Distinguish statutory withdrawal, defective goods and voluntarily extended returns. The route below concerns online consumer purchases in the Netherlands. Business sales and special products can be treated differently. Match the information to your actual ordering and returns process, including the confirmations customers receive.
Notification and return are different deadlines
For ordinary goods, consumers generally may withdraw until 14 days after the day of receipt. They then normally have another 14 days to send the goods back. Provide correct information and the model form beforehand. Missing information can extend the withdrawal period; an internal return number must not become an extra mandatory barrier.
Apply exceptions carefully
Not every handmade or cosmetic product is excluded. Check actual personalisation or the conditions for a hygiene seal. Paid digital content requires prior express consent to delivery, acknowledgement of losing withdrawal rights and confirmation before access. Merely saying that delivery has started is insufficient.
What your policy and order flow must contain
Explain notification, return address, deadlines, charges, refunds and any statutory exceptions. ACM also describes a mandatory online withdrawal function from 25 June 2026: accessible during the withdrawal period, without a mandatory account, with a clear confirmation step and acknowledgement. Check your actual implementation; this guide does not prove a particular platform capability.
Return postage and refunds
Consumers can bear return postage if properly informed beforehand. Full withdrawal also requires refunding original standard delivery charges; extra charges for a more expensive selected delivery need not always be refunded. Refund within the statutory deadline; for goods, withholding until receipt or dispatch evidence is possible under conditions.
Inspection is allowed
Customers may unpack and try goods as needed to assess them. Do not impose a blanket requirement for unused goods, labels and original packaging. Handling beyond necessary inspection may justify diminished-value deductions under conditions. Record the actual damage and rationale; do not apply an automatic standard penalty.
Create one return record on receipt: order, item and accessories received, date, actual condition and agreed next action. Keep the refund traceable through its amount and provider reference. Explain any proposed reduction for diminished value separately to the customer; retain only data needed for handling and administration.
Prevent returns without restricting rights
Choose one recurring return reason, such as unclear sizing. Add the missing measurement or photo to that product page, then compare that same reason for the product later. Record defects separately. A customer may give a reason, but it must not be mandatory for the Dutch withdrawal process described here.
Frequently asked questions
Must packaging remain sealed? Not as a general rule; an applicable statutory seal exception is different. Can discounted goods be returned? A discount does not remove statutory rights. Can a form be mandatory? Provide the model form, but also accept another clear statement of withdrawal.
Test the complete route
Have someone withdraw an order, acknowledge receipt and process the refund in your records. Check the online function, email and order register together. Assign responsibility for deadlines. Also review privacy and retention for return records.
Sources and checks
Primary sources checked on 26 October 2026: ACM ConsuWijzer: withdrawal rights · ACM: withdrawal period and online function · ACM: written confirmation · ACM: mandatory sales information
