Buying a car online has become mainstream in the UK. Online-only dealers like Cinch, alongside traditional dealers offering home delivery, have made it possible to buy a car without ever setting foot in a showroom. What many buyers don't realise is that buying this way comes with an important extra protection: a 14-day cooling-off period that doesn't exist for showroom purchases.
The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013
When you buy a car online without seeing it in person first, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 apply. These regulations were designed to protect consumers who buy at a distance, where you can't physically inspect what you're getting before committing.
The 14-Day Cooling-Off Period
The headline right is straightforward: you have 14 days from delivery to cancel the contract, for any reason or no reason at all. You don't need to prove a fault. Even if the car is mechanically perfect and exactly as described, you can return it simply because you changed your mind, it didn't suit you, or you found a better deal elsewhere.
When Does the 14 Days Start?
The clock starts when the car is physically delivered to you or when you collect it from a delivery point. Crucially, it does NOT start from when you ordered or paid – so if there's a two-week wait for delivery, your 14 days haven't started yet.
What Counts as "Buying Online"?
The key legal test is whether the contract was formed exclusively using distance communication – website, phone, or email – without any in-person element.
Distance selling rules apply if you ordered entirely online without visiting a showroom, bought over the phone without seeing the car, or bought at an off-premises location (like your home) after an unsolicited visit.
However, the rules do not apply if you visited the showroom and saw the car before buying – even if you completed the paperwork online afterwards. They also don't apply if you bought at auction (which has its own rules) or from a private seller.
This distinction trips up a lot of buyers. If you went to a dealer's forecourt, test drove the car, then went home and "bought it online," the distance selling regulations almost certainly don't apply because there was an in-person element to the transaction.
Major Online Car Dealers and Their Policies
The online car market has shifted significantly in recent years. Cazoo, once the highest-profile online dealer in the UK, exited the market in 2024 after running into financial difficulty – a reminder that even big names aren't guaranteed to last. If you bought from Cazoo before they closed and still have an unresolved complaint, your rights under the Consumer Rights Act still apply and you may be able to claim through your finance company instead.
Cinch remains the biggest dedicated online car retailer. They offer a 14-day return period (matching the legal minimum), with a 250-mile mileage limit during that period. The car must be returned in the same condition, allowing for fair wear, and you book collection through their website.
Marketplaces like CarGurus and Motorway connect you with individual dealers rather than selling directly. Your distance selling rights depend on whether you saw the car in person before buying – if the dealer delivered it to you without a showroom visit, the 14-day rule applies.
Many traditional franchised and independent dealers now sell online with home delivery too. The same 14-day cooling-off period applies whenever you buy without visiting their premises, regardless of how established or well-known the dealer is.
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How to Exercise Your Cooling-Off Right
The process is straightforward, but timing matters.
First, notify the seller within 14 days of delivery. Clearly state you're cancelling under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. You can do this by email, through their online returns form, or by phone – but always follow up in writing so you have a record. The notification is what matters legally, not the physical return of the car.
Then, return the car. The seller should arrange collection, though some require you to return it to a specified drop-off point. Check their terms, but remember they can't make the process unreasonably difficult.
Finally, receive your refund. The seller must refund you within 14 days of either receiving the car back or receiving proof you've sent it back. They must refund the full price including the original delivery charge, though they don't have to refund extras you chose to add, like an extended warranty.
Deductions the Seller Can Make
Here's where it gets nuanced. If you've used the car beyond what's necessary to "establish the nature, characteristics, and functioning" of it, the seller can make a reasonable deduction from your refund.
Think of it like trying on clothes in a shop – you can try them on to see if they fit, but you shouldn't wear them to a party and then return them. With a car, a few short test drives and perhaps a trip to your mechanic for an inspection are perfectly reasonable. Covering 250 miles of mixed driving is probably fine too. But if you've done 500+ miles or used it as your daily driver for the full 14 days, expect a deduction.
Importantly, there are things the seller cannot deduct for. Normal depreciation during the 14-day period isn't your problem – that's the cost of distance selling. They also cannot charge admin fees, restocking fees, or any other invented charges for processing the return. If a dealer tries this, push back and cite the Consumer Contracts Regulations directly.
What If the Car Is Also Faulty?
If the car you bought online turns out to have faults, you actually have two separate sets of rights – and choosing the right one matters.
Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations (distance selling), you can cancel within 14 days for any reason, but the seller may make deductions for use. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you can reject within 30 days specifically because of the fault – and you're entitled to a full refund with no deductions for use at all.
The practical advice is clear: if the car is faulty, use your Consumer Rights Act rights rather than distance selling rights. The refund should be larger because there are no use deductions, and you have a longer window (30 days vs 14). Save the distance selling route for "I just don't like it" situations where the car is actually fine but not what you wanted.
Financing an Online Car Purchase
How you financed the car affects what happens when you cancel.
If you took out PCP or HP through the dealer's finance company, the cooling-off period applies to both the car and the finance agreement. Cancel the car purchase and the finance should cancel too, though you'll need to repay any amount already drawn down. The finance company should handle this as part of the unwind.
If you arranged your own finance through a bank loan, you can still cancel the car purchase under distance selling rules, but you'll need to manage the loan separately. Get the refund from the dealer, then use it to repay the loan.
If you paid a deposit by credit card, you have additional protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act for purchases over £100. This gives you a claim against the credit card company as well as the dealer if things go wrong – useful backup if the dealer is slow to refund or disputes the return. You could also consider a Section 75 claim vs chargeback depending on the circumstances.
Sample Cancellation Letter
To: [Online Dealer]
Re: Cancellation Under Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013
Order Reference: [Number] Vehicle: [Make, Model, Registration]
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to cancel my purchase of the above vehicle under my right to cancel within the 14-day cooling-off period provided by the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.
The vehicle was delivered on [date]. This cancellation is within 14 days of delivery.
Please arrange collection of the vehicle at your earliest convenience and confirm the refund arrangements.
I expect a full refund of £[amount] within 14 days of you receiving the vehicle, as required by the Regulations.
Yours faithfully, [Your name] [Address where car is located] [Contact number]
What If the Dealer Refuses?
Dealers sometimes push back on distance selling returns. Here are the most common arguments you'll hear – and why they're wrong.
"Our terms say 7 days, not 14." The 14-day period is a legal minimum set by the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. A dealer cannot contractually reduce it below 14 days, no matter what their terms and conditions say. If they're insisting on 7 days, quote the legislation directly.
"You've done too many miles." Excessive mileage entitles them to make a reasonable deduction from your refund, but it does not entitle them to refuse the return entirely. There's a big difference between "we'll deduct £200 for wear" and "we won't take it back." Push back firmly if they're refusing rather than deducting.
"This doesn't apply because you saw photos online." Some dealers try to argue that seeing photos somehow removes the distance selling element. It doesn't. If you genuinely bought without visiting a showroom and the contract was formed at distance, the regulations apply.
If the dealer won't cooperate, escalate through a formal written complaint first, then consider a chargeback or Section 75 claim through your card provider. For serious breaches, report to Trading Standards or complain to the Motor Ombudsman if the dealer is a member. Small claims court is a last resort but entirely accessible without a solicitor.
Recommended reading
Pre-Delivery Cancellation
Changed your mind before the car arrives? You can cancel at any point before delivery – the 14 days is a minimum, not a waiting period.
Test Drives and the 14-Day Rule
Some online dealers now offer "test drives" delivered to your home. This creates an interesting grey area. If you test drive a car delivered to your home and then decide to buy it online, distance selling rules may still apply because you never visited a showroom. But if you visit a showroom to test drive, then go home and complete the purchase online, distance selling probably does not apply – the in-person element undermines the "exclusively at distance" test.
When in doubt, keep records of exactly how the transaction played out. The more evidence you have that everything was done remotely, the stronger your distance selling claim.
Protecting Yourself When Buying Online
The 14-day cooling-off period is a powerful safety net, but you should still protect yourself from day one. Screenshot the advert, specification, price, and any promises made before the listing changes or disappears. When the car arrives, check the exact mileage against what was advertised and photograph the car thoroughly – inside, outside, and underneath.
Don't wait until day 13 to test drive it. Take it out immediately, ideally on a mix of road types, and look for common fault signs. If something feels wrong, you want to catch it early so you can decide whether to use your distance selling rights or your Consumer Rights Act protections for faults.
Most importantly, note the exact delivery date. That's when your 14-day clock starts, and missing it by even a day could cost you this right entirely.
Bought a car online and having problems? Check if you qualify for our rejection service – whether you're using distance selling rights or rejecting for faults.
