If you sell to customers in the EU, you may have heard about new requirements around a customer’s “right to withdraw”. Although the legal language can sound intimidating, the principle is quite simple:
- When someone buys something online they usually have 14 days to change their mind and cancel their purchase.
- This has always been the case, however moving forward these rules mean we need to make it easier for eligible buyers to exercise this right.
- As of June 19th 2026, online retailers selling into the EU are required to implement an electronic withdrawal function to make it easier for customers to exercise these rights.
This means that you’ll start to see a few changes to how withdrawals are handled on Folksy.
What is the EU ‘right to withdraw’?
When a consumer buys from a business online (or by phone etc), they normally have a 14 day cooling off period. They don’t need to give a reason for cancelling their order in this time.
For physical goods, the 14 days begin when the customer receives their order. If they decide to cancel within that period, they’ll usually need to return the item, and the seller must refund the purchase. This right only applies to sales made by businesses to consumers.
Does this apply to personalised or made to order products?
Often, no. But it really depends on the circumstances of the order.
One of the most important exceptions is for goods that are made to a customer’s specification or are clearly personalised. If you’ve created something especially for a customer – for example a commissioned painting, an engraved piece of jewellery, a custom bench etc – the customer generally doesn’t have the automatic right to cancel simply because they have changed their mind.
Many Folksy sellers will fall into this category, which means the standard 14 day withdrawal right may not apply. However if you sell ready made products that aren’t personalised or customised, those items may still be covered by the right to withdraw.
It’s also worth remembering that this legislation is about changing your mind. It doesn’t affect a customer’s rights if an item arrives damaged, is faulty or isn’t as described.
How is Folksy supporting sellers?
While not every Folksy seller ships to the EU, many do. To help everyone stay compliant with the new requirements, we’re making a few changes to how order withdrawals are handled on Folksy.
When a buyer wants to exercise their right to withdraw, they will now be able to do so through Folksy using an easy-to-find withdrawal option on their order page and in relevant email communications.
This process includes:
- an ‘easy to find’ withdrawal function to the orders page, and email communications for buyers
- a two step withdrawal confirmation process, so after a customer clicks on a withdrawal button or link they have to confirm the withdrawal
- an automatic confirmation of withdrawal request email sent to the customer
- an automatic withdrawal request email sent to the seller with instructions on the next steps required from the seller to complete the process. These instructions include:
- Details of the order and amount
- If you’ve already dispatched the item/s
- You will need to reach out to the buyer to arrange a return, and once you have received the return you can organise the refund.
- If you haven’t dispatched the item/s yet
- You will need to refund the payment then send support@folksy.co.uk a screenshot of the completed refund. At this point we can refund your commission and delete the order.
These measures give buyers a simple way to exercise their legal rights and provide you both with a clear record of when the request was made.
If you are unclear about whether to accept a requested order withdrawal you can speak to the wonderful Support team who will be happy to help by emailing support@folksy.co.uk.
Please note: This post will be updated as further information or changes are implemented.
