Consumer Rights in Germany: Returns, Warranty, and Redress

You bought something online and you do not want to keep it, or it arrives damaged. For most purchases from a business website, you have 14 days to send it back with no reason (Widerrufsrecht). You also have a two-year legal warranty (Gewährleistung) against defects. That warranty still applies after the return window closes.

How shops handle a complaint in practice is covered in How German Customer Service Works.

Sending an online order back

The 14-day withdrawal right covers most online purchases from businesses. You do not need a reason. It does not cover personalized or custom-made goods, sealed hygiene or software you have opened, perishable food, or services that are already fully performed.

On large platforms such as Amazon, Otto, and similar shops, returns are usually automated through an account portal or app. Those retailers often give you more than 14 days, though many have shortened those longer windows again lately. The legal minimum is still 14 days; anything beyond that is the shop’s own policy.

1. Tell the seller in writing within 14 days (email is fine and gives you a timestamp). On big platforms, start the return in their system within their stated window.
2. Return the goods in time.
3. The seller must refund the product price and the original standard delivery cost you paid.
4. Return shipping may be yours unless they offered free returns. Check before you buy.

The 14 days usually start when you receive the item, not when you order it. You do not need the original box. Any packaging that protects the product is fine, though you can be liable if careless packing damages it.

Screenshot descriptions and prices before you pay. PayPal or a credit card often give stronger buyer protection than a plain bank transfer. Keep receipts for at least two years; a phone photo is enough.

Defects: legal warranty vs manufacturer promise

Gewährleistung is the legal two-year warranty against defects for consumer goods bought from a business.

• In the first 12 months, a defect is presumed to have existed at purchase. The seller must prove otherwise.
• After 12 months, you may need to show it was already there.
• The seller must offer repair, replacement, or a refund.

A Garantie is a voluntary extra from the manufacturer, often one to five years. It adds to your legal rights. It does not replace them.

If the product is defective, contact the seller first, not only the manufacturer. If they refuse a valid claim, keep emails, photos, and receipts, then go to your local consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale). For disputes with EU sellers, the EU Consumer Redress portal lists dispute bodies.

Phone and internet contracts have their own cancellation rules in Phone and Internet Contracts in Germany. Recurring subscriptions are covered in How to Cancel Auto-Renewing Contracts in Germany.

Tests, shelf prices, and gift cards

Stiftung Warentest is the independent tester (founded in 1964). Ratings use the German school scale from sehr gut (very good) to mangelhaft (poor). Detailed tests on test.de often cost about €2.50 to €5. Public libraries often stock the magazine. In shops, Testsieger on a pack means that product won a test. It does not mean every review is perfect.

If the till price is higher than the shelf label, staff often honour the lower shelf price, though the law does not always require it. Photograph a large gap.

Gift cards must stay valid for at least one year, and many last three years. Check the expiry date when you buy and before you spend.

Bottle deposits (Pfand) at the supermarket are a grocery habit, not a warranty issue. Amounts and machines are in Grocery Shopping in Germany.

The Verbraucherzentrale network publishes free information in every state. Personal advice and formal letters to companies may cost a small fee.

Common questions

How long do I have to return something I bought online in Germany?

14 days for most purchases from a business website, and you do not need a reason. The clock usually starts when you receive the item. Tell the seller in writing. They must refund the product price and the original standard delivery cost. Return shipping may be yours unless they offered free returns.

What can I not return within 14 days in Germany?

Personalized or custom-made goods, sealed hygiene products or software you have opened, perishable food, and services that are already fully performed. Amazon and Otto often give more than 14 days. That extra time is the shop’s policy, not the legal minimum.

What is the difference between Gewährleistung and Garantie?

Gewährleistung is the legal two-year warranty against defects. In the first 12 months, a defect is presumed to have existed at purchase, and the seller must prove otherwise. A Garantie is a voluntary extra from the manufacturer. It adds to your legal rights. It does not replace them. Contact the seller first.

How long do gift cards last in Germany?

At least one year, and many last three years. Check the expiry when you buy and again before you spend.

Useful links

• Stiftung Warentest (test.de)
• Verbraucherzentrale
• EU Consumer Redress

Related pitfalls

Common mistakes to avoid

Short warnings linked to this guide. Each item highlights a costly or legal slip newcomers often make.

1. Assuming every contract has a 14-day cooling-off period

   Medium

   The 14-day withdrawal right covers online and doorstep contracts, including many phone and internet deals ordered online. A contract signed in a shop usually has no cooling-off period. Phone and internet deals signed in store can still lock you in for up to 24 months at first. A defect is different: the legal warranty runs two years, and the seller repairs or replaces before the sale is cancelled.