The Right of Withdrawal in Italy: Rules for Online Sellers

The right of withdrawal is one of the cornerstones of European consumer protection. It comes from the Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU), which gives most consumers who buy at a distance — typically online — a 14-day period in which they can change their mind and return the goods for a refund, without giving a reason. If your PrestaShop store sells to consumers in Italy, this right applies to your sales regardless of where your business is established.

This guide explains, in practical terms, how the withdrawal right works for a merchant selling into the Italian market. It is a starting point rather than a definitive statement of the law, so treat the national specifics as prompts to check with the relevant authority rather than as guarantees. For the wider framework, see our withdrawal-button law page and the complete withdrawal button guide.

The EU baseline that applies in Italy

Because the Directive sets a common standard across the Union, the essentials are the same whether your customer is in Rome, Milan or Naples. A consumer buying goods at a distance generally has 14 days to withdraw, and that period runs from the day the consumer takes physical possession of the goods — from delivery, not from the order date.

Within the withdrawal window the consumer does not need to justify the decision. Once they have withdrawn, you must reimburse all payments received, including the standard cost of delivery, within 14 days. You may hold the refund until you have received the goods back or have proof that they have been dispatched.

The model withdrawal form

The Directive requires traders to make a model withdrawal form available so consumers have a clear, ready-made way to exercise the right. Consumers may also withdraw by any other unambiguous statement, but the form must be provided. In the Italian market you should expect consumer-facing information, including the model form, to be available in Italian.

How Italy implements the right

Italy transposes the Directive through its consumer code, the Codice del Consumo. This means the core rules an Italian consumer relies on — the 14-day period, the reimbursement duty, the information obligations — sit within Italian statute law and are read and applied in that national context rather than directly from the EU text.

Enforcement in Italy is a national matter. The authority most closely associated with consumer protection and unfair-commercial-practice oversight is the AGCM (the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato). It is the AGCM, rather than any EU-level body, that supervises traders and can act on consumer-protection concerns in the Italian market, so the practical texture of enforcement is domestic even though the underlying right is European.

The information duty and the 12-month extension

The most important consequence to remember is what happens if you fail to inform the consumer about the right of withdrawal. Where the required information is missing, the withdrawal period is extended by up to 12 months. A customer could return goods and reclaim the price long after you assumed the sale was final, so a small omission in your Italian-language checkout can turn a 14-day window into a year-long liability across every affected order.

An omitted withdrawal notice does not simply risk a fine — it silently extends your refund exposure by up to a year on every order it touches.

Exceptions to keep in mind

Not every sale carries a withdrawal right. The Directive lists categories where it does not normally apply, and these carry across into Italian law. Common examples include:

• Goods made to the consumer’s specifications or clearly personalised.
• Perishable goods, such as food that can deteriorate quickly.
• Sealed goods unsuitable for return once unsealed for health or hygiene reasons.

Where an exception applies, tell the consumer clearly, before they order, that the withdrawal right will not be available for that item.

Putting it into practice

For a store selling into Italy, the practical checklist is the same as elsewhere in the Union: present the 14-day right and its conditions clearly at checkout, provide the model withdrawal form in Italian, reimburse within 14 days including standard delivery, and confirm the information on a durable medium. If you would like a structured review, our PrestaShop compliance audit maps each requirement against your live checkout.

This article is educational and does not constitute legal advice.