At this stage the right is usually lost not to the deadline but to the wording. The law demands no forms and no reasons, but it demands clarity — and a trace you can produce later.
How to declare withdrawal so that it works
Withdrawal is a statement to the trader from which the decision follows unambiguously. No reason is needed, but proof of sending is.
✓ Verified: 02/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
DOCUMENTS 2
› Details and tips
👩🏼💼
Lea recommends:
One short sentence decides it: I hereby withdraw from the contract for order number X of date Y. Everything else is courtesy; the proof sits in that sentence.
👨🏻💻
Max recommends:
I wrote in the support chat that the item did not suit me and thought that settled it. In the dispute it turned out that was no withdrawal: the crucial sentence was missing.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What form must the withdrawal take? ▾
A statement to the trader from which the consumer decision to withdraw follows unambiguously. No particular form is prescribed, but the decision must be clear: phrases such as it did not suit me are not in themselves a withdrawal.
Do I have to give a reason? ▾
No. The law states expressly that the withdrawal need contain no reason. The trader may ask for one for its own statistics, but you are not obliged to answer and nothing turns on it.
Must I use the trader form? ▾
No. The trader may offer the model withdrawal form or another unambiguous statement on its website, and if you use it the trader must confirm receipt without delay on a durable medium. You are not obliged to take that route.
Is simply sending the goods back enough? ▾
That is risky. A return without a statement can be read in different ways, and proving you withdrew in time becomes harder. It is safer to declare the withdrawal first and ship afterwards.