Cancellation of contracts made in a consumers home

Home > Services > Business > Trading standards

The Cancellation of Contracts made in a Consumer’s Home or Place of Work etc Regulations 2008 provide consumers’ with the right to cancel a contract for goods or services made during a visit by a trader, whether unsolicited or solicited.

• The visit may be to the consumer’s home, place of work, the home of another person, or on an excursion organised by the trader away from his business premises.
• This right to cancel can be exercised during a cooling-off period of 7 calendar days from receipt of a Notice of the Right to Cancel from the trader.
• The regulations apply to contracts where the contract price is £35 or more.

Businesses must provide consumers with the following details to allow them to cancel the contract:

1. The identity of the trader including trading name if any.
2. The trader’s reference number, code or other details to enable the contract or offer to be identified.
3. A statement that the consumer has a right to cancel the contract if he wishes and that this right can be exercised by delivering, or sending (including by electronic mail) a cancellation notice to the person mentioned in the next paragraph at any time within the period of 7 days starting with the day of receipt of a notice in writing of the right to cancel the contract.
4. The name and address, (including any electronic mail address as well as the postal address), of a person to whom a cancellation notice may be given.
5. A statement that notice of cancellation is deemed to be served as soon as it is posted or sent to a trader or in the case of an electronic communication from the day it is sent to the trader.
6. A statement that the consumer can use the cancellation form provided if he wishes.

Where the consumer wants the service to be carried out before the right to cancel expires (within the 7 days)

• This must be requested in writing therefore should be provided in addition to cancellation notice above.
• If the consumer then decides to cancel after agreeing to this, they will be liable to pay for goods provided or services performed before this cancellation.

Example of cancellation notice

Please use the following example as a guide for offering cancellation rights to consumers.

Example of Cancellation of Contract Notice (pdf 22kb)

You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these documents. Download Acrobat Reader here.

Becoming a Trusted Trader

If you are a Renfrewshire trader who wishes to join our Trusted Trader scheme, please see our dedicated webpage which outlines the terms and conditions and price of the scheme.

Contact us

• email: ts.es@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• call in or write to us at:
  Trading Standards
  Environmental Services
  Renfrewshire House
  Cotton Street
  Paisley
  PA1 1BR