Who hasn’t encountered opening a package box and not liking what they ordered? For Anabel, Galician lawyer and co-founder of Entretogasyheelsthe solution is clear and legal.
“By law, in Spain, you have 14 calendar days to return any online purchase without explanations,” he explains in a TikTok video, remembering that the consumer has ‘the upper hand’ even if the store objects.
What the law says
This is a right protected by Royal Legislative Decree 1/2007. According to article 102 of this General Law for the Defense of Consumers, any buyer has two weeks to back out without penalty.
And, in a Spain where online purchases already move 125,000 million euros annually, this regulation sustains the trust of more than 26 million regular Internet users.
The most recent data confirms that this right is increasingly ‘executed’, especially in the fashion sector where returns are around 30% of sales. The law is so strict that, if a website forgets to inform the customer about this 14-day period, the right to return the product is automatically extended for a further 12 months.
“You eat it with potatoes”: the exceptions
However, there are limits that the consumer must know to avoid surprises. As the lawyer warns, “this is not magical Amazon.” Article 103 of the BOE details that certain products lose the right of withdrawal as soon as they are personalized or unsealed for hygiene reasons. If the product has been created exclusively for the buyer, the law no longer protects in the same way.
In the specialist’s words, the rule is easy to remember: “If you order a cup with your face, you eat it with potatoes.” The same applies to unsealed underwear, earrings or cosmetics, as well as digital content whose download has already started.
In 2026, the courts have reinforced that companies cannot invent extra “handling fees” to deter the customer, but they can require the customer to bear the cost of return shipping.
How to claim the money
Exercising this right is simpler than it seems and does not require bureaucracy. It is not enough to ignore the package or not pick it up; The ideal is active communication. “You write them an email and say: ‘I exercise my right of withdrawal’ and that’s it,” recommends Anabel. Once the decision is notified, the businessman has another 14 days to refund every last euro, including the initial ordinary shipping costs.
Experts agree that for this year it is necessary to always keep proof of the return shipment and the withdrawal email. If the store refuses or tries to impose shopping vouchers instead of cash, it is breaking the law.