Bedenktijd

The cooling-off period, also known as the withdrawal period, affords consumers in the Netherlands the right to terminate an agreement within a specified timeframe. This provision applies primarily to distance contracts, such as online purchases, and to door-to-door sales.

The statutory cooling-off period is generally fourteen days and commences upon the consumer’s receipt of the products or conclusion of the service agreement. Its purpose is to protect consumers from hasty decisions.

In practice, the cooling-off period prevents consumers from being inadvertently bound by contracts concluded under pressure or without adequate information. Traders are obliged to inform consumers of the existence and duration of the cooling-off period.