Can I cancel an exhibition or showroom order?
Possibly. A showroom or exhibition order has no automatic cooling-off right just because the goods come from China. Check whether the contract was on-premises, off-premises or at a distance, and whether an exception applies. Otherwise, ask about voluntary cancellation. Review the order trail with Cambridge China Bridge.
Establish personal use and the order sequence
This guide concerns buying from a trader for purposes wholly or mainly outside your trade, business, craft or profession. If you normally buy business stock, explain that this particular order is for personal use. For the broader goods and separate sourcing-service checks, see personal order cancellation.
Collect the order form, quote, terms, deposit receipt and acceptance messages. Record where you met, what you discussed and what happened afterwards. Ask the seller to identify when and how it says the contract formed, with the supporting document. Record the seller's identity separately from the Chinese factory's identity.
Check whether the venue was business premises
Business premises include fixed retail premises where the trader operates permanently and movable retail premises where it operates on a usual basis. Applying that definition, an exhibition stand can qualify; the word 'exhibition' alone does not settle the question. Ask how the seller uses the stand and keep photographs of its sales signage and layout.
An ordinary order agreed at the seller's permanent showroom does not automatically carry a change-of-mind cancellation right. An agreement made with both parties present away from the trader's business premises can be an off-premises contract. A consumer's offer made there can also fall within that category even if acceptance follows later.
Separate inspecting from negotiating and ordering
A distance contract requires an organised distance-selling scheme and exclusively remote communication for the contracting process. Applying that definition, merely viewing samples or gathering product information does not by itself rule out a later distance contract. Check whether the order was subsequently negotiated and concluded remotely.
If you negotiated the order face to face and only completed it by email afterwards, do not assume it qualifies as a distance contract. There is also an off-premises category where a trader personally and individually approaches you away from its business premises and the contract follows immediately, either remotely or at its premises. Record any approach outside the stand or showroom.
Identify the statutory cancellation route
For an eligible distance or off-premises contract, you can cancel during the cancellation period without giving a reason, including before delivery. For an ordinary goods order, the usual deadline is 14 days after the day you receive the goods. Scope exclusions and exceptions still matter. Use cancellation timing for the detailed date checks.
Confirm with Trading Standards whether genuinely made-to-measure or clearly personalised goods are excluded from the usual change-of-mind right in your case. Inspecting a standard sample does not answer whether your actual order is bespoke. Ask the seller to identify the agreed specifications and the exception it relies on, using cancellation exceptions. Keep any fault or description complaint separate from changing your mind.
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Distinguish a cancellation notice from a request
If you believe a statutory right applies, send a clear cancellation notice promptly and keep proof. State the order reference and relevant visit, ordering and delivery dates. Ask the seller to explain any disputed classification or exception in writing. Avoid letting an unanswered discussion about the venue delay your notice.
Where no statutory change-of-mind right applies, ask about the seller's voluntary policy or an agreed cancellation. Sellers may offer more favourable terms than the statutory minimum. Save any exhibition promise and ask about its deadline, deductions and deposit treatment. If a settlement is needed, use the practical checks in agreed order cancellation, without treating business settlement terms as consumer rights.
Frequently asked questions
Do exhibition orders always have a cooling-off period?
No. A stand can count as the trader's business premises. Check how the venue was used and how the order was agreed, then check whether statutory cancellation applies.
Can I cancel if I only viewed a sample in a showroom?
Viewing a sample alone does not settle it. A later order negotiated and concluded entirely remotely through an organised distance-selling scheme may qualify, subject to exceptions.
Does paying online after a show give me cancellation rights?
Online payment alone does not establish a distance contract. Check whether you had already negotiated or agreed the order face to face and whether an off-premises category applies.
What if the seller promised cancellation at the exhibition?
Keep the advert, message or your note of the promise. Ask the seller to confirm the policy, deadline, deductions and deposit treatment in writing, separately from any statutory right.