ContractProof · Canadian sellers
Distance selling to EU/UK consumers means a 14-day right of withdrawal, mandatory pre-contractual information, the model withdrawal form, and order confirmation on a durable medium. Miss the withdrawal disclosure and the cooling-off period stretches to 12 months. Check yours in 60 seconds.
🌍 Short answer: A Canadian business is in scope of EU rules whenever it offers goods or services to people in the EU. Being based in Canada doesn't exempt you — the test is your customers' location, not yours.
Canada has its own frameworks (e.g. PIPEDA for privacy), but they don't replace the EU obligations when you sell into the EU.
As a Canadian seller, this rule generally applies once you sell goods or services online to consumers in the EU or UK and sell to, ship to, or target customers in the EU. Sell online to EU consumers? You owe a 14-day right of withdrawal, pre-contract info, the model withdrawal form, and order confirmation on a durable medium. Not sure? The free checker tells you in about a minute — no signup.
If you're in scope, you need to be able to answer "yes" to each of these — the points sellers most often get caught on:
⚠️ Exposure: 12-month extended withdrawal period for missing disclosures + fines up to 4% of annual turnover (Omnibus Dir. 2019/2161) · Status: In force. EU regulators can act against non-EU sellers who reach EU customers.
Compare the penalty for every rule →
A Canadian business is in scope of EU rules whenever it offers goods or services to people in the EU. Being based in Canada doesn't exempt you — the test is your customers' location, not yours.
Under the EU Consumer Rights Directive, consumers buying online (at a distance) can withdraw from the contract within 14 days without giving any reason. For goods, the period runs from the day they receive them; for services, from when the contract is concluded.
If you fail to inform the consumer of the right of withdrawal before they're bound, the withdrawal period is extended by up to 12 months on top of the original 14 days (Art. 10). Disclose it up front.
The main characteristics, the total price including all taxes and delivery, your identity and geographical address, delivery/performance arrangements, the right of withdrawal plus the model form, and how to complain — clearly, before the order is placed.
RuleGoose checks this against the EU Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU (as amended by Dir. (EU) 2019/2161). Read it yourself: EUR-Lex — Directive 2011/83/EU →
or get one RuleGoose Score across every EU rule that reaches your business.
EU consumer rights (distance selling) is one of several EU rules that can reach a Canadian business. See the full EU compliance guide for Canadian sellers →, or read the platform-neutral EU consumer rights (distance selling) guide.
Informational only, not legal advice, and not affiliated with the EU. Territorial scope can be fact-specific — confirm against the cited source. Last reviewed 2026-06-30.