Withdrawal notices

From 19 June 2026 every Finnish online store must offer a clear and easily-findable withdrawal function (EU Consumer Rights Directive 2023/2673, Art. 11a). Putiikkipalvelu has the function built in — your customers file a withdrawal notice from your storefront, and you handle them in the Withdrawals dashboard.

What this is

A withdrawal notice is a legal record of the customer's intent to cancel an order. It is not the same as a refund:

• A withdrawal notice is a message to you — the customer's legal notification that they want to withdraw from the contract. Putiikkipalvelu records the notice and sends the customer an automatic confirmation.
• A refund is the money going back. You still process it from the order page using the Refund button.

The two are kept separate intentionally — you can decline a refund in specific cases (item is exempt from withdrawal right, deadline passed), but you cannot decline to receive the notice itself.

Where the customer files a notice

The customer reaches the withdrawal form from several places in your storefront:

• Site footer — "Peruuta tilaus" / "Withdraw order" link visible on every page
• Order confirmation email — one-click link that pre-fills the form with the order's details
• Logged-in order history — a per-order withdrawal button
• Returns terms page — add a link here too (see below)

The form is two-step: the customer fills in their details, confirms on a separate page, and receives a numbered receipt ("PER-0042") plus an email confirmation listing what was withdrawn and when.

The Withdrawals view in the dashboard

When a customer files a notice, you get a notification in the bell at the top of the dashboard and see it on the Withdrawals page (its own item in the sidebar, just under Orders).

List view

You see all notices, newest first. Filter by status (Received, Handled, Closed without refund).

Each row shows:

• Number — e.g. PER-0042. This is the reference number the customer received.
• Customer — name and email
• Order — link to the matching order if the system found one. If the order number didn't match any of your orders, you see a yellow warning and the raw text the customer typed.
• Submitted — date and time
• Status — coloured pill

Single notice

Clicking a row opens the notice's detail page:

• Customer — the name and email the customer entered on the form. The confirmation was sent to this address.
• Order — if the order number matched: summary and an Open order button that takes you to the order page for refunding. If it didn't match: a yellow card showing the raw value the customer typed.
• Withdrawal contents — either a Whole order badge or a list of specific items the customer wants to withdraw.
• Customer message — optional free-text from the customer.
• Handle — two buttons:
  • Mark as handled — use when the withdrawal has been processed (usually after refunding via the order page). A note is optional.
  • Close without refund — use when the withdrawal doesn't result in a refund (e.g. item is exempt, deadline passed). A justification is required for the audit trail.

Once a notice is handled, the right side of the page shows the resolution: who, when, and the justification.

Typical workflow

1. You see a notification in the bell (or in email, if you enabled it in notification settings)
2. Open Withdrawals → [PER-...]
3. Click Open order and check whether the order has been shipped or has anything else of note
4. Issue the refund from the order page's Refund button (if the withdrawal is valid)
5. Return to the notice and click Mark as handled with a short note (e.g. "Refund issued 25.5.2026")

If the withdrawal does not lead to a refund (e.g. custom-made item or the 14-day window has passed), click Close without refund and write a justification. The justification stays in the system as an audit record.

What you may decline

You cannot decline to receive the notice — the law requires you to record every notice and send a confirmation. You may decline the refund in specific cases:

• Custom-made / personalised items (e.g. made-to-measure)
• Sealed items opened for hygiene reasons (e.g. contact lenses, medications)
• Opened audio recordings or software
• Hotel nights, flights and other time-specific services
• The withdrawal period (14 days from delivery) has expired

In those cases use Close without refund and write a justification. See the KKV's full list of exemptions.

Privacy and retention

Withdrawal notices contain the customer's name and email and are legal records. Putiikkipalvelu retains them for at least six years (matching Finnish bookkeeping law). Mention this in your own privacy policy.

Update your returns terms

The disclosure obligation under KKV's guidance means your terms of service and returns page must, before purchase, tell the customer where the withdrawal function is and how to use it. Putiikkipalvelu handles the technical implementation, but you add the text yourself via Content Management → Returns terms page.

Recommended short paragraph you can paste in:

Right of withdrawal

You have the legal right to withdraw your order within 14 days from
receiving it. You can withdraw by using the "Peruuta tilaus" /
"Withdraw order" function in the footer of our website. We will
automatically send you a confirmation email when the notice is
received.

The right of withdrawal does not apply to e.g. custom-made items,
opened audio recordings or software, or items opened for hygiene
reasons. Full exemptions are listed in the KKV's guidance.

Once you have filed a withdrawal notice, any refund is processed
within 14 days of you returning the items.

Adapt the text to your tone — the important part is that the withdrawal function's location is mentioned.

Related topics

• Order details and issuing a refund
• Notification settings