THE HAGUE – October 20, 2026 | The Dutch Daily
Black Friday Netherlands 2026 falls on Friday 27 November 2026, and many webshops start their offers days or weeks earlier. Before you buy, two things are worth knowing: you have a 14-day right to cancel most online purchases, and the “from” price next to a discount must be the lowest price the seller used in the previous 30 days. This guide explains both rules, what the consumer authority ACM found in its last check before Black Friday, and how to test a deal before you click. Information was checked on 20 October 2026; rules and shop practices can change.
Black Friday Netherlands 2026: quick answer
- Date of Black Friday Netherlands: Friday 27 November 2026; Cyber Monday is the Monday after, 30 November. Many Dutch webshops run a “Black Week” or Black Friday weekend.
- Cooling-off period: 14 days from delivery for most online purchases, with no reason needed.
- Cancel button: since 25 June 2026 websites and apps must offer an online cancel button during the cooling-off period.
- Price rule: the crossed-out “from” price must be the lowest price of the previous 30 days.
- ACM advice: check first, then order.
Contents
1. When is Black Friday Netherlands 2026?
Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States. The US government lists Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November, which is 26 November in 2026, so Black Friday 2026 is Friday 27 November and Cyber Monday is Monday 30 November (our calendar calculation from that rule). The Dutch webshop association Thuiswinkel.org says both events are well established in the Netherlands, that they are not clearly separated, so a Black Friday weekend is common, and that many webshops run a “Black Week”. Note that Thuiswinkel.org’s explainer calls Thanksgiving the “third Thursday”; the US rule is the fourth Thursday, which is why we use 27 November. Shops may start earlier, so the date is a guide, not a deadline.
2. Black Friday Netherlands: your 14-day right to cancel
The ACM’s ConsuWijzer explains the cooling-off period (bedenktijd) for purchases you make online or by phone, and for purchases of €50 or more made at home, on the street or at a sales demonstration. Sale items and special offers also qualify. The key points:
- Length: 14 days. For goods it starts when you receive them. If you order several items, the period ends 14 days after the last item arrives.
- No reason needed. You can cancel, for example by e-mail, phone or letter. If you send your notice within the cooling-off period, you are in time.
- Cancel button: from 25 June 2026 websites and apps must offer an online cancel button that is clearly visible throughout the cooling-off period; you should not need to download an app or create an account to use it.
- If the seller did not inform you properly: the period is extended by one year; if the seller gives the correct information within that year, 14 days run from then.
The Rijksoverheid describes the same right in its own words: when you order something online or by phone you are buying at a distance, and in many cases you get a cooling-off period of 14 days in which you can undo the purchase. This also applies to second-hand and vintage products. It does not apply to, for example, a newspaper, a trip or a train ticket, and buying online from a private individual does not count as buying at a distance. The seller must inform you about the product and the cooling-off period.
3. Returning a Black Friday Netherlands purchase and getting your money back
- You must send the product back within 14 days of cancelling; the shipping date counts.
- Return shipping: you pay if the seller clearly said so on the website before you bought. If not, the seller pays and you can claim the costs back. If the seller offers to collect the item, the risk passes to the seller once you hand it to the courier.
- Refund: the seller must refund the purchase price and the delivery costs within 14 days of your cancellation. The seller may wait until the item or proof of sending is back. The refund goes via the same payment method unless you agree otherwise.
- If you return only part of an order, the delivery costs are not refunded.
4. When you cannot cancel
The ACM page lists purchases for which there is no cooling-off period by law: custom-made items, personal items, perishable goods, sealed digital media you opened, opened hygiene products, rentals for a fixed period, tickets for a specific date, hiring someone for a set date, emergency repairs, and goods whose price depends on financial markets. For these purchases there is no cooling-off period either, and the seller does not have to tell you about it: purchases under €50 from door-to-door or street sales, package holidays, buying or renting a home, gambling, market purchases and purchases from private sellers, for example on Marktplaats. The ACM notes that business sellers on online marketplaces do have cooling-off rights. For consumer rights in other areas, see our guide to debt collection and your rights.
5. Black Friday Netherlands: the 30-day rule and fake discounts
Consumentenbond notes that legislation on prices has existed since 2022. The ACM says the “from” price (the crossed-out reference price) must be the lowest price the seller charged in the previous 30 days, and the discount must be measured against that price; otherwise ACM considers it misleading. Terms like “adviesprijs” (recommended price) or “meestal-prijs” (usual price) may not be used without making clear what they mean.
ACM check before last year’s Black Friday. In a news item of 20 November 2025, the ACM reported that it had looked at offers from 24 large sellers in home, clothing, DIY and garden, household electronics and cosmetics, online and in stores. 18 of the 24 sellers (75%) had one or more misleading price statements, mostly the “from” price. ACM contacted these businesses and said it can impose sanctions. It also noted that a court had recently upheld ACM’s fines against two webshops for fake discounts (a related ACM headline of 13 November 2025 names Leen Bakker and Koopjedeal).
Consumentenbond check. The Consumentenbond tracked prices for two months before Black Friday 2025 and said shops still used crossed-out adviesprijzen and “most shown prices”. One example it gave: a game shown as “nu slechts” €35.69 with 15% off had cost €30.99 in the period before. Several shops said they would comply or had already made changes. The Consumentenbond warns against offers based on an adviesprijs or a “meestal-prijs” and notes that shops discount all year round.
These findings describe 2025; check current price displays yourself in 2026.
6. How to check a Black Friday Netherlands deal
The ACM’s campaign “Eerst checken, dan bestellen” suggests three checks:
- Be wary of unusually high or unexpected discounts.
- Check the product’s price history, for example on price comparison sites.
- Compare with other sellers; if one is much cheaper, something may be wrong.
The ACM also says to check, especially if you do not know the webshop, that it is trustworthy, for example by reading reviews on several review sites. Black Friday is also a favourite time for scammers; read our guides to the WhatsApp scam in the Netherlands and to fake helpdesk and voice-cloning scams.
Our tips (not from the sources):
- Take a screenshot of the offer page, the price history and your order confirmation.
- Note the delivery date: the 14 days start on delivery, not on the order date.
- Write down where the cancel button is when you buy, so you do not have to search later.
Black Friday Netherlands: what to remember
For a Black Friday Netherlands purchase, three facts do most of the work. First, the 14 days run from delivery, not from the day you click “order”. Second, you must tell the seller you are cancelling, and the date you send the notice is the date that counts. Third, the seller must refund the price and the delivery costs within 14 days of your cancellation, although it may wait for the product or for proof that you sent it back. If the seller does not refund you, the ACM page offers a sample letter you can send.
The same ConsuWijzer page notes that sale items, second-hand goods and special offers also qualify for the cooling-off period, so a heavy discount does not remove your right to cancel. The exceptions are the product types listed in section 4, such as custom-made items and opened hygiene products.
7. FAQ
When is Black Friday Netherlands in 2026?
Friday 27 November 2026, with Cyber Monday on 30 November. Many Dutch webshops start earlier.
Can I return a Black Friday Netherlands purchase?
Usually yes, if you bought online: you have 14 days from delivery to cancel without giving a reason. Some goods are excluded, such as custom-made items and opened hygiene products.
Who pays the return shipping?
You, if the seller clearly said so before you bought. Otherwise the seller pays.
How fast must I get my refund?
Within 14 days after you cancelled, although the seller may wait until the product or proof of sending is back.
What is the 30-day rule?
The crossed-out “from” price must be the lowest price of the previous 30 days.
Can I cancel a purchase from a private seller on Marktplaats?
No. According to the ACM, the legal cooling-off period does not apply to purchases from private sellers.
🇳🇱 Dutch Corner
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| De korting | Discount |
| De bedenktijd | Cooling-off period |
| De herroepingsknop | Cancel button |
| De webwinkel | Webshop |
| De bestelling | Order |
| De retourzending | Return shipment |
| De adviesprijs | Recommended retail price |
| De nepaanbieding | Fake offer |
| De terugbetaling | Refund |
Sources
- Rijksoverheid: Wat zijn mijn rechten bij kopen op afstand? (14 days, second-hand goods, exceptions, private sellers)
- ACM ConsuWijzer: Bedenktijd (14 days, cancel button from 25 June 2026, return and refund rules, exceptions)
- ACM, 20 November 2025: ACM ziet nog veel misleidende kortingen en adviseert: eerst checken, dan bestellen (24 sellers, 18 misleading, 30-day rule, advice)
- Consumentenbond, 18 November 2025: Black Friday waarschuwing: nog altijd veel nepaanbiedingen (two-month price tracking, example, advice)
- Thuiswinkel.org: Wat is Black Friday? (Netherlands context, Black Week)
- USA.gov: Federal holidays (Thanksgiving: fourth Thursday in November)
Free: Netherlands 2027 Money Checklist
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