If you bought something for $25 or more at your home, even if you invited the seller, you can usually cancel until midnight of the third business day after the sale, for a full refund. The seller must tell you about that right and give you two copies of a cancellation form. Cancel in writing, by certified mail, before the deadline.
What the rule says
The FTC’s rule covers door-to-door sales: sales where the seller solicits the sale and you agree to buy somewhere other than the seller’s place of business, with a purchase price of $25 or more at your residence or $130 or more at other locations such as hotel rooms or fairgrounds [1].
“You, the buyer, may cancel this transaction at any time prior to midnight of the third business day after the date of this transaction.”
The rule covers sales of $25 or more made at the buyer’s residence (and $130 or more at temporary locations such as hotel rooms or fairgrounds), even when the buyer invited the seller. The seller must give a completed receipt or contract with that statement, plus two copies of a “Notice of Cancellation” form. It does not cover, among other exceptions, repairs or maintenance the buyer asked the seller to come and do (extra goods or services sold during that visit are covered again), or a bona fide emergency where the buyer signs a handwritten waiver.
What the law says, quoted from the official text. This is not legal or insurance advice; for your situation, ask your state’s insurance department, contractor board, attorney general or an attorney.
It also applies when you invite a salesperson to make a presentation in your home [2].
How the three business days are counted
Saturday counts as a business day; Sundays and federal holidays do not [2]. A Monday sale with no holiday that week can be canceled until midnight Thursday; a Friday sale until midnight Tuesday, if neither Monday nor Tuesday is a federal holiday [2].
How to cancel
- Sign and date one copy of the cancellation form and mail it to the address given for cancellations [2].
- If you never got a form, write a cancellation letter; it must be postmarked within three business days of the sale [2].
- Use certified mail with a return receipt, and keep a copy [2].
- You don’t have to give a reason [2].
After you cancel, the seller has 10 days to cancel and return any check you signed, refund your money and return any trade-in, and must pick up items left with you within 20 days or reimburse your shipping if you agree to send them back [2].
What the rule does not cover
The rule does not cover, among other things, sales under $25 at home, sales completed after negotiating at the seller’s permanent place of business, sales made entirely online, by mail or phone, emergency purchases, real estate, insurance or securities, and repairs or maintenance you asked the seller to come and do. Anything extra sold to you during that repair visit is covered again [2][1].
Before you sign at the kitchen table
- Ask for the written contract and the cancellation form, and read both.
- Don’t pay a large deposit on the spot; some states cap deposits [3].
- Check the license and ask for proof of insurance [4].
- Say you will decide after getting another estimate. A legitimate offer survives a weekend.
Quote Check asks how the sale was made and whether you got the cancellation form, and flags the Cooling-Off Rule when it applies.
Check an in-home quoteSources
- 16 CFR Part 429, Rule Concerning Cooling-Off Period for Sales Made at Homes or at Certain Other Locations (eCFR). Retrieved 2026-10-05.
- FTC, “Buyer’s Remorse: The FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule May Help” (September 2025). Retrieved 2026-10-05.
- California Business and Professions Code §7159.5. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
- FTC, “How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam” (July 2022). Retrieved 2026-10-05.
Information, not legal, insurance or engineering advice. Spot something wrong? Send a correction; accepted corrections are logged publicly with a date.