When a booking can be undone
A language course booked from a website, over the phone or through an app raises a common question: can the booking be cancelled if plans change? This article summarises Part 3 of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, covering regulations 27 to 30, 36 and 37 as published on legislation.gov.uk. The Regulations extend across the United Kingdom, including England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Legislation.gov.uk records pending amendments from the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 to some of the provisions, and a school’s own terms can give more generous rights than the Regulations. This article is general information, not legal advice.
Which bookings are covered (United Kingdom)
Regulation 27 says the cancellation provisions apply to distance and off-premises contracts between a trader and a consumer, subject to exceptions set out in the Regulations. A course booked online, by phone or through an app is typically a distance booking. A course booked in person at a school’s own premises falls outside that description, so its cancellation terms come from the school’s contract. Regulation 27 also excludes an off-premises contract where the consumer’s payment is not more than £42, and contracts for medicinal products, health care products and passenger transport services.
The right to cancel and the 14-day period (United Kingdom)
Under regulation 29, a consumer may cancel a distance or off-premises contract at any time in the cancellation period without giving a reason. Regulation 30 says that for service contracts, and for digital content not supplied on a tangible medium, the period ends at the end of 14 days after the day on which the contract is entered into. A consumer can also withdraw an offer to enter into a contract before it is finalised, without giving a reason and without liability.
Starting a course early (United Kingdom)
Regulation 36 covers services supplied during the cancellation period. A trader may begin the service before the period ends if the consumer makes an express request and, for an off-premises contract, makes it on a durable medium. Where a consumer cancels after the service has started following such a request, the consumer must pay a proportionate amount. The amount is calculated on the total contract price or, if the total price is excessive, on the market value of what was supplied. The consumer bears no cost if the trader failed to give the required cancellation or cost information, or if the service was not supplied in response to a consumer request. For most services the right to cancel is lost once the service is fully performed, if performance began after a compliant request and the consumer acknowledged that this would happen.
Self-paced and app-based courses (United Kingdom)
A self-paced course delivered by download or online access is digital content. Regulation 37 says the trader cannot begin supply of digital content before the 14-day period ends unless the consumer gives express consent and acknowledges that the right to cancel under regulation 29(1) will be lost. A consumer bears no cost for content supplied during the period if the consumer did not consent to supply beginning early, consented without acknowledging the loss of the right, or the trader failed to provide the required confirmation. Once supply has properly begun with consent and acknowledgement, the right to cancel is lost. This site’s article on apps versus courses compares the formats, and the self-paced apps and software page introduces them.
Exceptions to look for (United Kingdom)
Regulation 28 lists contracts for which there is no right to cancel. One exception, in paragraph 1(h), covers the supply of accommodation, transport of goods, vehicle rental, catering or services related to leisure activities, if the contract provides for a specific date or period of performance. Others include personalised goods and contracts concluded at public auction. Whether any element of a study-abroad package falls into an exception depends on the terms of the booking, so accommodation and tuition included in one contract are best checked line by line.
Practical steps
Before paying, a learner can check whether the booking is made at a distance, the school’s cancellation and refund terms, whether the start date falls inside the first 14 days, and whether access to materials begins immediately. Keeping the confirmation and the written request to start early gives a record of what was agreed. This site’s guides on choosing a language course and immersion and study abroad describe what to compare before booking.
Common questions
How long is the period for a service booked online? Regulation 30 says 14 days after the day on which the contract is entered into.
Does starting lessons early forfeit the right? A trader can begin only on the consumer’s express request, and the consumer then pays a proportion for what was supplied if cancelling. Full performance after a compliant request and acknowledgement ends the right.
Do the Regulations cover a class booked at the school desk? Regulation 27 covers distance and off-premises contracts, so an on-premises booking depends on the school’s terms.
The bottom line
Across the UK, a language course booked online or by phone can usually be cancelled within 14 days of the contract, but an early start at the learner’s express request means paying a proportion for lessons used, and the right can be lost once a service is fully performed or digital content has been supplied with consent and acknowledgement. Bookings made in person at a school fall outside these provisions, and exceptions such as accommodation for a specific date should be checked in a package.
Sources
- legislation.gov.uk, “The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, regulation 27 (Application of this Part)”
- legislation.gov.uk, “The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, regulation 28 (Exceptions to the right to cancel)”
- legislation.gov.uk, “The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, regulation 29 (Right to cancel)”
- legislation.gov.uk, “The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, regulation 30 (Cancellation period)”
- legislation.gov.uk, “The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, regulation 36 (Supply of service in cancellation period)”
- legislation.gov.uk, “The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, regulation 37 (Supply of digital content in cancellation period)”