Your Consumer Rights in Denmark: Complaints, Returns and Refunds
When you buy goods or services from a business in Denmark, the Sale of Goods Act (købeloven) and the Consumer Contracts Act protect you — whether you shop online or in store. This guide covers the two-year right to complain, the 14-day withdrawal right, subscription rules, and how to escalate when a company rejects your claim.
Your two-year right to complain about faulty goods
The Danish Sale of Goods Act (købeloven) gives you a 2-year right to complain (reklamationsret) about goods bought from a business. If the item turns out to have a defect — a fault present at delivery, even if it only shows later — you can demand the seller put it right.
For the first 12 months a presumption rule applies: if the fault appears in this period, it is presumed to have existed at delivery, and the seller must prove otherwise. After that the burden shifts to you, but the right to complain still runs.
Complain "within reasonable time" after discovering the fault — within two months you are always in time. The right also covers sale items and used goods bought from a dealer, and it cannot be signed away with a "all sales final" sign.
Warranty and your statutory rights are not the same
A warranty (garanti) is a voluntary promise from the seller or manufacturer — and it must put you in a better position than your statutory rights, otherwise it is effectively misleading. Your statutory right to complain exists regardless of any warranty.
So if a warranty expires after one year, your rights are not gone: the statutory right to complain still runs for two years. Conversely, a longer warranty can give you rights after the statutory period has ended.
If you are told "there is no warranty on that item", the answer is simple: you are not invoking the warranty, but the Sale of Goods Act.
Faulty product: repair, replacement, discount or refund?
If the item is defective, you can as a starting point choose between repair and replacement. The seller may choose the other remedy if your choice is disproportionately expensive — but a repair must happen within reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to you.
If the repair fails or drags on, you can demand a proportionate price reduction — or cancel the purchase and get your money back, provided the defect is not insignificant.
The costs of a justified complaint are the seller’s: you should not pay for shipping, inspection or repair. Never send the item off without a written agreement on who pays what.
The 14-day cooling-off right for online purchases
When you buy online or away from business premises, the Consumer Contracts Act gives you a 14-day right of withdrawal (fortrydelsesret), counted from when you receive the item. You must clearly notify the seller that you are withdrawing — simply refusing the parcel is not enough.
Some purchases are exempt: sealed goods that cannot be returned for hygiene reasons once unsealed, items made to your specifications, and digital content you have started using. You generally pay the return shipping yourself unless otherwise agreed.
In physical stores there is no statutory withdrawal right — exchange policies are pure goodwill. Check the store’s policy before buying, and keep your receipt.
Subscriptions: binding periods and how to cancel
An ongoing subscription — gym, streaming, telecom — can generally bind you for at most 6 months. After that you can typically cancel with one month’s notice to the end of a month.
Cancel in writing and keep the confirmation. If charges continue after a valid cancellation, you can claim the amounts back and, if needed, dispute the payments through your bank.
Watch out for "free" trial periods that automatically become paid subscriptions — the company must state the terms clearly before you commit, and unclear terms are typically read in your favour.
Buying from private sellers: DBA and Marketplace
When you buy from a private individual, consumer protection does not apply: no withdrawal right and no consumer rules from the Sale of Goods Act. The deal is judged on your agreement — the ad, the messages and what the seller stated.
You can still have a claim if the item differs materially from what was described, or if you were outright scammed. But the route is different: the claim must be raised directly against the seller and, ultimately, in court — typically under the small claims procedure.
Protect yourself up front: save the ad and all correspondence, pay traceably — and be sceptical about prepaying unknown sellers.
How to complain about a company in Denmark
Always complain to the company first, in writing: describe the problem, state what you want, and set a reasonable deadline. Keep the answer — a complaints body will typically require it before taking the case.
If that does not resolve it, the general route is the Centre for Complaint Resolution (Center for Klageløsning) under the Danish Appeals Boards Authority (Nævnenes Hus), which mediates between you and the company. If mediation fails, the case can typically continue to the Consumer Complaints Board (Forbrugerklagenævnet), which makes a decision. Both steps cost a small fee, and value limits apply to which purchases can be handled — check the current rates with Nævnenes Hus.
Some sectors have their own approved complaints boards — for example telecom, energy and finance — where the case belongs instead. Bought in another EU country? The European Consumer Centre Denmark can help. Note that private parking charges and package holidays have their own complaint routes.
Frequently asked questions about consumer purchases
2 years from delivery for goods bought from a business — including sale items and used goods from a dealer. Complain within reasonable time after discovering the fault; within two months you are always in time.
Not by law — the 14-day withdrawal right covers online purchases and purchases away from business premises. In-store exchange policies are voluntary goodwill, so check the store’s policy before buying.
For the first 12 months, the seller must generally prove the item was fine at delivery. After that, it is you who must make it probable that the fault is an original defect.
Generally at most 6 months. After that you can typically cancel with one month's notice to the end of a month. Cancel in writing and keep the confirmation.
Send a written reminder with a clear deadline and state that you will escalate to the Centre for Complaint Resolution (Center for Klageløsning). A company’s silence does not stop your case — the complaints body can handle it anyway.
No — consumer rules only apply to purchases from businesses. Private deals are judged on your agreement, and disputes must ultimately be decided in court, typically under the small claims procedure.
Where to complain
The Centre for Complaint Resolution (Center for Klageløsning) and the Consumer Complaints Board (Forbrugerklagenævnet)
Some sectors have their own approved boards (e.g. telecom, energy and finance), and for purchases in other EU countries the European Consumer Centre Denmark can help.
Complain to the company in writing with a reasonable deadline, and keep the answer
Gather the receipt, the ad, photos of the defect and all correspondence
Complain to the Centre for Complaint Resolution under Nævnenes Hus (small fee, value limits apply)
No resolution? The case can continue to the Consumer Complaints Board — or the relevant sector board