottom of the document, sets out which information consumers should give you if they wish to exercise their cancellation rights. It provides a template for them to use to provide this information
If you want your Terms and Conditions to include further or more detailed provisions, you can edit your document. However, if you do this, you may want a lawyer to review the document for you (or to make the changes for you) to make sure that your modified Terms and Conditions comply with all relevant laws and meet your specific needs. Use Rocket Lawyer’s Ask a lawyer service for assistance.
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Legal tips for businesses
Setting out the Terms and Conditions for your business’ supply of goods is an essential way of communicating the obligations and rights that will exist under your contract. It’s also an important way of complying with your legal obligations as a business supplying goods to consumers. To navigate this process with as little risk as possible, consider the following advice:
Be careful if you change any of the terms in your document
Consumer law is detailed and full of complex requirements aimed at upholding consumers’ rights (eg the law on unfair contract terms). As such, if you edit any of the terms in this document, especially those related to consumer rights or limiting liability, you should Ask a lawyer to review your changes to make sure your new document is legally valid. If not, you may not be able to enforce your contract if a dispute arises.
Make sure you incorporate your Terms and Conditions properly
Make sure you make your Terms and Conditions obvious to consumers during your website’s online ordering process. You should also make sure the process by which consumers agree to these terms is adequate to constitute their acceptance of your terms. If you don’t do this, your terms may not be incorporated into (ie legally made a part of) your contract for the sale of goods and, consequently, you may not be able to enforce them if a dispute arises. For more information, read the FAQ ‘How do I incorporate my Terms and Conditions into my contracts?’.
Understand when to seek advice from a lawyer
In some circumstances, it’s good practice to Ask a lawyer for advice to ensure you’re complying with the law and that your business is well protected from risk. You should ask for advice if you’re:
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unsure whether you need to use these Terms and Conditions
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unsure whether the goods you sell are of the type to which statutory cancellation rights apply
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selling regulated goods
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selling goods that focus on intellectual property
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selling digital content (additional requirements and different cancellation rights apply to the sale of digital content)
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selling goods overseas (including in the European Union (EU))
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Terms and Conditions for Sale of Goods to Consumers via a Website FAQs
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What's included in Terms and Conditions for the Sale of Goods to Consumers via a Website?
This document covers the Terms and Conditions that should be on a website, including terms on:
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forming contracts for the supply of goods
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price and payment
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specification of the goods (eg the standards they should meet)
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delivery
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information on consumers’ cancellation rights
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information on what should happen if an issue rises during a sale (eg if a product is faulty)
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information about consumers’ data protection and privacy rights
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Do I need Terms and Conditions for the Sale of Goods to Consumers via a Website?
Different Terms and Conditions should be used for different types of sales, as different laws will apply. This Terms and Conditions document is specifically created for the sale of goods (ie not services) to consumers (ie not businesses) online (ie not in person).
There is certain information that you must provide to consumers when selling to them via a website. This includes setting out the terms of the contract of sale such as prices and delivery provisions. Consumers must be told about their cancellation rights in relation to the goods they’re purchasing. For more information about the information that consumers must be given, read Online business regulations.
The best way to provide this mandatory information is contained in a clear Terms and Conditions document. This helps the terms you set out to be considered part of the contract of sale, which makes it more likely they will be legally binding if a dispute arises.
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Are Terms and Conditions legally binding?
Terms and Conditions are intended to form part of contracts between your business and consumers. In other words, they are meant to be ‘incorporated’ into the contract. Terms that form part of a contract are legally binding, as long as they are compliant with relevant laws (eg consumer protection laws).
There are certain steps you should follow to ensure that your Terms and Conditions are properly incorporated into your contract. Following these will help you to make sure they’re legally enforceable should an issue arise.
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How do I incorporate my Terms and Conditions into my contracts?
You must make reasonable efforts to bring your Terms and Conditions to a customer's attention before a sale takes place (ie before they complete their order). The best way to do this is by using a tick box that customers must click before placing an order, which attests that they have read and understood your Terms and Conditions, and that they accept them. For example, a box following the statement ‘I agree to the seller’s Terms and Conditions’, which should ideally link to your Terms and Conditions document. This is sometimes called using ‘click wrap’ terms.
It is usually inadequate for Terms and Conditions to only be provided via a link at, for example, the bottom of your webpage. More effort than this must be used to bring them to consumers’ attention.
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When might my Terms and Conditions not be binding?
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 prevents consumers from being legally bound by contractual terms that are considered ‘unfair’ to them. For example, a term which allows the seller to alter the contract’s terms without a valid and pre-specified reason, or a term allowing the seller to change the prices of goods, would be considered unfair.
This means that Terms and Conditions must be fair. If you include unfair terms like those above in your Terms and Conditions, they will not be implemented. Any terms not considered unfair will still, however, be implemented. This Terms and Conditions template is designed to avoid creating any unfair terms.
For more information, read Doing business with consumers.
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What are consumers’ statutory rights?
Consumers benefit from considerable legal protection, often referred to as their 'statutory rights'. These rights must be upheld in your Terms and Conditions and beyond. Compliance with consumer rights must be integral to the way your website operates. For example, there must be appropriate and compliant back-office procedures in place to ensure that all orders are confirmed and executed in line with your Terms and Conditions. You must also ensure that any changes to your terms are clearly updated on your website.
You cannot use Terms and Conditions to change or exclude consumers’ statutory rights. The words 'your statutory rights are not affected' are often used to demonstrate a seller’s understanding of this and to communicate this to consumers.
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Which statutory rights do consumers have, relevant to purchasing goods online?
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 grants consumers the right to purchase goods with certain ‘implied terms’ included in the contract that governs the purchase. This means that, when the consumer enters a contract, it’s assumed that the seller is contractually committing to provide goods which:
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are of satisfactory quality
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are fit for their intended purpose (eg if you’re buying a chair, it’s solid enough to sit on)
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match the description that was used to advertise or sell the goods to the consumer, if the consumer purchased their item(s) based on a description
If the seller breaches any of these terms (eg if goods are of unsatisfactory quality), consumers are entitled to reject the goods within 30 days in order to receive a refund. They may also be entitled to a repair or replacement of the goods.
You may consider enhancing this consumer right by offering a returns policy that allows consumers to change their minds about the goods for any reason (or for no reason) within a short period of time after they receive the goods. You may wish to provide a guarantee (ie a legal promise) to repair, replace or refund goods that are faulty.
For more information, read Doing business with consumers and Consumer rights.
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What cancellation rights do consumers have?
Consumers also have the right to cancel a purchase that they have made online within a 14-day ‘cooling-off’ period. Consumers must be given information about this right. There are exceptions to the cancellation right. For example, the right doesn’t cover cancelling purchases of perishable goods or personalised goods made specifically for them.
Read Doing business with consumers for more information on cancellation rights.
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What if I provide tailor-made or customised goods?
If you provide goods that are made to order, you can exclude consumers’ cancellation rights. However, such an exception wouldn't affect a customer's statutory rights in relation to faulty or misrepresented goods.
This means that, while consumers are not entitled to a 14-day cooling-off period, other statutory rights in relation to the quality of the goods continue to apply.
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Can I specify when payment is required?
Your T&Cs should set out when payment for the goods needs to be made. Note that the time period between payment and delivery of the goods can't be too far apart.
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What else should I provide in T&Cs?
You can use your Terms and Conditions to provide other information that must be given to consumers before a purchase. For example, it's a good idea to provide an email and/or postal address where the customer can send communications (eg a notice to cancel an order).
You should also set out the payment methods you accept and payment terms (eg that payment details must be provided when an order is placed but credit and debit cards will not be charged until goods are dispatched).
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