I Bought a Product from a Door-to-Door Salesperson and No Longer Want It

When a person comes to your home and sells you goods or services, this is called a direct sale. You generally have 10 days to cancel a direct sale if you decide you don’t want the product, regardless of what it says in the paperwork the seller gives you. If you don’t get a copy of the contract of sale or the product itself right away, this period may be longer.

First steps

1. As soon as you decide you don’t want the product you bought from a door-to-door salesperson, cancel the sale by delivering, mailing, emailing or faxing the supplier (the person that the salesperson was working for), informing them of your intention to cancel the contract. Ensure that the supplier receives the notice in time (usually within 10 days after you receive a copy of the contract), and keep a copy of what you send them and a record of the date and method you sent it.
2. Call the supplier to ensure that they will return your money and take back the product. You may be responsible for shipping costs to return the product to the supplier.

What happens next

The supplier has 15 days to return your money once you have notified him or her of your wish to cancel the sale. If you do not receive the funds within that period of time, complain to Consumer Protection BC; see the Resource List for contact and website information.

Where to get help

See the Resource List] in this Guide for a list of helpful resources. Your best bets are:

• Consumer Protection BC.
• Access Pro Bono, Lawyer Referral Service, and private bar lawyers.
• The publication Consumer Law and Credit/Debt Law.
• The Law Students' Legal Advice Program Manual chapter "Consumer Protection," for useful information on "Direct Sales."

Before meeting with a lawyer or advocate, complete the form Preparing for Your Interview included in this Guide. Make sure you bring copies of all documents relating to your case.

This information applies to British Columbia, Canada. Last reviewed for legal accuracy by Drew Jackson, February 2013.

Legal Help for British Columbians © Cliff Thorstenson and Courthouse Libraries BC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada Licence.

An agreement to transfer the ownership of property from one person to another in exchange for the reciprocal transfer of something else, usually money. See "agreement."

An agreement between two or more people, giving them obligations towards each other that can be enforced in court. A valid contract must be offered by one person and accepted by the other, and some form of payment or other thing of value must generally be exchanged between the parties to the contract.

A person licensed to practice law in a particular jurisdiction by that jurisdiction's law society. See "barrister and solicitor."

(1) A lawyer or a person other than a lawyer who helps clients with legal issues, or (2) to argue a position on behalf of someone.

(1) In law, a court proceeding; a lawsuit; an action; a cause of action; a claim. (2) A historic decision of the court; case law. See "action," "case law, " "court proceeding," and "precedent."