§ 24. The seller has 14 days to pay you back
After you have withdrawn from the purchase, the seller must pay back all the money you have paid — within 14 days of receiving the notice of withdrawal (angremelding). The refund (tilbakebetaling) must be made using the same payment method (betalingsmiddel) you used. The seller can withhold the money until the goods have been received back or you have documented that they have been sent. You do not have to pay a fee.
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 trader (næringsdrivende) shall reimburse all payments received from the consumer (forbruker). If the consumer has expressly chosen a type of delivery other than the standard delivery offered by the trader, the trader shall nevertheless not pay the additional costs (tilleggskostnader) this entailed.
The refund shall be made without undue delay, and no later than 14 days from when the trader was informed of the consumer's decision to exercise the right of withdrawal (angrerett) under § 20. Unless otherwise expressly agreed with the consumer, the refund shall be made using the same payment method as the consumer used. The consumer shall not pay any form of fee as a result of the refund.
The trader may withhold the refund until the goods have been received, or until the consumer has provided documentation that the goods have been sent back. This does not apply when the trader has offered to collect the goods.
In the case of contracts concluded off-premises (utenom faste forretningslokaler), where the goods were delivered to the consumer's home at the time the contract was concluded, the trader shall collect the goods at its own expense if, by their nature, they cannot normally be returned by ordinary post.
If it has been agreed that the goods are to be collected from the consumer, and this does not happen within three months from the day the trader was notified under § 20, the goods pass to the consumer free of charge.
What does this mean?
§ 24 governs what the seller is obliged to do once you have withdrawn from the purchase.
All the money must be returned. This means the price of the goods, standard shipping from the seller to you, and any other costs you paid in connection with the purchase.
One exception — you chose more expensive delivery. If you chose express shipping or another upgraded delivery, the seller only has to refund standard shipping. You have to bear the extra cost of choosing the more expensive option yourself.
Deadline: 14 days. The refund must be in your account or on your card no later than 14 days after the seller received your notice of withdrawal. Not 14 days after they received the goods — 14 days after the notice of withdrawal.
Same payment method. If you paid with Vipps, you get the money back to Vipps. If you paid with Visa, the money goes back to the card. The seller cannot give you "credit notes" or store credit instead, unless you expressly agree to it.
No fees. The seller cannot deduct a "handling fee", "return fee" or anything else from the refund. You must get the full amount back.
The seller can withhold — temporarily. There is one important nuance: the seller is allowed to wait with the refund until they have:
- received the goods back, or
- you have documented that the goods have been sent (typically a shipping receipt from Posten)
This does not apply if the seller has offered to collect the goods — then they simply have to pay back within 14 days.
Special rule for home sales of large goods: If the seller delivered the goods to your home when the contract was concluded, and the goods cannot be sent by ordinary post — for example a large sofa or a heavy appliance — the seller must collect them at its own expense.
Three-month rule for collection: If the seller is to collect the goods and does not come within three months after receiving the notice of withdrawal, the goods become yours free of charge. The seller no longer has any claim to them.
Examples
Anne bought shoes from Zalando for NOK 1,200 and NOK 79 in shipping — NOK 1,279 in total. She changes her mind after a week and sends the shoes back with Posten. She keeps the shipping receipt and sends a copy to Zalando. Under § 24, Zalando must refund the full NOK 1,279 — the price of the goods plus standard shipping — within 14 days of the notice of withdrawal.
Lars bought a lamp for NOK 1,800 and chose express shipping for NOK 199 (standard shipping would have been NOK 79). He changes his mind. The seller must refund NOK 1,800 (the price of the lamp) and NOK 79 (standard shipping). They do not have to refund the extra shipping of NOK 120 (199 - 79). It was Lars who chose express delivery, and he must bear the extra cost.
Eva had a home visit from a furniture company and bought a large sofa for NOK 18,000, which was delivered at the same time. She changes her mind two days later. The sofa cannot be sent by ordinary post. Under § 24 fourth paragraph, the seller must collect the sofa from her — at its own expense. The seller has three months to do so. If they do not come within three months, the sofa becomes Eva's free of charge.
Common mistakes
- Sellers offering a "credit note" instead of a refund. This is not lawful without your consent. You are entitled to get the money back to the same payment method.
- Sellers deducting a "return fee" from the refund. This is not lawful. The refund must be in full and without fees.
- You wait passively for the money. The seller has 14 days after receiving the notice of withdrawal. If it takes longer, send an email and refer to § 24.
- The seller says they are waiting for the goods — without mentioning documentation. If you have a shipping receipt from Posten, the seller no longer has the right to withhold the refund.
What should you do?
If the seller has not paid within 14 days, send a payment reminder. Refer to § 24 and state that the deadline has expired. If nothing happens, complain to the Norwegian Consumer Council (Forbrukerrådet) or the Norwegian Consumer Authority (Forbrukertilsynet). You can also take the case to the Conciliation Board (forliksrådet) — the cost is low, and right of withdrawal cases are often easy to win.
After you have withdrawn from the purchase:
- Send the goods back quickly (within 14 days)
- Keep the shipping receipt from Posten — ideally take a photo of it
- Send the seller a copy of the receipt by email
- Keep an eye on your account — the refund must arrive within 14 days of the notice of withdrawal
- If it does not arrive, send a reminder referring to § 24
Frequently asked questions
What about PayPal fees that were deducted?
Can the seller refund by bank transfer instead of to the card I used?
What if the seller has gone bankrupt?
- § 20How to use the right of withdrawal
- § 23What happens legally when you withdraw
- § 25Your obligations when returning goods
- § 9You do not have to pay hidden costs