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Withdrawing from an installment purchase: the financing goes too

An expensive device conveniently financed in installments, and now you regret the purchase? With a financed purchase you have two contracts at once: the purchase and the financing. If you withdraw from the financing, the purchase often falls away too.

Reach your next steps and the matching ready-made texts in just a few minutes, free of charge:

Declare your withdrawal

Your chances of getting your money back

A consumer loan, and therefore also an installment financing, can generally be withdrawn within 14 days. If purchase and financing are a 'linked transaction', withdrawal from the loan means that you are no longer bound to the purchase contract either (§ 358 BGB).
If the withdrawal instruction was given incorrectly, the deadline can run longer. For an online or doorstep purchase you also have a right of withdrawal for the purchase contract itself.

What you should do now

  1. 1

    1. Check the contracts

    Is there a financed purchase (installment purchase or loan), and are purchase and financing linked?

  2. 2

    2. Check the deadline

    Withdraw within 14 days; with a faulty instruction more is possible.

  3. 3

    3. Declare withdrawal

    Declare the withdrawal of the loan (and, if applicable, of the purchase) in writing and in a provable way.

  4. 4

    4. Reversal

    Goods back, paid installments back; the reversal takes place between the parties involved.

Frequently asked questions

Can I withdraw from an installment purchase?

As a rule yes. The financing linked to the purchase is a consumer loan that you can withdraw from within 14 days. If it is a 'linked transaction', withdrawal from the loan also ends your commitment to the purchase contract (§ 358 BGB). With a faulty withdrawal instruction the deadline can even be longer.

What happens to the goods after the withdrawal?

The contract is reversed: you return the goods and get already paid installments refunded; outstanding payments cease. In a linked transaction, the parties involved settle this among themselves, so that you can essentially deal with a single point of contact. Declare the withdrawal in writing and keep the proof.

Take action now

We put together the ready-made texts and the right places to contact for you.

General information for self-help, not legal advice (RDG). In case of a high loss or uncertainty: contact a consumer advice center or a lawyer.