ftc cooling off rule
The FTC cooling off rule is three business days
The FTC cooling off rule gives a buyer until midnight of the third business day to cancel certain sales made at home, at work, in a dorm, or at a seller's temporary location. Knockdesk is field sales software for teams that sell in person. This page is general information, not legal advice. The table is the FTC Cooling-Off Rule page and 16 CFR 429, not a blog summary.
Book a Walkthrough| Piece | What the current text says |
|---|---|
| Home sale | Covered at $25 or more. Sales under $25 at the home are not covered. |
| Temporary location | Covered at $130 or more. Hotel rooms, convention centers, fairgrounds, and restaurants are examples. |
| Window | Until midnight of the third business day after the sale. The buyer does not have to give a reason. |
| Business day | Saturday counts. Sunday and federal holidays do not. |
| Notice | Two cancellation forms, plus a dated contract or receipt in the language of the sales talk. |
| Oral notice | 16 CFR 429.1 requires the seller to tell the buyer, at the time of the sale, about the right to cancel. |
| After cancel | Ten business days to refund, return trade-ins, and cancel notes. Twenty days to pick up goods or pay to ship them back. |
The window
The 3 day cancellation rule door to door
The 3 day cancellation rule door to door is that same three-business-day window. Cooling off rule door to door sales is the FTC name for it. The right to cancel door to door sale lasts until midnight of the third business day. The FTC page walks the weekdays: a Monday sale in a week without a federal holiday runs to midnight Thursday. A Friday sale with no Monday or Tuesday holiday runs to midnight Tuesday.
Covered home sale
16 CFR 429.0 covers a sale, lease, or rental of consumer goods or services solicited in person when the buyer's agreement is made away from the seller's place of business, at $25 or more if that agreement is at the residence.
Invited visit
The FTC page says the rule also applies when the buyer invites a salesperson to present in the home, if the sale is otherwise covered.
State law
The FTC page says some state laws give the buyer more rights than the federal rule. Open the state page and the attorney general for that state.
Not every sale
What the cooling-off rule does not cover
The FTC page lists sales the rule does not cover even when they happen at a covered place. A crew that treats every knock as a three-day deal will misread emergency work, repairs the buyer asked for, and goods that are not for personal, family, or household use.
| Not covered | How the text puts it |
|---|---|
| Under the dollar line | Under $25 at the home. Under $130 at a temporary location. |
| Not household use | Goods or services not mainly for personal, family, or household use. Instruction or training courses stay covered. |
| Remote only | Sales made entirely online, by mail, or telephone. |
| Finished at the store | Sales after negotiations at the seller's permanent place of business. |
| Emergency | Needed to meet an emergency, with the written waiver 16 CFR 429.0 describes. |
| Asked-for repair | The buyer asked the seller to the home to repair or maintain personal property. Extra goods beyond that repair are covered. |
| Named products | Real estate, insurance, securities. Some motor vehicles at temporary lots. Arts or crafts at fairs and similar places. |
The forms
How the seller has to present the cancel right
16 CFR 429.1 is the seller's checklist. Missing the form does not erase the window. The FTC page says the buyer can write a cancellation letter if the forms never arrived, and that letter still has to be postmarked within three business days.
- 1Give a completed contract or receipt in the same language as the sales talk, with the date and the seller's name and address.
- 2Print the bold notice that the buyer may cancel before midnight of the third business day.
- 3Hand two completed cancellation forms, with the seller name, business address, transaction date, and the last day to cancel.
- 4Tell the buyer orally, at the time of the sale, about the right to cancel. Do not misrepresent that right.
- 5If a valid cancel arrives, refund within ten business days, return trade-ins, cancel notes, and say whether goods will be picked up or abandoned.
The stall
The window is counted from the visit
The FTC page answers how long the buyer has. It does not write the visit. When the notice lives in a truck folder and the knock lives in a chat, no one can show when the sale happened. Knockdesk keeps the visit on the pin so the manager can open the same door the household is asking about. 418 Oak Ave, 22 Harbor Rd, and 90 Pine Ct on North ridge are a sample day, not a customer result. Full desk is on the pricing page. A free trial is not open.
Field activity
Sample
Today · North ridge
- 418 Oak AveMaya Chen · 2:14 PMAppointment
- 22 Harbor RdJordan Hale · 2:41 PMNot home
- 90 Pine CtAlicia Brooks · 3:05 PMCallback
Sources
Open the FTC page and the rule
These are the pages the table cites. Some states add more cancel rights. Knockdesk is not counsel.
- Buyer's Remorse: The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule May Help
The three-day window, the $25 and $130 lines, and the sales the rule skips.
- 16 CFR 429.0 Definitions
Door-to-door sale, purchase price, and business day.
- 16 CFR 429.1 The Rule
The notice, the two forms, the oral warning, and the ten-day refund.
Related
Keep going from the cancel window
- Door to door sales laws
The hub for permits, consent, cooling-off, and legality.
- Solicitor permits
The city card that comes before the home sale.
- Is door to door sales legal
The knock can be legal and the sale can still carry a cancel window.
- Recording consent by state
In-person consent if that same visit is recorded.
- Knockdesk pricing
Full desk is on the pricing page.
- Canvass
The visit that has to land on the pin before anyone counts the third business day.
- Texas
A state page for crews that already run Texas cities.
- Arizona
A state page for crews that already run Arizona cities.
- Utah
A state page for crews that already run Utah cities.
- Colorado
A state page for crews that already run Colorado cities.
- Georgia
A state page for crews that already run Georgia cities.
- Florida
A state page for crews that already run Florida cities.
- California
A state page for crews that already run California cities.
- North Carolina
A state page for crews that already run North Carolina cities.
- Tennessee
A state page for crews that already run Tennessee cities.
- Ohio
A state page for crews that already run Ohio cities.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the FTC cooling off rule?
A federal rule that lets a buyer cancel certain in-person sales until midnight of the third business day. The FTC page excludes home sales under $25 and temporary-location sales under $130. This page is general information, not legal advice.
What is the 3 day cancellation rule door to door?
The same three-business-day window. Saturday counts. Sunday and federal holidays do not. The buyer does not have to give a reason.
Does the cooling off rule door to door sales cover every knock?
No. The FTC page skips sales under the dollar lines, remote-only sales, sales finished at the seller's permanent place of business, emergencies, asked-for repairs, and named products such as real estate, insurance, and securities.
What is the right to cancel door to door sale on the forms?
16 CFR 429.1 requires two cancellation forms and an oral notice at the sale. If the forms never arrive, the FTC page says the buyer can mail a cancellation letter postmarked within three business days.
Does Knockdesk send the cancellation form?
No. Knockdesk is field sales software. It logs the visit on the pin. The seller still follows the FTC forms. Some states give the buyer more rights.
How much does Knockdesk cost?
Full desk is on the pricing page. A free trial is not open.
The third business day
Bring the sale the household is still inside.
We will walk how the team logs the visit so the cancel window is not a chat. Full desk is on the pricing page. This page is not legal advice. A free trial is not open.
Book a Walkthrough