The 14-day rules, in plain words

Before the consumer is bound by an off-premises contract, the trader— must give the consumer the information listed in Schedule 2 in a clear and comprehensible manner, and if a right to cancel exists, must give the consumer a cancellation form as set out in part B of Schedule 3.

The information and any cancellation form must be given on paper or, if the consumer agrees, on another durable medium and must be legible.

The information referred to in paragraphs (l), (m) and (n) of Schedule 2 may be provided by means of the model instructions on cancellation set out in part A of Schedule 3; and a trader who has supplied those instructions to the consumer, correctly filled in, is to be treated as having complied with paragraph (1) in respect of those paragraphs.

In the case of an off-premises contract, the trader must give the consumer— a copy of the signed contract, or confirmation of the contract.

The copy or confirmation must be provided within a reasonable time after the conclusion of the contract, but in any event— not later than the time of the delivery of any goods supplied under the contract, and before performance begins of any service supplied under the contract.

In case of dispute about the trader's compliance with any provision of regulations 10 to 16, it is for the trader to show that the provision was complied with.

A trader is guilty of an offence if the trader enters into an off-premises contract to which regulation 10 applies but fails to give the consumer the information listed in paragraph (l), (m) or (n) of Schedule 2 in accordance with that regulation.

A person who is guilty of an offence under paragraph (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

If the contract is— a service contract, or a contract for the supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium, the cancellation period ends at the end of 14 days after the day on which the contract is entered into.

“sales contract” means a contract under which a trader transfers or agrees to transfer the ownership of goods to a consumer and the consumer pays or agrees to pay the price, including any contract that has both goods and services as its object;

If the contract is a sales contract and none of paragraphs (4) to (6) applies, the cancellation period ends at the end of 14 days after the day on which the goods come into the physical possession of— the consumer, or a person, other than the carrier, identified by the consumer to take possession of them.

If the contract is a sales contract under which multiple goods are ordered by the consumer in one order but some are delivered on different days, the cancellation period ends at the end of 14 days after the day on which the last of the goods come into the physical possession of— the consumer, or a person, other than the carrier, identified by the consumer to take possession of them.

If the contract is a sales contract under which goods consisting of multiple lots or pieces of something are delivered on different days, the cancellation period ends at the end of 14 days after the day on which the last of the lots or pieces come into the physical possession of— the consumer, or a person, other than the carrier, identified by the consumer to take possession of them.

If the trader provides the consumer with that information in the period of 12 months beginning with the first day of the 14 days mentioned in regulation 30(2) to (6), but otherwise in accordance with Part 2, the cancellation period ends at the end of 14 days after the consumer receives the information.

Otherwise the cancellation period ends at the end of 12 months after the day on which it would have ended under regulation 30.

To inform the trader under paragraph (2) the consumer may either— use a form following the model cancellation form in part B of Schedule 3, or make any other clear statement setting out the decision to cancel the contract.

Where the consumer informs the trader under paragraph (2) by sending a communication, the consumer is to be treated as having cancelled the contract in the cancellation period if the communication is sent before the end of the period.

The trader must not begin the supply of a service before the end of the cancellation period provided for in regulation 30(1) unless the consumer— has made an express request, and in the case of an off-premises contract, has made the request on a durable medium.

Where the service is supplied in response to a request in accordance with paragraph (1), the consumer must (subject to paragraph (6)) pay to the trader an amount— for the supply of the service for the period for which it is supplied, ending with the time when the trader is informed of the consumer's decision to cancel the contract, in accordance with regulation 32(2), and which is in proportion to what has been supplied, in comparison with the full coverage of the contract.

The amount is to be calculated— on the basis of the total price agreed in the contract, or if the total price is excessive, on the basis of the market value of the service that has been supplied, calculated by comparing prices for equivalent services supplied by other traders.

In the case of a service other than supply of water, gas, electricity or district heating, the consumer ceases to have the right to cancel a service contract under regulation 29(1) if the service has been fully performed, and performance of the service began— after a request by the consumer in accordance with paragraph (1), and with the acknowledgement that the consumer would lose that right once the contract had been fully performed by the trader.

The consumer bears no cost for supply of the service, in full or in part, in the cancellation period, if— the trader has failed to provide the consumer with the information on the right to cancel required by paragraph (l) of Schedule 2, or the information on payment of that cost required by paragraph (n) of that Schedule, in accordance with Part 2, or the service is not supplied in response to a request in accordance with paragraph (1).

contracts where the consumer has specifically requested a visit from the trader for the purpose of carrying out urgent repairs or maintenance;

Sub-paragraph (e) of paragraph (1) does not prevent this Part applying to a contract for— services in addition to the urgent repairs or maintenance requested, or goods other than replacement parts necessarily used in making the repairs or carrying out the maintenance, if the trader supplies them on the occasion of a visit such as is mentioned in that sub-paragraph.

the supply of goods that are made to the consumer's specifications or are clearly personalised;

for the construction of new buildings, or the construction of substantially new buildings by the conversion of existing buildings;

This Part does not apply to off-premises contracts under which the payment to be made by the consumer is not more than £42.