Published: August 22, 2026
What the buyer is entitled to
A consumer who ordered at a distance may withdraw within 14 days without giving a reason. This is not a complaint and does not require anything to be wrong with the goods.
The obligation comes from consumer protection law, not from tax rules, so it applies to any webshop selling to consumers.
What the webshop must provide
It is not enough for a line about returns to exist somewhere. The buyer must receive this before confirming the order, clearly and on a durable medium.
- Notice of the right of withdrawal, with the deadline and how to exercise it.
- The standard withdrawal form, available to the buyer even though its use is optional.
- Who bears the cost of returning the goods. If you did not say, the cost falls on you.
- The address and contact to which the withdrawal statement is sent.
- An order confirmation on a durable medium that contains or attaches this information.
If the notice is missing, the period does not lapse after 14 days but extends by up to twelve months.
How to implement it
Technically it is a small job, but it has to sit in four places rather than one:
- A dedicated page with the withdrawal terms, linked from the footer and the cart.
- A clear notice at checkout, before the confirm button.
- The withdrawal form as a PDF or an on-site form, plus a link in the confirmation e-mail.
- A block in the order confirmation e-mail, because that is the durable medium, a web page is not.
In Fiskalizator that block goes out automatically with the confirmation and the invoice.
Refunds and returns
Once the buyer declares withdrawal, two separate deadlines run:
- You refund without delay, at the latest 14 days from receiving the statement, using the same payment method.
- You also refund delivery, but only up to the cheapest standard option you offered.
- You may withhold the refund until the goods are back or the buyer proves dispatch, whichever comes first.
- The buyer returns the goods within 14 days, bearing the cost if you informed them in advance.
- The buyer is liable for diminished value if they handled the goods more than needed to establish their nature.
When the right does not apply
Exceptions exist and are worth knowing. Always check the exact wording of the law for your case:
- Goods made to the buyer's specification or clearly personalised.
- Perishable goods or goods with a short shelf life.
- Sealed goods unsuitable for return on health or hygiene grounds once unsealed.
- Sealed audio, video or software once unsealed.
- Digital content supplied without a physical medium, with the buyer's express prior consent and acknowledgement.
- Newspapers and magazines, other than subscriptions.
An exception is not automatic. If you rely on one, the buyer must be told before the purchase.
What about the EU withdrawal button?
Separately, the EU introduced a withdrawal function, a button that declares withdrawal in a couple of clicks. Directive (EU) 2023/2673 introduces it for distance contracts for consumer financial services, a narrower scope than a general webshop.
If you do not sell financial services, your obligation still comes from the general consumer rules above. The button is still worth building because it cuts e-mails and disputes.
- Directive (EU) 2023/2673, full text EUR-Lex, the official source
- Croatian Consumer Protection Act consolidated text
This is not legal advice
This describes how the obligation is implemented in a webshop, written from the perspective of someone who builds such systems. For the wording of your own terms, consult a lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the 14-day period apply to business buyers?
- No. The right belongs to consumers, meaning natural persons buying outside their trade.
- Must the buyer use your form?
- No. Any unequivocal statement suffices. You must offer the form; the buyer need not use it.
- Who pays return shipping?
- The buyer, but only if you clearly informed them before the purchase. Otherwise you bear it.
- Do we refund the original delivery too?
- Yes, but only up to the cheapest standard delivery you offered.
- What if the buyer used the goods?
- Withdrawal still stands, but the buyer is liable for diminished value beyond what was needed to establish the nature and function of the goods.
Get compliant in 15 minutes
Fiskalizator issues fiscal receipts (JIR/ZKI) and e-invoices - for Shopify, WooCommerce or manually. 14-day free trial.