E-Commerce Sale of Goods Terms and Conditions

It is critical to have well-prepared, professionally drafted terms and conditions when selling goods online to manage risk, protect your business, define the operation(s) of the business, and provide clarity to customers. The templates within the selection below combine both terms of use and terms of sale which collectively make up the terms and conditions. The terms of use cover general use of the website: The terms of sale act as a sale contract.

Legal and Compliant

All these templates have been drafted by lawyers with many years of practical experience with internet businesses. All these website terms and conditions have been updated and reviewed to comply with current regulations.

Online sales to consumers need to comply with the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. The E-commerce Distance Selling Guidance Notes assist sellers navigate complex consumer rights, comply with legal obligations and apply best practice for consumer protection. It will help the selection and editing of terms and conditions to ensure compliance with the Regulations, and is especially useful for start-ups and small businesses handling such matters in-house. If in doubt please seek independent legal advice.

Why Apply Separate Terms of Use and Terms of Sale?

Each of these types of templates cover different legal and practical issues.

Terms of Use govern how visitors interact with the website, applying to everyone who visits the site, whether or not they buy. The provisions include rules for browsing and using content, intellectual property, privacy compliance and account usage, and liability disclaimers. These provisions relate to access and behaviour.

Terms of Sale provide the contract for the purchase of products. The provisions include pricing and payment; delivery fulfilment details; returns, refunds and cancellations; warranties and after sales service. These provisions relate to the transaction(s).

Separate terms ensure clarity between visitor and customer: Define risk management for the site owner/operator: Enable inclusion of relevant consumer protection clauses: And provide flexibility when terms are updated or changed.

Which Terms and Conditions?

Within these Terms and Conditions templates are Website Terms of Use for Sale of Goods (B2C) and Website Terms of Use for Sale of Goods (B2B). Each of these should be used in conjunction with the respective terms of sale. The terms of use should be visible on each page of the sellers’ website covering website usage, site access and IP. The business to consumer terms of use can be applied with any of the business to consumer terms of sale.

The selection of e-commerce terms of sale provide for both consumer and business sales at Website Terms of Sale of Goods (B2C) and Website Terms of Sale of Goods (B2B). The former is a generic version for the sale of physical goods to consumers. In addition there are versions to suit a number of different sales scenarios such as the sale of bespoke goods, sale of food (perishable) products and sale within a subscription model, each of which require specific terms. Choose the best match for your business to minimise tailoring to fit your activities .

Please view and click on the links below for the full list of E-Commerce Sale of Goods Terms and Conditions templates:

E-Commerce Sale of Goods Terms and Conditions is part of Business . Just £38.50 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Business for 1 year.

Frequently Asked Questions

I am setting up an online shop selling physical products. Which terms and conditions do I need? +

You need two sets working together. Terms of use govern how visitors use the site, covering access, intellectual property, accounts and acceptable use. Terms of sale form the purchase contract, covering price, payment, delivery, cancellation and refunds. Simply-Docs pairs Website Terms of Use for Sale of Goods with Website Terms of Sale of Goods in both consumer and business versions, plus variants for bespoke goods, food and subscriptions. Pick the pair that matches your customers and products.

Do I have to offer a 14-day refund when I sell goods online? +

For consumer sales, yes, in most cases. Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, a consumer buying at a distance can cancel from the moment they order until 14 days after the goods are delivered, without giving a reason, and you then refund within 14 days of getting the goods back or proof of return. Some goods are exempt, including bespoke, personalised and perishable items. Your terms of sale should set out how customers cancel and return. This right does not apply to business-to-business sales.

I sell custom-made or personalised products. Do customers still get the 14-day cooling-off period? +

Usually not. Goods made to the customer's specification or clearly personalised are exempt from the 14-day distance-selling cancellation right, so a genuinely bespoke item does not have to be taken back just because the customer changed their mind. The exemption is narrow: it covers true customisation, not standard stock offered in different sizes or colours. Simply-Docs provides a bespoke goods version of the terms of sale that reflects this. Faulty or misdescribed goods still carry full statutory rights.

I sell food or other perishable goods online. How are my terms different? +

Perishable goods change the cancellation position. Goods that deteriorate or expire rapidly, such as fresh food, are exempt from the 14-day distance-selling cancellation right, so customers cannot return them simply for a refund. Your terms should make this clear and deal with delivery timing, storage and what happens if items arrive damaged. Simply-Docs offers a food or perishable products version of the sale of goods terms. Statutory quality rights under the Consumer Rights Act still apply if food is not as described or unfit.

What is the difference between selling to consumers and to businesses when I trade online? +

Consumer sales carry protections you cannot contract out of, while business sales give both sides more freedom. Selling to consumers means the Consumer Rights Act 2015 quality standards and the 14-day distance-selling cancellation right apply, and your terms cannot remove them. Selling to businesses means those consumer rules do not apply, so you can set your own cancellation, liability and warranty terms within the general law. Simply-Docs provides separate B2C and B2B terms of use and terms of sale so you start from the right basis.

I sell goods on a subscription. Do I need different terms? +

Yes, a subscription needs terms built for recurring supply. Selling goods on a subscription involves repeat deliveries and recurring payments, so the terms of sale must cover the billing cycle, how and when a customer can cancel, price changes and what happens to a part-used period. The 14-day distance-selling cancellation right still applies to the initial consumer contract. Simply-Docs offers a subscription version of the sale of goods terms of sale drafted for this model.

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