Buying Furniture Online: Your Right to Cancel and Your Warranty

When buying furniture online for a first apartment, many people rely on a blanket "14-day return policy." That's not always accurate, and if you configure a sofa or wardrobe to your own specifications, you can lose that right entirely.

The standard right of withdrawal

For an online purchase, a 14-day right of withdrawal generally applies, counted from the day the item arrives. Within that period, you can return the order without giving a reason; depending on the retailer's terms, return shipping costs fall on either the buyer or the seller.

The exception for custom-configured furniture

If you order a sofa online with a self-chosen upholstery fabric, a shelf in a non-standard width, or a bed built to your own measurements, you generally have no right of withdrawal. The reason: a piece custom-made for one individual buyer can't easily be resold to other customers. The retailer has to disclose this exclusion in their terms and during the ordering process, so it's worth checking before completing a purchase, especially with configurator tools.

Warranty is not the same as statutory liability

Independent of the right of withdrawal, new furniture carries statutory liability for defects (Gewährleistung): if a defect that already existed at the time of purchase appears within two years, the seller has to repair, replace, or in a dispute refund the purchase price. An additional manufacturer's warranty is separate and voluntary; it can be shorter, longer, or tied to extra conditions like specific care requirements.

A market example for caution with advance orders

How quickly an online furniture retailer can pull out of the German market was shown by the case of Wayfair: the US furniture retailer ended its Germany operations with immediate effect in January 2025, with orders already in progress delivered through the end of January 2025 and cancelled after that. If you order larger furniture with a long delivery time, it's worth using a payment method with buyer protection rather than relying solely on an advance bank transfer.

Our used-furniture guide covers where to buy used furniture for a first apartment safely, and our furniture rental guide explains who renting instead of buying pays off for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have a 14-day right of withdrawal on every online furniture purchase?

No. For individually configured or custom-made furniture, the right of withdrawal generally doesn't apply at all.

What's the difference between statutory liability and a warranty?

Statutory liability applies for two years after purchase for defects that already existed at purchase. A manufacturer's warranty is a voluntary extra with its own terms.

Who pays return shipping costs on a withdrawal?

It depends on the retailer's terms; sometimes the buyer pays, sometimes the seller.

What does the Wayfair withdrawal mean for orders with other retailers?

It shows that an online shop can end its Germany business on short notice. Buyer protection on your payment method reduces this risk for larger orders.