How To Return Items Bought Online Or In-store In Spain – What Are The Customer’s Rights? (2025)

If you’ve ever tried returning thing successful Spain and been told “no devoluciones,” you’re surely not alone.

Whether you’re shopping online aliases in-store, knowing your authorities tin prevention you stress, clip and money. Here’s a actual breakdown of Spain’s return laws, truthful you tin shop much confidently.

Spanish in-store returns

If you bought thing successful a beingness shop successful Spain and simply changed your mind, you whitethorn beryllium retired of luck erstwhile it comes to returning it.

According to Administracion.gob.es, “Unless they are defective, location is mostly nary statutory correct to return products (to speech them for others aliases to get a refund of nan magnitude paid) bought successful a commercialized outlet. Nevertheless, galore commercialized outlets are consenting to let customers to return aliases speech products during a fixed period, connected submission of nan receipt for nan purchase. To do this, it is basal to supply grounds of nan purchase, aliases cheque nan outlet’s argumentation connected returns.”

This intends location is nary automatic correct to a refund aliases speech unless nan merchandise is defectuoso (faulty). Still, galore stores connection a política de devoluciones voluntaria (voluntary return policy) wrong a fixed timeframe, usually requiring a receipt.

Always cheque nan store’s posted argumentation (política de devoluciones) earlier buying.

Returning items ordered online successful Spain

Under EU and Spanish law, if you bargain thing online, by phone, aliases from a travelling salesperson (contrato a distancia), you person a 14-day cooling-off play known arsenic nan plazo de desistimiento.

As stated connected Europa.eu,

“If you bargain a merchandise aliases work online, by telephone aliases from a seller astatine your doorstep (in ineligible position a ‘distance contract’ aliases ‘off-premises contract’) you person nan correct to withdraw. This intends you tin cancel nan statement wrong 14 days without providing immoderate justification (the ‘cooling-off period’). For equipment this intends 14 days from nan day of delivery, for services 14 days aft nan time nan statement was agreed. If nan cooling-off play expires connected a non-working day, your deadline is extended until nan adjacent moving day.”

Some EU countries widen this to 30 days successful cases of unsolicited doorstep selling, but Spain applies nan modular 14-day period. The 14 days commencement from nan transportation day of nan merchandise (fecha de entrega) aliases nan day nan work was agreed. The seller must besides supply a formulario de desistimiento (cancellation form).

Exceptions to nan cooling-off play include:

• Billetes de avión y tren (plane and train tickets)
• Entradas de conciertos (concert tickets)
• Reservas de hotel (hotel bookings)
• Bienes personalizados (custom-made items)
• Contenido integer descargado (downloaded integer content), if nan download has started and you consented to waive nan right.

How to cancel a acquisition made online aliases off-premises

You must notify nan seller of your determination earlier nan plazo de desistimiento expires. After that, you person 14 much days to return nan goods.

According to Administracion.gob.es, nan purchaser “alone must meet nan nonstop costs of returns, unless nan supplier offers to meet them aliases has not informed nan user of this responsibility to salary nan return costs.”

If nan merchandise was faulty aliases nan seller didn’t disclose nan return cost, you whitethorn beryllium entitled to free return shipping.

Refunds successful Spain

Once nan seller receives your cancellation request, they must refund you wrong 14 days. However, they whitethorn hold this if nan point hasn’t been returned aliases if you haven’t provided a justificante de devolución (proof of return).

Refunds must:

• Cover nan afloat acquisition price
• Include original transportation charges
• Be issued utilizing nan aforesaid costs method utilized to bargain nan item

Faulty equipment successful Spain

Under Directive (EU) 2019/771, transposed into Spanish rule via Real Decreto Legislativo 1/2007, you person a mínima garantía ineligible de dos años (minimum two-year ineligible guarantee) for caller goods, starting from nan day of delivery.

From nan transportation date:

• If a defect appears wrong 12 months, it’s presumed it existed astatine purchase
• The seller must repair aliases switch nan point astatine nary cost
• If neither is possible, you whitethorn petition a afloat aliases partial refund.

For second-hand equipment bought from professionals, nan guarantee whitethorn beryllium reduced to nary little than 1 year, if intelligibly agreed astatine nan clip of purchase.

Commercial guarantees and warranties

Some retailers connection a garantía comercial (commercial guarantee), which is optional. These tin supply other services but tin ne'er override your statutory ineligible rights. According to Europa.eu, “If they are little advantageous than immoderate advertised conditions, nan much advantageous ones apply.”

Digital contented and services

Whether you acquisition integer downloads, apps, subscriptions, aliases unreality services, you are still protected nether Directive (EU) 2019/770.

You person nan correct to:

• A two-year guarantee for faulty aliases misrepresented integer content
• Cancel nan statement if nan rumor can’t beryllium fixed
• Exercise these authorities moreover if you paid pinch your individual information alternatively of money.

VAT refunds for non-EU residents

If you’re a non-EU resident (e.g. a tourist) and you bought equipment successful Spain, you whitethorn suffice for a VAT refund (devolución del IVA) nether nan régimen de viajeros (traveller scheme).

According to Agencia Tributaria,

“Citizens of nan European Union who reside permanently successful a non-EU state whitethorn besides use from nan exemption.”

To claim:

• Export equipment wrong 3 months of purchase
• Keep nan original receipt and petition a factura con IVA (VAT invoice)
• Present your passport and boarding walk astatine departure

Where to get nan latest accusation connected returns successful Spain

• Oficina Municipal de Información al Consumidor (OMIC) – your section user authorities office
• Centro Europeo del Consumidor (CEC España) – for EU-wide user issues

While online buyers bask beardown EU-wide protections, in-store shoppers successful Spain trust connected nan store’s ain policies unless nan merchandise is defective.

Have you ever had issues returning thing successful Spain? Let america cognize successful nan comments below.

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