E-commerce law basics: right of withdrawal, pricing, terms

The short answer

Selling to consumers online in the European Union brings a defined set of obligations, most of them about information and timing rather than about what you may sell. Before the consumer is bound, you must provide specific information: who you are, the main characteristics of the goods or services, the total price including taxes and all unavoidable charges, delivery costs, the arrangements for payment and delivery, the existence and conditions of the right of withdrawal with the model form, the duration of the contract, and the complaint handling process. The order button itself must make clear that placing the order creates an obligation to pay. After the order, a confirmation must be provided on a durable medium repeating the key terms. Consumers have fourteen days to withdraw from a distance contract, subject to the listed exceptions, without giving a reason, running from delivery for goods and from conclusion for services, with a listed set of exceptions. Terms that try to restrict these rights are unenforceable, so a shop’s conditions should implement the rules clearly rather than fight them.

The core obligations

Obligation	What it means in the shop
Pre-contract information	Identity, characteristics, total price, delivery costs, payment and delivery arrangements, withdrawal conditions, complaint handling, all before the order is placed
Price transparency	Total including tax and unavoidable charges; delivery costs shown before binding; no pre-ticked extras
Order button	Wording that makes the payment obligation explicit, such as order with obligation to pay; without it the consumer is not bound by the contract or order (Article 8(2))
Confirmation	On a durable medium, within a reasonable time, repeating the key terms and the withdrawal form
Right of withdrawal	Fourteen days, no reason required, from delivery for goods; if the withdrawal information was not given it runs twelve months longer, and if it is supplied within those twelve months the period ends fourteen days after the consumer receives it (Article 10)
Withdrawal form	The model form made available; other clear statements also accepted
Refunds	Within fourteen days of being informed, including standard delivery costs paid outbound
Return costs	Borne by the consumer only if they were told so in advance
Delivery	Without undue delay and within thirty days unless agreed otherwise
Conformity and guarantees	Statutory conformity rights apply alongside any commercial guarantee
Exceptions	Listed and narrow; must be communicated in advance

Implementing it in a store

Where shops get caught out

Pre-ticked boxes adding insurance or express delivery. Delivery costs appearing only at the last step. An order button labelled with a vague word. Exceptions claimed for products that are not actually made to order. Refunds delayed until the returned item has been inspected beyond the statutory limits. Price reductions announced without the reference price rules. Each is a small configuration choice in the shop, and each is the kind of thing that generates complaints and, at scale, attention from consumer authorities.

What this means for you

Selling to European consumers means giving defined information before the order, pricing transparently including tax and delivery, labelling the order button as a payment obligation, confirming durably, and honouring the fourteen-day withdrawal right with refunds inside the statutory period. Write your terms and returns policy to implement those rules, apply exceptions only where they genuinely fit, and check the checkout flow itself rather than trusting the terms page. This is general information rather than legal advice.