How to Back Out of an Online Purchase

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Online shopping is probably a big part of your life. However, sometimes you might purchase items you don’t need or want. Online retailers or auction sites, however, might make it difficult for you to back out of the purchase. Fortunately, by quickly canceling the purchase and communicating with the seller, you may be able to back out of the purchase.

How to Cancel a Purchase

If you’re canceling an order through Amazon, go to the Orders tab and select “cancel” before it ships. If you ordered from a boutique seller, contact them directly and ask if it’s possible to cancel the order—most companies will refund and cancel with no problem.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Canceling Your Purchase on a Retail Website

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  1. Quickly navigate to the website. Then find the Manage Orders or Customer Service tab. In this section, you’ll be able to navigate to a list of your online purchases. Look for the specific purchase and cancel it. Remember, though, the quicker you cancel, the better your chances of not having to pay anything.
    • Some websites will require you to send a message to a customer service representative before they confirm cancellation. Be succinct and direct when you send your message.
  2. If you’re unable to cancel the purchase online, you’ll have to call customer service. When you speak to customer service, provide them with your order number and tell them you want to cancel it. They may be able to cancel immediately.
    • The customer service number is usually found under “contact” information toward the bottom of the website.
    • Be very polite. For example, say “please” and “thank you.”
    • If they say they can’t cancel the order, ask to speak with a supervisor.
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  3. Many companies will not let you cancel a purchase freely if you just changed your mind about a product. Thus, you need to provide a legitimate reason for why you no longer want the product. Some reasons may include:
    • The ad listing misrepresents the product.
    • You found a cheaper price.
    • The product is damaged or is not the exact product you ordered.
  4. If you are able to cancel your order, write down the confirmation number that the website or customer service representative gives you. This way, if there is an issue with the order in the future, you'll be able to reference your cancellation.
  5. After your order is cancelled, you should receive a refund. This may take a few days, so you’ll have to check your bank account or credit card statement regularly. Remember:
    • Under (United States) law, if you paid with a debit card, cash, or check, your money must be refunded within seven work days. If you purchased with a credit card, your money must be refunded within a billing cycle.
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Part 2
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Withdrawing from a Winning Auction Bid

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  1. Under certain circumstances, you may be allowed to back out of a winning auction bid without penalty. Retracting your bid may be as simple as hitting “cancel” or “rescind bid.” There are, however, other cases in which an online auction site may allow you to back out of a purchase, they include:
    • The seller materially changed the advertisement of the product.
    • The seller misrepresented the product.
    • You entered the wrong amount for your bid. This should be obvious. For instance, if the last bid was $200 and your winning bid was $2,000.
  2. If you’re unable to retract your winning bid online, you should call the auction site directly. Inform them that you’d like to cancel your bid and cancel the purchase. [1]
    • Scroll down to the "contact" tab on the webpage. It may be located toward the bottom of the page.
    • If you have a long history of using the online auction site, let them know you are a loyal customer.
    • Offer to pay a cancellation fee.
    • Be polite. Say things like “please” and “thank you.”
  3. If the auction site is unwilling or unable to cancel the bid, you may need to contact the seller of the product directly. Although they are under no obligation to let you out of the sale, the person might be willing to cancel the purchase and relist their item. [2]
    • They may want you to pay any fees associated with them relisting their item.
    • The seller may let you out of the sale if they think there weren't enough bidders and the price of their item did not go high enough. In addition, they could also profit if you volunteer to pay them for the trouble of relisting the item.
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Part 3
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Knowing Your Rights

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  1. Most companies will post their cancellation policy or a link to it on the order page. As a result, before you cancel, you should read the cancellation policy.
    • Some companies require you to cancel an order within 30 minutes or an hour of placing it.
    • Some companies may allow you 24 hours to cancel an order.
    • Many companies will not allow you to cancel an order after it has shipped.
  2. The company’s cancellation policy may stipulate that you must pay a cancellation fee. This fee is usually a flat rate, although it may be a percentage of the overall sale.
    • In the case that a product has already shipped, you may need to pay a fee and shipping cost of the product.
  3. If you used a credit card to make the purchase, you may simply be able to call them and cancel the purchase. Ultimately, this depends on the specific credit card company and their policies. For instance:
    • American Express has a very customer-oriented policy and will typically cancel a purchase at their cardholder’s request.
    • Most Visa, MasterCard, and Discover cards may not cancel a purchase unless it was somehow fraudulent.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    What should I do if I want to cancel a purchase because I never received an item?
    Derick Vogel
    Credit Advisor & Owner, Credit Absolute
    Derick Vogel is a Credit Expert and CEO of Credit Absolute, a credit counseling and educational company based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Derick has over 10 years of financial experience and specializes in consulting mortgages, loans, specializes in business credit, debt collections, financial budgeting, and student loan debt relief. He is a member of the National Association of Credit Services Organizations (NASCO) and is an Arizona Association of Mortgage Professional. He holds credit certificates from Dispute Suite in credit repair best practices and in Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA) competency.
    Derick Vogel
    Credit Advisor & Owner, Credit Absolute
    Expert Answer
    Talk to the business to see if they have any information. If they're not able to help you, then contact your bank to explain the issue and get a refund.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Not Helpful 2 Helpful 3
  • Question
    What if the website was a scam and I find out after I ordered?
    Community Answer
    Call the police and/or contact the consumer affairs bureau/office in your area. You probably won't get your money back but at least others can be warned off.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Not Helpful 7 Helpful 9
  • Question
    I ordered some vitamins online. I meant to order just the free trial, but I must have accidentally ticked a box for more. They have charged me far more than the price of postage with the free trial. I sent a few emails to the company explaining that I did not mean to order so much, but I have not received any replies. How can I stop money from being taken out of my account?
    Community Answer
    You could block the credit card or debit card that you fed into the site, or you could call your bank directly and let them know that you do not want to authorize this payment.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      References

      1. ↑ https://publications.usa.gov/epublications/internet-auction/internet_auctions.htm
      2. ↑ https://publications.usa.gov/epublications/internet-auction/internet_auctions.htm

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      If you want to back out of an online purchase, the first thing to do is check the company’s cancellation policy, which you can usually find on the order page. Many companies, like Amazon, let you cancel an order if it hasn’t shipped yet, while others require you to cancel within an hour of ordering. For large purchases or services, like a hotel booking, you may have to pay a cancellation fee. If you’re within the cancellation period, go to your order on the company’s website and cancel it. If you can’t cancel it online, try emailing or calling their customer service team. For more tips, including how to back out of a winning auction bid online, read on!

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