Cancelling a service you’ve arranged

Summary

See the separate advice if you want to cancel building or decorating work or to cancel a phone or broadband contract. If you want to cancel a service you’ve arranged online, over the phone or by mail-order, you get a 14-day cooling-off period - for example, if you've booked airport parking, hired a cleaner or gardener or asked a solicitor to sell your house or a plumber to service your boiler. During the 14 days, you can cancel for any reason and get your money back. You also get this cooling-off period if you were approached by the business somewhere away from the business’s premises and the service costs £42 or more. Your cooling-off period begins the day after you enter a contract with the business - whether the contract's written down or if it's an oral contract. 14 days is the minimum cooling-off period that a seller must give you. Make sure you check the terms and conditions in case they’ve given you more time to change your mind - many choose to do so. If you went into the business’s shop or premises to arrange the service you won’t get this cooling-off period. You also won’t get a cooling-off period for: * accommodation (eg a hotel room or a short-term let) * transport of.

Key information

• •accommodation (eg a hotel room or a short-term let)
• •transport of goods (including courier services)
• •catering or leisure activities for specific dates (eg hotel and restaurant bookings, theatre tickets, catering for a wedding or party)
• •over the phone, internet or mail order
• •in person but not in the trader’s place of business
• •hold some or all of your deposit to compensate for their financial loss (eg where they set aside time to provide the service and can’t book another job for the same period)
• •demand money if their loss due to your cancellation isn’t covered by any deposit
• •a cancellation charge seems unfair
• •the business is holding or demanding more money than needed to cover their financial loss
• •you paid everything up front (always inadvisable) and they’re keeping more than necessary to cover their loss
• •See the separate advice if you want to cancel building or decorating work or to cancel a phone or broadband contract.
• •If you want to cancel a service you’ve arranged online, over the phone or by mail-order, you get a 14-day cooling-off period - for example, if you've booked airport parking, hired a cleaner or gardener or asked a solicitor to sell your house or a plumber to service your boiler. During the 14 days, you can cancel for any reason and get your money back.

Practical guidance

• •Source: [Cancelling a service you’ve arranged](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/changed-your-mind/cancelling-a-service-youve-arranged/)

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