Withdrawal request received: what to do, step by step

The button is in place, the obligation is in force, and the first requests are starting to land in your dashboard. What do you actually have to do when a customer withdraws? The rule fits in one sentence: acknowledge receipt immediately, check eligibility, arrange the return if needed, refund within 14 days, and keep proof of everything. Here is the detail, in order, with the traps to avoid.

In short

When you receive a valid withdrawal request for an eligible purchase, you must refund the customer within 14 days (Directive 2011/83/EU, art. 13) using the same means of payment as the order, unless the customer expressly agrees to another means. For goods, you may wait until you have recovered them (or proof of their dispatch) before refunding. A late refund triggers a statutory increase of the sums due. All of this must be recorded: a withdrawal request is first and foremost a matter of proof.

Step 1: Acknowledge receipt, without delay

As soon as a request arrives, the customer must receive an acknowledgement of receipt on a durable medium (typically an email they can keep). This is not a courtesy: it is an obligation, and it is also your first piece of supporting evidence. It records the date of the request, which sets your own deadlines running.

If you use a compliant mechanism, this acknowledgement is automatic: the customer immediately receives a timestamped confirmation, and you have nothing to write by hand. We set out why the durable medium matters in acknowledgement of receipt and durable medium.

Step 2: Check that the purchase is eligible

Not all sales give rise to a right of withdrawal. Before refunding, check that the purchase does not fall within the exceptions of the Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU, art. 16): goods made to measure, perishable goods, downloaded digital content performed with express agreement, a service fully performed before the end of the period, a sealed product unsealed on health grounds, and so on.

Two precautions:

• The exception must be proved. For digital content and services, it requires the customer's express agreement and an explicit waiver obtained at the time of purchase. Without that record, the exception does not hold.
• The doubt benefits the customer. If eligibility is uncertain, wrongly refusing is more costly than refunding: an unjustified refusal exposes you, and the withdrawal period may be extended. We frame legitimate refusals in can a merchant refuse a withdrawal?.

Step 3: Arrange the return of the goods (if there are goods)

For a physical product, the customer must send it back to you within 14 days of their request. You, for your part, are not required to refund before you have recovered the goods or received proof of their dispatch, whichever of the two dates comes first. This nuance avoids paying for a return that will never arrive: we explain it in should you refund before receiving the return?.

Two frequent points:

• Return costs are borne by the customer, provided you informed them of this before the purchase. Failing that information, they remain at your expense.
• Depreciation: if the goods have been handled beyond what is necessary to try them, you can reduce the refund proportionately. This is framed and must be justified: see reducing the refund for a used product.

Step 4: Refund within 14 days

This is the central obligation (Directive 2011/83/EU, art. 13). You refund the full sums paid, including the initial standard delivery costs, within 14 days. The refund is made by the same means of payment as the order, unless the customer expressly accepts another means, and free of charge for them. A credit note imposed as a matter of course is not compliant: we set out the right reflexes in how to refund: means of payment and credit note.

Special case: if the customer withdraws only from part of the order, you refund only the items concerned, and the delivery costs follow a specific rule. We deal with this in partial withdrawal from an order.

Step 5: Close and keep the proof

Once the refund has been made, mark the request as closed in your dashboard, with an internal note if needed (date of the refund, amount, any depreciation applied). The point is not administrative: it is your protection in the event of a dispute or an inspection.

A properly handled withdrawal request leaves an enforceable record: the timestamped request, the acknowledgement of receipt, then the refund. This is exactly what distinguishes a mechanism that covers you from a mere form. We explain the evidential mechanics in proof of withdrawal with evidential value, and a third party can check a proof from verify a proof of withdrawal.

The checklist

1. Acknowledgement of receipt sent to the customer on a durable medium, on the date of the request.
2. Eligibility checked against the Directive 2011/83/EU (art. 16) exceptions (and a record of the express agreement where applicable).
3. Return of the goods arranged: refund possible on receipt of the goods or of proof of dispatch.
4. Full refund within 14 days, same means of payment, free of charge.
5. Closure of the request and retention of the proof.

This article is general information and does not constitute legal advice. For the exact wording, refer to the Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU).