The deadline depends on why you're returning the item, where the purchase was made, and whether a seller policy or consumer law controls the transaction.

In the United States, ordinary online purchases generally follow the retailer's stated return policy. There's no general federal deadline for changing your mind about a website order. In the EU and UK, distance-selling rules usually provide 14 days to cancel, followed by another period to send goods back. Australia doesn't have a blanket 30-day online return right, but consumer guarantees cover faulty products.

A faulty, damaged, misrepresented, or missing item is separate from buyer's remorse. Don't assume that a retailer's voluntary return window decides whether you still have a legal remedy.

Return deadlines at a glance

Location or situation What usually controls the deadline
U.S., change of mind The retailer's written return policy; no general federal online return period
U.S., faulty item Warranty terms and applicable federal or state law; there's no single nationwide 90-day rule
EU, online purchase from a trader Generally 14 days to notify the trader, then 14 more days to send goods back, subject to exceptions
UK, distance purchase Generally 14 days to cancel, then another 14 days to return goods, subject to exceptions
Australia, change of mind The retailer's policy; Australian law doesn't generally require a refund for simple regret
Australia, faulty item Australian Consumer Law guarantees; a major problem can give you a choice of refund or replacement
Marketplace orders The seller's policy, marketplace rules, and mandatory local consumer law may all matter

These periods aren't interchangeable. A platform return deadline may be company policy. A cooling-off period or legal guarantee comes from consumer law.

Identify the type of return first

Before counting days, classify the problem:

Use the correct reason when contacting the seller. Reporting a defective laptop as a "change-of-mind return" can place the claim under the wrong policy.

United States: retailer policy usually sets the window

For a normal online purchase, federal law generally doesn't give you a fixed number of days to return an item just because you changed your mind. The seller's posted policy may say 14, 30, 60, or another period, or it may exclude change-of-mind returns entirely.

Check the policy for:

The FTC three-day rule isn't a general online return right

The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule guidance describes a three-business-day cancellation right for certain sales made at a home, workplace, dormitory, or temporary location such as a hotel room or convention site. It involves specific sales practices and cancellation procedures.

It isn't a blanket three-day return period for everything bought on a retailer's website. If an online purchase followed a covered high-pressure, in-person, or temporary-location sale, review the rule carefully. Otherwise, start with the retailer's policy.

Faulty U.S. purchases

A store's "30-day returns" rule for unwanted items isn't automatically the deadline for a defect claim. The relevant protection may come from a written manufacturer warranty, an express seller warranty, an implied warranty, or state law. Coverage varies by product and jurisdiction, so there's no reliable nationwide rule that every faulty item can be returned within 90 days.

If the item is defective:

  1. Photograph the problem and the packaging.
  2. Save the listing, order confirmation, delivery date, and warranty.
  3. Tell the seller in writing that the product is faulty or not as described.
  4. Request the remedy offered by the warranty or applicable law.
  5. Ask who pays return shipping before sending it back.

If the seller rejects the claim, ask for the decision and reason in writing. You can then contact the relevant state consumer-protection office, the manufacturer, or, if you paid by credit card, your card issuer about its billing-dispute process. A credit-card dispute is separate from the retailer's return policy, and issuer deadlines can vary. Debit, prepaid, ACH, and peer-to-peer payments follow different procedures.

European Union: 14 days to cancel many online purchases

For an online purchase from a professional trader, EU consumer rules generally give you a 14-day right of withdrawal for any reason, including changing your mind. The period normally begins after you receive the goods.

The process has two parts:

  1. Tell the trader that you want to cancel within the 14-day withdrawal period.
  2. Send the goods back within the following 14 days.

The trader generally must reimburse you within 14 days after being told about the withdrawal. The trader may be allowed to wait until receiving the goods or evidence that you sent them.

The Your Europe guide to shopping and consumer rights explains the right and its limits. Common exceptions include bespoke or made-to-measure goods, perishables, some sealed goods after opening, dated tickets or bookings, and digital content where performance began after you gave the required consent. Services can also have special cancellation rules if you asked the trader to start during the withdrawal period.

The 14-day withdrawal right normally concerns purchases from a trader, not every transaction between private individuals on a marketplace. Cross-border purchases can also involve questions about the trader's location and the law that applies.

Faulty EU goods are a separate issue

The EU's minimum legal guarantee for goods is generally two years at no cost, whether the purchase was made online or in a store. That guarantee covers goods that are defective or fail to match the contract. It isn't an extra two-year period for returning an unwanted item.

When a product is faulty, describe the defect and request a remedy under the legal guarantee. Don't let the seller process a defect as an ordinary change-of-mind return if doing so would reduce your protection.

United Kingdom: 14 days to cancel, then 14 days to return

For many goods bought online or otherwise at a distance, UK consumers generally have 14 days after receiving the goods to tell the seller they want to cancel. They then normally have another 14 days to send the goods back. The seller generally must refund within 14 days after receiving the goods or evidence that they were posted.

The Citizens Advice guidance on changing your mind explains the process and exceptions. Bespoke or made-to-measure goods are among the purchases that may not qualify. If the seller failed to provide required cancellation information in writing, the cancellation period can be extended by up to a year and 14 days.

The 14-day cancellation right is separate from rights for goods that are faulty, misdescribed, or unfit for purpose. For a problem with the product, state the problem clearly and rely on the applicable consumer-rights remedy rather than presenting it as simple buyer's remorse.

Australia: no automatic 30-day change-of-mind return

Australian Consumer Law doesn't generally require a business to refund an item merely because you changed your mind. A retailer may voluntarily offer 14, 30, or more days, but that's a store policy rather than a universal online entitlement.

Faulty products are different. Under the ACL, a product with a major problem can generally give the consumer a choice of refund or replacement. For a minor problem, the business will usually have an opportunity to repair, replace, or otherwise provide the required remedy. The guarantee period isn't a fixed 30 or 90 days; it depends on the product, its price, and the reasonable period it should last.

The ACCC guidance on repair, replacement, refund, and cancellation sets out these remedies. The ACCC has also warned about potentially misleading online terms that tell buyers they must report a faulty product within 30 days of delivery to receive a remedy. Its online shopping return-policy sweep provides examples of the concern.

For an Australian faulty-goods claim, keep proof of purchase and explain the problem. The product doesn't necessarily have to be in its original packaging, although the business can ask for reasonable proof that it was purchased there.

Canada and other countries

There's no safe single number for every country. National law, state or provincial rules, the seller's location, and whether the seller is a business or private individual can change the result.

If you're outside the U.S., EU, UK, or Australia:

  1. Check the retailer's terms shown at checkout and in your order account.
  2. Find the official consumer-protection authority for the place where the transaction is legally based.
  3. Check whether the seller is a professional trader or a private marketplace seller.
  4. Separate a change-of-mind request from a faulty, counterfeit, misdescribed, or undelivered-order complaint.

Don't automatically apply the EU's 14 days, a U.S. retailer's 30 days, or an old search result to a purchase in another country.

Amazon, eBay, Temu, Shein, Wish, and other marketplaces

Marketplace return policies aren't necessarily global. The deadline can depend on the seller, product category, destination, order date, delivery date, and reason for return. An order page may show a different period from the platform's general help page.

For a marketplace order, identify three separate layers:

A platform's buyer-protection deadline may expire even when a separate legal claim remains. Conversely, opening a platform case doesn't automatically prove that the seller violated consumer law. Save screenshots of the listing, seller identity, return terms, order status, and every support message.

How to calculate your real deadline

"Return within 30 days" can mean several different things. Before you act, determine:

  1. What starts the clock? It may be the order date, shipment date, delivery date, or the date you received a required notice.
  2. What action is due? You may need to submit a request, obtain authorization, hand the parcel to a carrier, or ensure the seller receives it.
  3. Does the policy use calendar or business days? The wording matters.
  4. Are there exceptions? Check final-sale, personalized, opened, damaged, and digital-content terms.
  5. Does a holiday extension actually appear in writing? Holidays don't create a universal automatic grace period.
  6. Is the claim about a defect? Faulty-goods deadlines and remedies may be different from ordinary returns.

For international shipping, customs delays don't automatically add extra days. Contact the seller before the deadline, request written instructions, and keep the tracking record.

Return an online purchase on time

1. Save the evidence

Download or screenshot the product page, return policy, order confirmation, delivery record, price, seller name, and any promised delivery or refund terms. Photograph damage, missing parts, serial numbers, and the parcel before discarding packaging.

2. Choose the correct reason

Select "change of mind" only when the item matches the order and has no defect. Choose the closest option for damage, wrong item, missing item, counterfeit concerns, or "not as described."

3. Notify the seller in writing

Use the retailer's return portal, email, or support chat. A clear message can say:

I am requesting a return for order [number], delivered on [date]. This is a [change-of-mind return under the stated policy / cancellation under applicable distance-selling rules / faulty or not-as-described claim]. Please confirm the return instructions, shipping responsibility, and refund process.

Keep the confirmation, case number, and timestamp.

4. Follow the shipping instructions

Use the seller's label or approved carrier when provided. Photograph the packed parcel, keep the receipt, and record the tracking number. Don't send a return to an address found in an old email or search result without confirming it.

5. Monitor the refund

Check the return tracking and your original payment account. Refund timing can depend on the seller receiving the goods, inspecting them, or receiving proof of shipment. EU and UK withdrawal rules provide specific refund timing, while U.S. and Australian change-of-mind refunds usually depend on policy.

6. Escalate in the right order

Follow up in writing if the seller misses its stated refund date. Then contact the marketplace, manufacturer, relevant consumer-protection authority, or your payment provider as appropriate. Tell a credit-card issuer about a possible billing dispute promptly; don't assume a 90-day chargeback deadline applies to every card or transaction.

Who pays return shipping?

There's no single worldwide answer.

For a U.S. or Australian change-of-mind return, the retailer's policy usually says whether the buyer pays, receives a label, or must return in another way. For EU and UK cancellations, review the information given before purchase and the seller's instructions. A faulty-goods claim should be kept separate from a voluntary return, because applicable guarantee or consumer-rights remedies may provide stronger protection, including a no-cost remedy in the EU.

Ask the seller to confirm the shipping arrangement before you post the item. If the item is defective, write that the return concerns a fault and keep the shipping receipt.

Common questions

Is a 30-day online return period required by law?

Not generally in the United States or Australia for a simple change of mind. Thirty days may be a retailer policy. The EU and UK have different statutory distance-selling rules, and other countries require separate research.

Does the FTC give me three days to return anything bought online?

No. The FTC Cooling-Off Rule covers certain sales at a home, workplace, dormitory, or temporary location. It isn't a universal three-day cancellation period for ordinary website orders.

Can I return an item after the retailer's normal window if it's faulty?

Possibly. A defect, safety problem, or misdescription may be governed by a warranty or consumer guarantee rather than the store's discretionary return policy. Report it promptly, preserve evidence, and ask for the remedy under the applicable rule.

Is an order confirmation enough as proof of purchase?

An order confirmation, invoice, delivery record, and payment statement are useful evidence, but there's no global rule that makes one specific document mandatory for every online return. Keep as much documentation as possible.

Do holiday sales automatically get extra return time?

No. A holiday extension applies only when the retailer offers it or a local rule requires it. Save the exact extension shown on the product page, receipt, or order account.

Before shipping anything, save the return terms, note the delivery date, and submit your return or defect notice in writing. Keep the tracking number until the refund appears.