- The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 replaced the Distance Selling Regulations and apply to broadband bought online or by phone.
- Before you commit, the provider must give clear pre-contract information about the deal, price and terms.
- Distance sales carry the 14-day cancellation right; in-store purchases are treated differently.
- These rights are separate from your service rights, such as the speed guarantee and compensation scheme.
Most broadband is sold at a distance, online or over the phone, and a specific set of consumer rights applies to those sales. The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, which replaced the older Distance Selling Regulations, govern what a provider must tell you and your right to change your mind. Knowing these rights ensures you are sold broadband on a fair, transparent basis.
What replaced the Distance Selling Regulations
The Distance Selling Regulations were replaced by the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, which modernised and extended consumer protections for sales made at a distance and off-premises. For broadband, which is overwhelmingly sold online or by phone, these are the regulations that apply, covering both what you must be told and your right to cancel.
Pre-contract information rights
Before you are bound, the provider must give you clear, comprehensible information about the contract: the main characteristics of the service, the total price including any upfront costs, the contract length, and your cancellation rights, among other things. This pre-contract information is meant to let you make an informed decision rather than being signed up on vague or incomplete terms.
The cancellation right
Distance sales carry the 14-day cooling-off right to cancel, subject to paying for any service you asked to start and used. This is the headline protection of the regulations and applies because you bought without seeing the product in person. Exercising it requires telling the provider clearly within the window.
Distance selling rights at a glance
| Right | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Pre-contract information | Clear terms, price and length before you commit |
| 14-day cancellation | Right to change your mind on a distance sale |
| Confirmation of the contract | A durable record of what you agreed |
How shop purchases differ
Broadband bought face to face in a shop is not a distance sale, so the automatic 14-day cooling-off right does not apply in the same way; in-store purchases are treated differently, and any right to cancel may depend on the provider's own policy. If keeping the option to change your mind matters to you, buying online or by phone, where the cooling-off right applies, can be the safer route. These distance-selling rights are separate from your service rights, such as the speed guarantee and the compensation scheme, which apply however you bought.
Frequently asked questions
Do distance selling rules apply to broadband?
Yes. Broadband bought online or by phone is a distance sale, governed by the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, which replaced the Distance Selling Regulations. They require clear pre-contract information and give a 14-day cancellation right.
What information must an ISP give me before I sign up online?
Clear, comprehensible pre-contract information, including the main characteristics of the service, the total price and any upfront costs, the contract length, and your cancellation rights, among other things, so you can make an informed decision before committing.
What are my rights if I signed up to broadband online?
You have the pre-contract information rights and the 14-day cooling-off right to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, subject to paying for any service you used. You also have your service rights, such as the speed guarantee and compensation scheme.
Is there a different right to cancel for broadband bought in a shop?
Yes. A face-to-face shop purchase is not a distance sale, so the automatic 14-day cooling-off right does not apply in the same way. Any right to cancel an in-store purchase may depend on the provider's own policy rather than the distance-selling regulations.
What is the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013?
It is the legislation that replaced the Distance Selling Regulations, governing sales made at a distance and off-premises. For broadband sold online or by phone, it sets out the pre-contract information you must receive and your 14-day right to cancel.
