You can cancel an online purchase without charge and within short time limits if the merchant has not respected certain requirements.
First, check whether the merchant’s exchange and refund policy can be applied. You can also decide to cancel your purchase if you respect the prescribed conditions and time limits.
Situations and cancellation time limits
| Situations | Cancellation time limit |
|---|---|
You did not receive the item or service:
Transportation, lodging, or food services You did not receive the necessary documents to get access to paid services (such as airplane tickets) on the date agreed upon in writing. Tickets to attend an event (for example, concert tickets or tickets for a sporting or cultural event) You did not receive the tickets on the date agreed upon in writing. | Anytime, before you receive the item or service |
| 30 days after purchase |
| 7 days after you receive a copy of contract |
You realize, when you receive the item or service, that:
See the Getting all the required information page. | 7 days after you receive the item or service |
You paid for the purchase by credit card and, when you receive your account statement, you realize that:
See the Getting all the required information page. | 7 days after you receive the credit card account statement |
You purchased tickets from a reseller to attend an event, but it was cancelled. | After the scheduled date of the event, but before it takes place, if it is postponed. |
You purchased tickets from a reseller to attend an event. The event, the place or seat, or the value of the ticket does not correspond to what was said, written, advertised or claimed when you made your purchase. | After the tickets are delivered, but before the event takes place. |
Purchase cancellation procedure
To cancel a purchase, you must:
- send a cancellation notice to the merchant within the prescribed time limit. The notice can be verbal or written. The Office de la protection du consommateur recommends that you keep proof of delivery of this notice. For example, you can send it by email, fax or registered mail. The cancellation will take effect on the notice’s delivery date;
- return the item in the condition in which you received it:
- within 15 days after sending the cancellation notice, or
- within 15 days after the delivery of the item if it was delivered after the purchase was cancelled.
The merchant must reimburse you within 15 days after the notice was sent. They must also cover reasonable shipping costs incurred to return the item.
Chargeback requests
Did you use a credit card to make the purchase? If the merchant does not reimburse you within 15 days following the purchase cancellation, you have 60 days to file a chargeback request with the issuer of the credit card you used to make your purchase.
Exceptions: purchases not covered by these rules
The cancellation rules detailed above do not apply to the following phone or mail purchases:
- prearranged funeral services and prepurchased sepultures;
- goods that may perish quickly, for example, food products;
- goods purchased by auction, within the meaning of article 1757 and subsequent articles of the Civil Code of Québec;
- lottery tickets, in particular from Loto-Québec;
- credit contracts;
- service contracts for training, teaching or assistance (defined as “contracts of successive performance”), for example:
- registration for a series of courses;
- membership at a training centre;
- contracts for daycare service or a vacation or day camp;
- contracts with a dating service.
Other recourse options beyond the prescribed time limits
If you did not cancel your purchase within the prescribed time limits, you may have other recourse options if the merchant has failed to respect any of their commitments. For more information, please contact the Office de la protection du consommateur. The Contact us page provides all of our contact information. You can also consult a lawyer.
Last update : November 3, 2021
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The information contained on this page is presented in simple terms to make it easier to understand. It does not replace the texts of the laws and regulations.
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