§ 21. When does the withdrawal period start and how long does it last?

The withdrawal period (angrefrist) is 14 days. When you buy goods, it starts on the day you receive the goods. When you buy services, it starts on the day the contract was entered into. If the seller has not given you information about the right of withdrawal (angrerett), the period is extended to 12 months. If you receive the information later, you have 14 days from then.

The Right of Withdrawal Act (angrerettloven)·LOV-2014-06-20-27

Machine-translated from Norwegian. The Norwegian text is the one that applies. Read the original in Norwegian.Norsk English العربية Polski Українська

The text of the law (unofficial translation)

The withdrawal period expires 14 days from the day the contract for a service was entered into, or the day the consumer (forbruker) takes physical possession of the goods. This is: a. for goods ordered together and delivered in several shipments, the day the consumer takes physical possession of the last of the goods, b. for goods consisting of several lots or parts, the day the consumer takes physical possession of the last lot or the last part, c. for contracts for regular delivery of goods, the day the consumer takes physical possession of the first of the goods.

A third party other than the carrier, whom the consumer has designated in their place, is treated in the same way as the consumer.

If the trader (næringsdrivende) does not give the consumer information about the right of withdrawal in accordance with § 8 first paragraph letter h, the withdrawal period expires 12 months after the end of the original withdrawal period, cf. the first paragraph.

If the trader gives the consumer information about the right of withdrawal under § 8 first paragraph letter h within 12 months from the day referred to in the first paragraph, the withdrawal period expires 14 days after the day the consumer received the information.

Source: Lovdata — Angrerettloven (the Right of Withdrawal Act) § 21

What does this mean?

§ 21 tells you how long the period is and from which day it counts.

Main rule: 14 days.

When does the clock start?

For services: the day the contract was entered into. For an online purchase, this usually means the day you clicked "Order and pay".

For goods: the day you took physical possession of the goods. It is not the order confirmation (ordrebekreftelse), not the dispatch, not the time the post was delivered — it is the day you yourself (or someone on your behalf) received the parcel.

Special rules for different deliveries:

Others on your behalf. If you have asked someone else — for example a neighbour — to receive the parcel, it counts as received by you at the same time. But this does not apply to the carrier itself (Posten, Bring, etc.). The parcel is not "received" just because Bring has it at the terminal.

Extended period if the seller did not inform you:

This is a strong sanction. If the seller has not given you information about the right of withdrawal under § 8 letter h — that is, has not told you that the right of withdrawal exists, or has not given you a withdrawal form (angreskjema) — your period is extended to 14 days plus 12 months.

If the seller corrects this and gives you the information within these 12 months, the period is "reset" to 14 days from when you received the information.

Examples

Anne buys shoes from Zalando. The shoes are delivered on a Monday. The Monday does not count (under § 6 on calculating periods) — day 1 is Tuesday. Day 14 is the Monday two weeks later. She has the right of withdrawal up to and including that Monday.

Lars buys a large furniture set: a coffee table and a sofa. The coffee table arrives on Wednesday, the sofa not until two weeks later on a Thursday. Under § 21 first paragraph letter a, the period starts from when the last item is received — that is, the Thursday. He has 14 days from then, not from the first delivery.

Eva buys a lamp from a foreign online shop for NOK 1,400. There is no information about the right of withdrawal either in the order or in the confirmation email. Three months later she changes her mind and wants to return it. She is within the period. Under § 21 third paragraph, the withdrawal period is extended to 12 months plus 14 days because the seller breached the duty to provide information (opplysningsplikt) in § 8 letter h. Eva sends a notice of withdrawal (angremelding) and demands her money back.

Common mistakes

  1. You think the period starts when the seller sent the goods. It starts when you received them. Slow dispatch by the seller does not give you a shorter period.
  2. You think "Bring has my item" means it has been received. It does not. The item must be in your physical possession — on your doormat, in your hand, or with a designated person (not the carrier).
  3. You think the seller can shorten the period in its terms. They cannot (see § 3). 14 days is the minimum.
  4. You think "12 months" always applies. It only applies when the seller has not informed you about the right of withdrawal. If the seller sent correct information, the period is 14 days.

What should you do?

When you have bought something:

Frequently asked questions

What if Posten delivered to my neighbour without my permission?
Then the item has not yet been "received" by you. The period starts when you yourself take over the item. Tell Posten — delivery to an unauthorised third party is their fault, not yours.
What about parcel lockers from Posten?
When the item is in the parcel locker and ready for collection, it is at your disposal. Many interpret this as "received". To be safe: do not wait unnecessarily long to collect it — the period may start from the first day it is available.
What counts as "information about the right of withdrawal" from the seller?
There must be clear information that the right of withdrawal exists, how long the period is, how to withdraw, and a standard withdrawal form. Small print at the bottom of an invoice is rarely enough.
Related sections
All §§ in the Right of Withdrawal Act →
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