EU 14 day cooling off period vs. Hosting Services

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  • I sell online services similar to web-hosting,
    here's what my lawyer has crafted clause on our TOS:
    EU & UK CONSUMERS: YOU HAVE A STATUTORY RIGHT TO CANCEL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES WITHIN 14 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THE CONTRACT. HOWEVER, WE ARE ENTITLED TO CHARGE A REASONABLE AMOUNT FOR THE SERVICES THAT WE HAVE ALREADY PROVIDED TO YOU AS AT THE DATE OF CANCELLATION. THEREFORE, A FULL, OR ANY, REFUND MAY NOT BE DUE. PLEASE NOTE THIS DOES NOT AFFECT THE "PRODUCTS WITH SPECIAL REFUND TERMS", WHERE FULL REFUNDS MAY BE GIVEN, AS APPLICABLE. THIS REFUND POLICY DOES NOT AFFECT YOUR STATUTORY RIGHTS.

    Generally, I deduct reasonable amount for the services we already performed within first 14 days. This includes any provision charges, man-hours invested, or percentage of work completed. Rest amount I refund them.

    Now in OP's case if a customer uses a $5 VPS for 14 days OP can charge a reasonable amount for services like bandwidth utilized, server provisioned, etc.

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  • somiksomik OG
    edited June 2023

    @webhostingservers said:
    Now in OP's case if a customer uses a $5 VPS for 14 days OP can charge a reasonable amount for services like bandwidth utilized, server provisioned, etc.

    Lucky you do not have a nuisance fee cause in that case, he may need to pay extra on top of what he already paid :lol:

  • bikegremlinbikegremlin ModeratorOG
    edited June 2023

    @Abdullah said:
    A client recently pulled out the EU Law card, for a full refund, citing the mighty EU law for a VPS service which they customized to their liking and used for 7 days already.


    https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/guarantees-returns/index_en.htm

    Did you know that while EU law grants a 14-day cooling off period for online purchases, there are exceptions to this rule?
    This cooling off period doesn't apply to goods or services that are made to order or clearly personalized.
    The law exempts tailor-made services—just like the one-of-a-kind suit you can't return once it's crafted to your exact measurements.

    Here is our conversation -



    Client -

    Me -

    Client -

    Me -

    Client -

    Me -

    Client -

    Me -

    Paid & activated, client uses the service for next 7 days.

    Client -

    Me -

    Client -

    Me -

    Client -

    Client -

    Me - Issues a prorated refund of $30.

    Client -

    Me -

    Client -



    In the spirit of fairness, we issued a prorated refund, deducting only for the days the customized service was used. A fair compromise, don't you think?


    What's your take on applying this to Hosting services ?
    Are you a firm believer in the right to a full refund within 14 days?
    Maybe you have a unique perspective to share!


    Cheers! :)

    My country is not in the EU, but we also have that law for "online purchases."
    How it works in practice:

    I buy a HDD in a brick-and-mortar store and it makes clicking sounds.
    Technically, it has no bad sectors, it reads and writes normally.
    The warranty-claim service guy knows it's going to go bad. I know it's going to go bad. But it is technically OK (for now).
    I'm fucked.

    I order a HDD online.
    I don't like it, for whatever reason (or no reason at all). I can ship it back and get a full refund on my account (I only pay for the shipping).

    The same goes for buying monitors. Many manufacturers claim that one dead pixel (even if it's in the middle of the screen) is considered good by them and will not honor a warranty. If I order a monitor online, I can still get my money back.

    I've never ever bothered abusing that system. It's a hassle (having to pack and ship stuff back to the manufacturer, fill out the paper forms etc.). However, anything that costs more than a few dollars, I buy online nowadays. Because otherwise, refunds in case of faulty goods can take over 30 days and are not always guaranteed.

    As a seller, I'm happy to give full refunds, and if the warranty claims are not reasonable, I cross that customer of the list of people I'm willing to work with. Of course, in EU, one is not allowed to store customer data even for such a blacklist (as emails and cards can be changed). That sucks.

    Thanked by (1)FrankZ

    Detailed info about providers whose services I've used:
    BikeGremlin web-hosting reviews

  • armandorgarmandorg Services Provider

    Honestly, there are times when you can sense problems incoming right from the beginning when interacting with a client.

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  • LeeLee OG
    edited June 2023

    @Abdullah said: What's your take on applying this to Hosting services ?
    Are you a firm believer in the right to a full refund within 14 days?

    I get a few of these. They only have the right to be refunded for the part they didn't use. As long as you prove they used it for 7 days and there was a cost to you during that 7 days, the customer needs to pay for those 7 days. Many get confused because others will fully refund, that is their choice to do that, it's not required.

    @Mumbly said: Bbb..but, UK isn't part of the EU anymore :P

    Indeed, but we kept all the rules/regulations/laws. So we largely still act as if we are still part of the EU. That will change over time but Governments and speed...

    Thanked by (1)FrankZ
  • ehabehab Content Writer

    @armandorg said:
    Honestly, there are times when you can sense problems incoming right from the beginning when interacting with a client.

    we say spring is noticed from far away.

    guess you have your share of crappy clients.

    Thanked by (1)armandorg
  • nullroutenullroute Hosting Provider

    The EU law is similar to that of Brazil, with a specific focus on intermediate consumers. In the EU, it is permissible to reject refund requests for intangible services meant for public use or services that generate profit for the intermediate client.

    https://purplehost.com.br - Reliable, secure and affordable game hosting.

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