Why do I need to know Widerruf?
Although you may not hear this word often on the streets, you will certainly see it in some very important documents - and knowing it will help you understand your rights in Germany.
What does it mean?
Der Widerruf (pronounced like this) is a revocation or cancellation, usually after a purchase or setting up a contract. Translated literally, der Ruf is a call and wider means back or against, so Widerruf could be parsed as the recall of a product or a service on the customer side.
When you see the word Widerruf, it will often be in the context of compound nouns like Widerrufsrecht and Widerrufsfrist. The first refers to your right of cancellation as consumer, and the second refers to the cancellation period - that is, how long you have to change your mind.
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Generally in Germany, you always have a cooling off period of 14 days to decide whether you want to keep a product or service you've purchased. This usually begins the day after you receive the product or the day after you agree to an initial contract with, for example, an energy provider.
If you're cancelling your contract by post, the good news is that you simply have to send the letter before the deadline - but it doesn't have to arrive in time.
Of course, there may be exceptions and additional rules, so be sure to always read the Widerrufsbelehrung - or cancellation policy - of the shop or provider you're buying from. This will usually tell you how best to cancel and any grounds for cancellation outside of the Widerrufsfrist, such as a faulty product or a change in the provider's prices.
Use it like this:
In Deutschland haben die Verbraucher immer ein Widerrufsrecht innerhalb von 14 Tagen.
In Germany, consumers always have a right of cancellation within 14 days.
Bevor man einen Vertrag unterzeichnet, sollte man unbedingt die Widerrufsbelehrung lesen.
Before signing a contract, you should definitely read the cancellation policy.
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